Judge Dee Mysteries: Book One

The times are treacherous, mist shrouds the land, and danger lurks everywhere. In the places where crimes have occurred, a great Tang Dynasty detective conducts discreet investigations, plunges into tangled mysteries, and untangles the chaos...

This is an unprecedentedly authentic portrait of the flourishing Tang Dynasty! The book explores every aspect of Tang life, including its justice system, politics, criminal law, officialdom, administration, diplomacy, commerce and industry, education, culture, religion, customs, public sentiment, and society. Together, they weave a vibrant panorama of ancient Chinese life, from scholar-officials, wealthy merchants, and usurers to beggars, thieves, and prostitutes.

The Golden Mystery

Why would a promising capital official volunteer to become county magistrate in Penglai, a remote place plagued by endless rain and man-eating tigers? The previous magistrate was murdered, and the yamen staff have vanished... The thorny cases seem unrelated, yet are intertwined. The murdered magistrate's "ghost" still roams the yamen hall. Is it trying to help Detective Di solve the case, or stop him?

The Lacquered Screen Mystery

On an ancient lacquered screen, an image of a loving couple has somehow changed into one of a husband driving a sharp knife into his wife's chest! The county magistrate's beautiful wife has been murdered and her body abandoned in a marsh. Could there be a hidden truth behind the famous story of this devoted couple, known throughout the countryside as "inseparable in life and death"? It all began seventy years ago...