Hi there! I'm Cindy Tong, the author of The Hong Brothers Mysteries. I am from San Francisco but currently living in Taiwan with my husband and two curious little boys, Connor and Owen. 

Since having kids, I've been inspired by the many children's books that made us laugh, imagine and feel empowered.  And so, I wanted to create something that my boys and other children will cherish too.  

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Initially, I wasn't sure what type of story I wanted to tell. But when I thought about the genre of books that excited me the most, I knew I had to write a mystery! Whether it’s mystery books, psychological thriller films or true crime documentaries, the adventure and excitement of mysteries have enthralled me since I was a kid.  

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What I did know for sure when developing this book was that I was going to feature my sons as the main characters. There aren't many children’s books with Asians as the main characters (only 9% according to a 2021 report), and when there are, the books are usually about Asian culture and celebrations. While these stories are important too, Asian kids also want to see themselves being cool, adventurous kids doing cool, adventurous things. I want readers to see that the Asian characters in my book are no different from any others – and that they can be the heroes in everyday stories too!