Product Description
Judge Dee solves three murders ca. A.D. 666. Something strange is happening at Han-yuan. ... Read more

Book Description

In this, the second book in Robert van Gulik's classic mystery series of ancient China, Judge Dee must look into the murder of his predecessor. His job is complicated by the simultaneous disappearance of his chief clerk and the new bride of a wealthy local shipowner.

Customer Reviews (7)

excellent mystery, very misleading about chinese justice system
I have read all the Judge Dee mysteries at least twice, and really love them.However, I have just read a number of books on China and discover that van Gulik has purposefully mislead readers to make ancient Chinese justice just like Western justice and rather appealing.The truth is almost the exact opposite.

If you are interested, a standard history of china by harvard professor John Fairbank and Merle Goldman, China A History, explains that the Chinese justice system was openly corrupt (corruption did not have to be secret - it was and is the accepted way), relied on torture of both plaintiff and defendent, had noconsistent laws, no equal punishments for the same offence (everything was based on class and kinship status) and bascially was just like modern Communist law: it was a vehicle for the state to control behavior.The goal was not 'justice' in the Judeo-Christian sense but state control.

Also like Communist China under Mao, imperial law relied on collective punishment to terrorize the populace.The entire population was divided into groups of ten and one hundred families, and if anyone in the whole group was condemned, the entire group could be executed.For serious offenses, thousands of families would all be executed.

Van Gulik is always showing citizens bringing disputes before the court.In reality, this was never done- as both sides could be tortured and both sides had to pay the court and both sides had to bribe the court.Instead, people relied on their village elders or clan heads to rule on disputes, as the court system was too dangerous.

Most of the ideals that Van Gulik gives to Judge Dee of fairness, protecting the weak against the strong etc. are Christian values that go back to the Jewish Bible (God creating all men equal, protect the weak and the stranger, equality before the law etc).They are antithetical to Chinese values from imperial to modern times.It is very important not to pretend that foreign cultures are the same as we are...or that our values are universal.They are very special treasures that we should be incredibly grateful for.

The Judge Dee books also mention women's tiny feet at times, but he never tells the reader that until 1900, all upper class and middle class women in China had their feet broken and maimed leading to their being crippled for life, unable to walk normally (euphemism - binding their feet).From the 19th century, this custom of torturing and crippling women spread among the peasants also.10% of girls probably died from this treatment.

Van Gulik prominently features 'courtesans' and 'prostitutes.'A more accurate term might be slaves or sex slaves.

We are often told that China was 'more advanced' than the west until modern times.In truth, they were most comparable to ancient Rome, a cruel and despotic slave-owning culture with admirable roads and art.But Rome at least had rule of law, something China never had.

So, enjoy Judge Dee - but take it for what it is, bascially a fun Western mystery story set in a lovingly recreated period piece, kind of like most Hollywood movies - great costumes, great settings, fun plots, endearing characters - all basically unrealistic.

Like no other Book
If you are looking for something completely different in mysteries, I recommend the Judge Dee books.Set in China in the 600's.Judge Dee is compared to Sherlock Holmes.Very well written with a lot of cultural information.Never dull.
The Chinese Gold Murders introduces Dee and his cohorts.Solving murders in oriental fashion.Not sparing detail on the punishment of the guilty.

superb Asian-flavored mystery
Rebeccasreads highly recommends THE CHINESE GOLD MURDERS in which Judge Dee Dee investigates the murder of his predecessor -- a Magistrate who now stalks the neighborhood as a ghost.

Judge Dee-Jen Dijeh (630-700 A.D.) was a Magistrate known for his wisdom & wit in China, & his stories were a part of the local folklore. Robert Van Gulik, who had a historian's interest in China in the early 1950s, was fascinated by the tales of this judge, & finally collected & fictionalized them into four volumes.

The wit, ingenuity, & genius of Judge Dee is well reflected. Remember the old tales of King Solomon the Just -- well, give them an Asian flavor, a touch of Old China -- & you get Judge Dee.

All of Judge Dee's books are most pleasurable - - worthy of 10 stars!

DEE-LIGHTFUL!
Imagine a Sherlock Holmes from the 6th century China, complete with flowy beards and costumes to match. Folklores. Long horse rides. Noodles and ricewine in roadside restaurants. Mysterious drunks and poets in clandestine wenches. Warriors turned highway men. Weretigers (I had to look it up), the feline equivalents of werewolves.

And cast amidst this historically vivid milieu, a gory murder of a district magistrate, whose ghost has scared many since his sudden demise.

For its twisted and edge-of-the-seat plot alone, this hidden little gem bags my higest recommendation. Most mystery thrillers have the reader thinking ofprospective culprits as they read along, but I had a tough time establishing some sort of motive or identifying targets until nearly the end of the Gold Murders.

And that's only half the fun. Gulik's measured prose has a cultured elegance that brings China's simple yet layered world of nearly two centuries ago springing back to life. It's witty. It's ribald, with a tight economy of description, which makes it twice as juicy. And it's chockfull of deceit and honour in the noblest of ways.

An engaging but human good old fashioned tale of intrigue. Easily one of the best detective novels I've ever had the luxury of devouring.

Great opening entry to a fascinating series!
This is the first of a series of Judge Dee novels set in seventh-century China.Judge Dee is an Imperial Magistrate who in the course of his job, is posted all over the Imperial Chinese Empire.He has a keen interest in solving crimes and is interested in interacting actively with the people around him.The novel opens with Dee leaving the imperial capital for the district of Peng-lai, near the Korean border.This is his first posting as District Magistrate.He leaves accompanied by his adviser Sergeant Hoong and on the way, meets two highwaymen, Ma Joong and Chiao Tai.Impressed by his forceful personality, the two men decide to give up their life of crime and become officers of the tribunal under Judge Dee.Upon arrival in Peng-lai, Judge Dee has to deal with multiple crimes; his predecessor was murdered, the wife of a prominent businessman has disappeared, a tiger is terrorizing the locals, the judge's chief clerk has gone missing and there are suspicions that Peng-lai is a center for gold smuggling into Korea!Into this hotbed of crime, comes Judge Dee who is able to pull all the threads together and solve the crimes.I loved the wealth of historical detail in the book as well as the actual mysteries, and Judge Dee himself is refreshingly human and is amused by the antics of his underlings!Would highly recommend the book to all those interested in historical mysteries - it's great fun! ... Read more

Book Description

Customer Reviews (2)

Whodunit??
Robert Van Gulik evidently had a lot of fun translating "Celebrated Cases of Judge Dee"; when he couldn't find any more Judge Dee mysteries, he decided to write his own."The Haunted Monastery" takes place during one night (appropriately dark and stormy) in a Buddhist monastery where several young girls have disappeared without a trace; among the characters are a Taoist sage, a dissolute abbot, a performing bear, and a female impersonator, all set against a backdrop of dark winding corridors, secret rooms and a version of the Taoist Hell.By morning the storm outside has abated, and the mystery inside has been solved."The Chinese Maze Murders" involves an overgrown, impenetrable (literally and figuratively) garden maze, a painting with a secret clue that will give the key to how to reach the maze's center; two young sisters, and a particularly vile murderer who specializes in torturing and killing young ladies.Of the two, I thought "Monastery" was more fun, but both books are excellent examples of the Chinese mystery genre and Van Gulik succeeds in capturing the essence of the original Judge Dee.Of all Van Gulik's Judge Dee novels, "Monastery" and "Maze" come closest to the unknown Chinese author and are therefore, for this reviewer, his two best original books.

Two of the Best Judge Dee Mysteries.
I've read all of the Judge Dee Mysteries and this double novel is one of the best.The Haunted Monastery gives fans a fascinating glimpse into Judge Dee's family life, including relationships among his three wives. The plots all revolve around the loves and mores of the Chinese upper andlower classes.The Chinese Maze Murders follows Judge Dee's dangerousattempt to enda criminal overlord's stranglehold on the Judge's newdistrict of Lan-fang.The story of how Judge Dee out maneuvers thisruthless godfather and his hidden backers provides an excellent read. Don't miss this economically priced complete edition of two of the bestJudge Dee mysteries ... Read more

Customer Reviews (1)

From the intro
From the publisher,
"In Judge Dee's day, the literary world of Ancient China was one where intense study and almost ritualized scholarship were the rule, with academics and students alike dedicated to the highest concepts of beauty and art.But inwardly less exalted passions could erupt --to the point of murder.During a Mid-autumn Festival in Chin-hwa, Judge Dee is the fellow-guest ofa small group of distinguished literati.Alas, he has little time for the criticism of couplets or calligraphy.A student has been murdered; a beautiful poetess is accused of whipping her maidservant to death;and further mysteries seem to lie in the eerie shadows of the Shrine of the Black Fox."
Another highly enjoyable Judge Dee mystery. ... Read more

Book Description
The great Song Dynasty poet and artist, Mi Fu ), wrote treatises on painting and calligraphy, i in addition to the present work on inkstones, translated here by the eminent Dutch diplomat and sinologist, Dr. Robert H. Van Gulik. ... Read more