From the outside it seems as though China's leadership is facing its biggest crisis in a generation with the country's most prominent political star, Bo Xilai, the czar of Chongqing, suddenly dismissed from all of his posts while his wife and a household assistant stand accused of the murder of British businessman Neil Heywood.
This was preceded by the dramatic flight of Bo's former head of police, Wang Lijun, to the American consulate in Chengdu, where he provided evidence of wrongdoing by the Bos. After Wang was denied political asylum, he was taken into the custody by Chinese security officials.
This is the stuff of murder mysteries, not China's staid, boring politicians.