What is the author's style in Death of a Red Heroine by Qiu Xiaolong?

The language in the novel varies. In large part, it tends to be descriptive and poetic. The sentences are constructed colloquially with a modern sensibility, but are infused with poetic images and actual lines of poetry. It is easy to comprehend the language of the novel and the author integrates a great deal of cultural and historical detail without letting it drag the story down. At times, the style will abruptly switch to a more utilitarian approach when a character is reading a report or listening to the transcript of an interview.