Novels like The Detective Returns from Prison
Books Chinese readers most often put in the same booklists as The Detective Returns from Prison, best match first.
- 51 The Mao Family Cases 毛公案 The Mao Gong Cases is a classic of Ming and Qing courtroom fiction. Centered on the legendary cases solved by Mao Dengke, an imperial censor sent to inspect Zhili during the Jiajing era, it presents the moral codes and judicial ideals of Ming society through shocking cases such as “A Wicked Brother Harms His Younger Brother” and “A Rebellious Son Kills His Mother.” The book consists of six chapters and follows the loyal official Lord Mao as he goes undercover to investigate and cleverly solve st 131Reads9.2Score—Shelves
- 52 Detective Peter 神探皮特 The protagonist, Pete Li, gets called Detective Pete by someone after a chance encounter, and then sets off on a remarkable journey through life. 89Reads8.8Score—Shelves
- 53 The Golden Branch Casebook 金枝洗冤录 [One-on-one romance + sweet affection + two strong leads + solving cases + both leads’ first relationship] Ten cases, each one gripping! The main romance is all sweet, no angst! Eight years ago, the beloved Princess Changle, Chu Qianyue, nearly died in the great fire at the late empress’s palace. She was saved at the last moment by a handsome young man... Eight years later, everyone says the fire was an accident, but she refuses to believe it! While investigating the late empress’s death, Chu Qi 19Reads—Score—Shelves
- 54 The Narcissus Killing Game 水仙杀局 [Crime investigation + mind-bending schemes + undercover intrigue + corporate conspiracies] Word that the Water Nymph had appeared on Tongji Lake spread across Caiyun City overnight. Some said they saw a white-robed fairy dancing across the waves. Others claimed a god had descended to punish the wicked. Han Hu, chief of the East District Public Security Bureau, had vanished. His deputy chiefs fell silent as one, and police stations were buried under a mountain of reports, yet no one dared invest 81Reads8.7Score—Shelves
- 55 The Yuan'an Chronicles 元安录 [Tang-era mystery cases + episodic stories + formidable hero and heroine + one-on-one romance + ensemble cast] [The Night Owl Cries] In the twenty-third year of Yongwei, a woman’s corpse is discovered in a house beneath a locust tree on Sanshui Alley in Chang’an. Rumors spread that a ghostly song is killing people... [The Thousand-Faced Buddha] Nine lifelike clay statues made from living people are discovered at Huazhen Temple. What do they have to do with the children who vanished three years a 964Reads6.8Score180Shelves
- 56 The Mao Gong Cases in Plain Language: A Deadly Dispute Over an Inheritance 白话毛公案：兄弟争产酿血案 Modern Vernacular Translation of the Mao Gong Casebook retells the ancient casebook novel The Mao Gong Casebook in contemporary vernacular. It mainly tells the story of a tragic and inhuman murder during the Jiajing reign of the Ming dynasty, when the Yao brothers of Liangxiang, Zhuozhou, fought over their father’s inheritance. The elder brother, Yao Geng, and his sister-in-law, Liu, were consumed by greed and plotted to seize the family estate. They went so far as to murder Yao Yi, the younger 134Reads9.3Score102Shelves
- 57 The Guilty Old Man's Notes 罪翁停记 The Radio Butcher, a ghost killing students on campus, a livestreaming influencer’s death, a deadly ice cream, a star player’s demise… Behind these baffling cases often lies the unknown side of human nature. Watch as police detective Yan Da painstakingly pieces together the clues and brings everything to light. His name is Yan Da. He was born on November 11, 1983, into a family of police officers, but somehow kicked himself right out of the criminal investigation team and into a local police sta 5.8kReads9.1Score545Shelves
- 58 The Liu Gong Case Files 刘公案 [Mind-Bending Mystery + Qing Dynasty Cold Cases + Shocking Twists + Chinese-Style Horror + Liu Luoguo] The Great Qing is at peace, but beneath the surface, unrest stirs in Jiangning Prefecture, Jinling. Liu Yong has barely arrived and settled in when he stumbles upon a shocking case: a married couple spends the night at an inn, but the husband dies under mysterious circumstances and the wife vanishes. The county magistrate beats a confession out of the innkeeper, who is then declared the murdere 182Reads9.5Score—Shelves
- 59 The Judge Dee Cases 狄公案 [Four Great Mysteries of Empress Wu Zetian + Di Renjie + detective mystery + stunning reversals + Chinese-style horror] When Di Renjie takes up his first post as magistrate of Changping County, he never expects one murder after another to rock the small town! News arrives that a Huzhou merchant has been murdered at the Li Lidun inn. The innkeeper, Kong Wande, protests his innocence, but the local headman, Hu De, refuses to let him off the hook. When Di Renjie investigates, the evidence points st 275Reads9.5Score—Shelves
- 60 The Long Goodbye 漫长的告别 A chance encounter between a drunk and a detective, A farewell that leads to a murder, A string of killings and the friendship between men, Every time you say goodbye, a little part of you dies. A murder in New York's high society that everyone wants covered up. Only Marlowe insists on pursuing the case to the bitter end and unmasking the real killer! The underworld, the authorities, politicians, and the police all play out tangled, filthy, and corrupt dramas. As the truth draws near, Marlowe re 9Reads9.2Score—Shelves
- 61 Judge Dee Case Files: The Lakeside Case 狄公案·湖滨案 [High suspense, nonstop twists, and ancient-style detective stories] Di Renjie, county magistrate of Hanyuan, attends a banquet aboard a pleasure boat. What should have been an elegant evening becomes the scene of a locked-room murder. Beneath the moonlit sky, at the heart of the lake, the music suddenly stops, and a woman’s corpse surfaces. Then an unsolved chess game from seventy years ago reappears, a bride mysteriously “comes back to life” on her wedding night, a carpenter is found dead in a 17Reads8.7Score—Shelves
- 62 Judge Dee Case Files: Chaoyun Temple 狄公案：朝云观 While returning home with his family, the famed detective Di Gong is caught in a violent storm. Their carriage is wrecked, forcing them to seek shelter at the mist-shrouded Chaoyun Temple. The temple is celebrating its founding anniversary. Pilgrims fill the grounds, and a theater troupe takes the stage. It all seems lively and festive, yet something sinister lurks beneath the surface. Late that night, Di Gong looks out his window and catches sight of a burly man in an iron helmet in the opposit 5Reads8.6Score—Shelves
- 63 Judge Dee: Cracking the Case 大唐狄公案·破局 What makes this book a great read: the victims’ bizarre deaths, painstaking deduction, and a style that shifts from witty and humorous to serious and meticulous. It’s a boy’s version of The Cases of Judge Dee and a Tang Dynasty version of The Washing Away of Wrongs! Rather than sketching out the plot in broad strokes, the story offers detailed, vivid depictions of the crime scenes. This makes the cases feel authentic while keeping the focus on the investigations! The Golden Mystery, The Secret T 1.6kReads9.3Score101Shelves
- 64 Psychological Crime Files 心理诡案 [The psychological mystery series, Shadow Pursuit, is currently being serialized!] A black notebook left behind by her mentor, and one strange psychological mystery after another. Su Yun says, “Captain Song, the human heart is a place of demons and monsters.” A cool, beautiful police detective × an arrogant, unconventional genius profiler. A formidable team joins forces to solve one baffling case after another… 1.4kReads9.2Score179Shelves
- 65 The Nonconsecutive Murders 不连续杀人事件 In the summer of 1947, scholars, poets, authors, painters, doctors, actors, and others gather to escape the heat at the mountain villa of the great poet Utagawa Kazuma. A shadow of death falls over the place, and people begin dying one after another. Were they all killed by the same murderer, or did different people commit the crimes? Was this a serial murder case, or a series of unrelated killings that only seem connected because they happened one after another? There is only one truth. Who is 151Reads8.2Score—Shelves
- 66 Beat Cop Lin Feng 片警林峰 In August 1992, 52-year-old criminal investigation expert Lin Feng died in the line of duty during a pursuit. When he opened his eyes again, he had returned to age eighteen, to the very day he was assigned as a neighborhood police officer at the Chaoyang Police Station in Jiangcheng. In his previous life, he specialized in major cases. Now, he had to start with family squabbles and everyday nuisances. Stolen bicycles, disputes between neighbors, pickpockets at the market... Yet among these “mino —Reads—Score—Shelves
- 67 Love Against Three Lifetimes: The Third Prince Slays His Beloved 情逆三世之三公斩红颜 Yao Yifeng and Shen Lixue fell deeply in love at school, but rumors and misunderstandings tore them apart. She died by suicide, consumed by resentment; he threw himself from a building to follow her. Neither expected death to cast them into three lifetimes of reincarnation, bound by the cruelest fate imaginable. Their souls transmigrated through three lifetimes. In each, he became a renowned official and reunited with her, who bore the same name and face. Filled with guilt, he struggled to make 4Reads—Score—Shelves
- 68 The Water Monster Murders 水怪杀人事件 At a weekend party hosted by a renowned marine biologist, a guest dives into the swimming pool in full view of everyone, then vanishes without a trace! There’s no sign that he ever climbed out, and he’s nowhere in the pool, yet strange, enormous claw marks lie on the bottom! Rumors that a vicious dragon killed him begin to spread through the group! When the missing guest’s body is finally found, something even more shocking comes to light: his corpse bears marks just like those left by dragon cl 33Reads8.5Score—Shelves
- 69 A Man's Criminal Psychology Files 1 男子犯罪心理档案1 [Delving into the causes of crime + analyzing criminal psychology + investigating the truth behind crimes] Who quietly cleans up the evidence in the dead of night? Who hides body after body in places no one would think to look? And who, looking back on the past from behind prison walls, murmurs, “I didn't have to kill…”? A baby in a refrigerator, an unidentified body encased in a concrete wall, an unsolved case with no answers… Each case is horrifying, yet gives us pause for thought. When a kill 204Reads9.1Score—Shelves
- 70 Code of the Killer 逐凶密码 130Reads9.3Score—Shelves
- 71 Zero Point Detective Agency 冰点侦探事务所 [Standalone Cases + Republican-Era Crime Investigation + Crime + Hard-Boiled Deduction + Stunning Twists] One head, two heads, three... Look at those heads, swaying precariously in the depths of a cold well, their dark blue hair spreading out. Deep in the memory, crimson blood blooms like flowers. ...There’s a famous detective agency in Shanghai. They say its owner is a young lady, yet everyone insists on calling her Second Young Master! There’s no case in this city she can’t solve! Six people h 465Reads—Score100Shelves
- 72 The Benson Murders 班森杀人事件 Late one night, a wealthy businessman is shot dead while reading at home! Vance, who has never investigated a case before, is persuaded by the prosecutor to take on the task of solving the murder! All six suspects have alibis! So who is lying?! Just as the police are at a loss, the inexperienced detective finds an entirely different way forward. But can the killer really be found by deducing their personality and behavioral traits? 36Reads9.1Score—Shelves
- 73 Tales of Strange Things in the City of Demons 巷说魔都奇谭 [Mystery + criminal investigation + dark themes + human nature + crime + serial murders + episodic cases] Six people have died in Shanghai in the past three months. Since the beginning of the year, bodies have kept turning up by rivers, at the foot of mountains, and at the entrances to deserted villages. Cases include a woman whose liver was cut out, a child who mysteriously vanished, fingers found among minced meat at a market, and a series of beheadings... Join police inspector Ruan Xing, bril 20Reads8.6Score—Shelves
- 74 The Canary Murders 金丝雀杀人事件 Broadway's hottest star, Margaret Odell, known as “the Canary,” has been brutally murdered in her apartment at 184 West Seventy-first Street. The scene is a completely sealed room. As the police search tirelessly for clues, they only sink deeper into a fog of conflicting testimony. Everyone seems like the murderer, yet each has a clear alibi. So who is the real killer? Who slipped like a ghost into the star's sealed apartment and carried out the brutal murder? 59Reads8.9Score—Shelves
- 75 The Bishop Murders 主教杀人事件 A string of chilling, bizarre murders takes place in New York, and every crime matches a Mother Goose nursery rhyme perfectly! In an instant, the shadow of death falls over all of New York! The “Bishop” behind the strange murders has an intellect far beyond ordinary people and an uncanny talent for meticulous planning. Why does this ghostly figure commit murders while leaving clues, appearing and disappearing like a phantom? What earth-shattering conspiracy lies behind it all? 49Reads8.9Score—Shelves
- 76 Are You Kidding Me? I Catch a Murderer on My First Day as an Intern? 疯了吧，实习第一天就抓杀人犯？ [Police + everyday life + comedy + no System + one heroine] Detective Xiao Nai was reborn in 2104. After eight years on the force, he recalled case after case: thieves, murderers, robbers... He never forgot a face. On his first day at work, he caught a murderer. On his way out to buy lunch, he ran into a smuggler at the corner. While eating pork trotter rice, he caught an A-list fugitive. The desperate thief cried, “When did you start watching me?” Xiao Nai replied, “In my previous life!!!” 5.9kReads9.2Score602Shelves
- 77 Three Days in Luoyang 洛阳三日簿 If you open the account book titled The Luoyang Three-Day Ledger, every line of numbers represents a life. Three days before the Lantern Festival in the first year of the Zhengsheng era, Li Suan, a low-ranking clerk in the Ministry of Revenue, discovers a ledger that could turn the entire court of the Wu Zhou dynasty into a river of blood. The charcoal and ice gratuities are bribes; the sunken grain ships are murder. And the bloody fingerprints of twenty-seven ministers on the final page point t 630Reads—Score143Shelves
- 78 The Real-Life Inspiration Behind I'm a Detective 我是刑警原型揭秘 The series I Am a Police Officer could be called a documentary about major criminal cases in China. Its popularity has drawn more and more attention to safety concerns in society. This book reveals the real cases behind those depicted in the show and recreates the crime scenes. Let's take a closer look! On January 28, 1995, eleven people were killed at a mine in a single night. Four disguised men stormed the mine's guardroom and went on a killing spree, leaving bodies everywhere they went. This 1.5kReads9.5Score150Shelves
- 79 The Major Crimes Unit's Female Constable 重案女捕快 A series of ancient crime-solving mysteries with no System, no romance, and pure deduction. A trio of investigators, a constable, a young physician, and a prince demoted to commoner, work together to solve a string of major cases, including the disappearance of silver notes, a missing horse from the Crown Prince’s residence, and a case of ghostly footprints. 123Reads—Score—Shelves
- 80 What Kind of Cop Is a Fatso Like You? 你一个胖子当什么警察 [Reborn + no System + crime-solving + comedy + tough cop] Tian Ping'an, a fat man, dies unexpectedly during a competitive eating contest, only to be mysteriously reborn in a parallel world more than thirty years in the past. Here, he is still a trainee in the criminal investigation unit, while his beautiful partner, Liu Tingting, is destined to be assassinated by a notorious thief king. His parents, too, are about to meet with misfortune. Faced with such peril, how can Tian Ping'an, a devoted fo 6.8kReads9.3Score780Shelves
- 81 Hunting Down the Guilty and Pursuing the Wicked [Criminal Investigation] 猎罪逐凶【刑侦】 A stunning, icy female detective, a rough-around-the-edges but perceptive male team captain, and a plump forensic examiner who can never sit still. They seem like bickering oddballs, but in truth they make a perfectly in-sync team. Faced with one baffling case after another, this ironclad trio joins forces to pierce the layers of mystery. They support one another. They are comrades, and they are family. They trust and redeem one another. Who says truth is as dirty as lies? Beyond the fog, there 5.8kReads8.9Score593Shelves
- 82 Xu Changsheng Investigates 许长生探案 Police Captain Xu Changsheng, known to his team as “Little Zhuge,” faces one tangled case after another. He always manages to unravel the clues, find the key evidence, and bring the criminals to justice. This book records several particularly challenging cases that showcase Xu Changsheng’s deductive skills. 11.4kReads9.0Score1.2kShelves
- 83 Reborn as a Man of Iron and Blood, I Won’t Let You Down This Life! 重生之铁血男儿，今生不负！ A veteran undercover agent, reborn as a rogue cop! Chu Xiao had planned to coast through life and slack off, but he unexpectedly activated the Super Detective System. Super Eagle Eye, Track Someone Across a Thousand Miles, Rewind Time and Space… With all kinds of overpowered abilities at his disposal, he can spot the tiniest clues at a crime scene and expose the evil lurking in the shadows! He no longer fears the powerful, and dares to confront corruption head-on: “Who do you think you are?” He’ 672Reads6.7Score—Shelves
- 84 The Crime Scene Cleaner 凶案清理员 The first time Cen Mu went to a crime scene, he didn't see the body, but he did bring home the girlfriend he hadn't seen in three years. With his girlfriend's genius-level help, he solved cases like a god. Then he realized something was off: his girlfriend seemed to have a cheat of her own. The police team members said, “Our sister-in-law is beautiful, rich, and great at solving cases. She's perfect in every way, except for her questionable taste in men. She fell for Captain Cen.” This is the st 2.5kReads9.3Score471Shelves
- 85 Top-Secret Criminal Case Files 绝密刑事档案 Uncover major criminal cases in China, explore the truth behind them, and reveal the dark side of human nature. This series investigates and analyzes shocking major criminal cases from China in recent years. On a street on a rainy night, a taxi driver kills four people in a row, then sexually abuses and dismembers the bodies, taking photos as keepsakes! A newlywed couple vanishes overnight. What cruel crimes took place during those eight hours of impenetrable darkness? Hong'an, December 26: Eigh 4.8kReads9.5Score376Shelves
- 86 Late Night 阑夜 “I've never had the sun, so I have nothing to fear losing. A hard-boiled detective novel combining criminal psychology and criminal investigation. At its heart are two protagonists: the resilient police officer Xu Zhaoyang and the controversial psychologist Jiang Huai. Together, they tackle one harrowing case after another, delving into human nature and seeking redemption. Xu Zhaoyang is an elite officer, renowned for his keen insight and exceptional investigative abilities. He was once one of 887Reads8.9Score122Shelves
- 87 Criminal Psychology: The Mind-Reading Detective 罪案心理：读心神探 Also known as The Mind-Reading Detective. Chen Luo is an expert in criminal psychology and body language. After graduating from the academy, he became a consultant for the criminal investigation department. To ordinary people, the motives behind serial murders seem bizarre, twisted, and impossible to fathom. To Chen Luo, they’re clear as day, and the hidden killer is exposed in an instant. The lies and secrets people try so hard to conceal cannot escape Chen Luo’s notice. He sees straight throug 2.4kReads8.7Score224Shelves
- 88 The Mad Forensic Princess and the Master Coroner 法医狂妃大仵作 In the capital of Daling, there is a woman who can hear the dead speak and understand the words of ghosts. If someone's cat or dog goes missing, they go to her. If someone has died a gruesome death, they can go to her too. Rumor has it she can do more than examine corpses: she can communicate with spirits and even track anyone across a thousand miles. Qin Zhi scoffed. "That's all ghost talk! I've killed countless people, and I don't believe in ghosts!" Another rumor says that the young lady 3.7kReads9.0Score396Shelves
- 89 The Unsolved Case: The Truth of Evil 悬案之真实的罪恶 [Short, self-contained cases] + [Inspired by true cases] + [Won't eat or sleep, only solve cases] Twisted human nature has given rise to one bizarre real-life tragedy after another! Join the protagonist, Liang Zheng, as he clears away the fog and probes the depths of humanity's ugliness. A suspenseful detective novel with a mind-bending ending you won't see coming! 18.7kReads8.7Score2kShelves
- 90 At the End of the Long Night 长夜尽头 [Crime Investigation + Based on Real Cases + Two Male Leads] After moving to Yucheng, Bai Li runs into Ji Yunshu, his childhood friend who is now a police captain, during a robbery investigation. A murder takes place at Bai Li's pet hospital. The crime scene has been meticulously staged, with no clues to be found, and Bai Li himself becomes a suspect! But when investigators follow the trail from the crime scene, they discover that the killer is a psychiatric patient?! And the seemingly insignifi 635Reads8.3Score100Shelves
- 91 One Slip After a Thousand Careful Thoughts 千虑一失 [Criminal Investigation] [Mystery and Deduction] [No Supernatural Elements] A man commits a brazen crime in front of the police and jumps into a river during the manhunt, but the body they find in the water is not the culprit’s. Afterward, new victims appear one after another in an apartment elevator, at a hospital, and outside the Public Security Bureau, setting off a kidnapping crisis as well. Four people die in a single day. Is this a deliberate provocation, or is something else at play? Face 62Reads8.6Score—Shelves
- 92 A Detective's Story: The Fishing King Solves the Mystery of the Sunken Body 刑警故事，钓鱼王破解沉尸之谜 A Criminal Police Story: The Fishing King Solves the Mystery of the Sunken Corpse 5Reads—Score—Shelves
- 93 Shadows All Around 暗影重重 [Criminal Investigation] [Mystery and Deduction] [Murder-Mystery Game] [Romantic Suspense] [Strong Leads Clash] [Social Realism] [A Cross-Section of Humanity] Some lose the love of their life. Some commit murder in a fit of passion to protect the person they love. Some hurt everyone around them in the name of love. Some are willing to give up everything in pursuit of a little light and warmth! This is a tribute to Keigo Higashino. The writing is delicate, the emotions profound! The plot is tight 691Reads8.4Score—Shelves
- 94 Crime Scene: A Homicide Captain’s Casebook 犯罪现场：刑警队长的死亡手札 Tension! Suspense! Thrills! Disappearances! Kidnappings! Murders! A sealed room used to kill, cursed villagers, a sinister mirror... Who is the real culprit lurking in the darkness? 734Reads9.1Score112Shelves
- 95 After Prison, I Draw Ghosts at the Police Station 刑满释放后，我在警局给鬼画像 [No CP] [Real Ghosts] [Criminal Investigation] [Personal Growth] [Daily Life] [Family Bonds] [Friendship] [Romance] [Human Nature] [Society] At nineteen, Lin Yaoyao killed her grandfather. At twenty-eight, her grandfather appeared before her again. [Yaoyao, what you see is what other people want you to see.] … [Jiang Ge: Yaoyao, when are you going to be my wife?] [Lin Yaoyao: Maybe in a couple of days.] … [Zhao Hao: Sis, where are my buns?] [Lin Yaoyao: In your back pocket.] … [Wang Yanjie: Yaoz 3.8kReads8.4Score545Shelves
- 96 Crime Scene 诡案现场 When he was twenty, a blank painting was enshrined in the ancestral hall at a crime scene. Why were two male corpses embracing beneath an ancient tree? Was the shadow inside the house a person or a ghost? After all the confusing clues, was the killer human or ghost? 374Reads8.6Score—Shelves
- 97 An Invitation 一封邀请函 Keywords: Snowbound mountain lodge + Ensemble cast + Campus + Novella An invitation to a high school reunion. Twelve letters, twelve people. As murders follow one after another in the dead of night, each more horrifically brutal than the last, is the killer one of the twelve, or someone else entirely? The truth behind the events is a secret hidden for years. Thorns in the darkness ensnare everyone in fear and unease. No one knows who holds the knife and who is at its mercy. Amid tangled love and 1.1kReads—Score139Shelves
- 98 Reborn in 1993: I'm a Criminal Profiling Specialist 重生1993：我是刑侦侧写师 [Crime Investigation] [Case-Solving Focus] Lin Zhimo, a leading expert in criminal psychology, is reborn as a frail records clerk at a police station in 1993. While violent criminals run rampant and veteran detectives rely on legwork, he opens his notebook and says, “The killer is 28, left-handed, has a stutter, rides a green bicycle, and lives within three blocks.” The captain tears up his report. “Get back to the records room!” A week later, when a suspect matching every detail is arrested, th 3kReads6.6Score261Shelves
- 99 Officer, Don't Panic! I Brought a System to the Rescue 警花别慌！我带系统来救场 Hao Shun only wants to be a good police officer, because his father was a police officer and so was his mother. His parents gave their lives in the line of duty. He wants to carry on their legacy, serve the people, and become their guardian. 1.2kReads8.5Score370Shelves
- 100 Detective Di Renjie: The Magistrate of Pengze County 神探狄仁杰之彭泽县令 In the first year of Changshou, Di Renjie is framed by treacherous schemers and demoted to the remote wilderness of Pengze, where he stumbles upon a city full of bizarre cases! A derelict rouge house, abandoned for ten years; a locked-room murder on a rainy night; three ruffians found dead inside, their lips curled in smiles, with no trace of how they died. The county authorities rule it a ghostly vengeance, and panic grips the people. Summoned to solve the case in a time of crisis, Di Gong sets 114Reads—Score102Shelves
![Hunting Down the Guilty and Pursuing the Wicked [Criminal Investigation]](https://p3-novel.byteimg.com/novel-pic/6c56e78274059492d306ca04302cf877~tplv-resize:120:0.jpeg)
