'Everyone wants to go to heaven, but the gate of heaven isn't like the gate to hell, which opens with a push.'
Dongzhou City needs a new Mayor. The secretive, government corridors are awash with rumour, insinuation and subterfuge as the mandarins fo the local Communist Party go through the motions of selecting their candidate. Ruthless politicking then ensues and dangerous factions begin to form around the two contenders, Liu Yihe and Peng Guoliang.
Devious plots, seduction, blackmail and bribery are all on the table in a no-holds-barred scramble for political prestige and personal gain. At the centre of it all is a notebook, a humble witness to events but one whose pages contain information they shouldn't.
Penned by a former insider, The Civil Servant's Notebook offers a glimpse into the distorted psyches of those who roam the guarded halls of Chinese political power. 'Serve the people' is just about the last thing on their minds . . .
