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.
- 101 The Umbrella and the Killer 寻伞追凶 This is a tragic story set in the late 1970s. In a courtyard compound that seems peaceful and quiet, countless secrets and old grudges lie hidden beneath the surface. It is a world of conspiracy and revenge. Chen Yimei’s grandmother is poisoned to death in her own home. A mysterious umbrella draws Lin Ping into a thorny search for the killer. Who owns the umbrella? Could its owner be the murderer? As Lin Ping doggedly pursues the case, a shocking truth gradually comes to light... 47Reads8.3Score—Shelves
- 102 A Crime Reporter’s Notes: The Ledger of Life and Death in Real Cases 刑侦记者手记：真实罪案的生死簿 Where there are people, there's not only the “jianghu,” but also life and death. How long life lasts, we cannot know. But death comes at its own pace for everyone. One case after another unfolds, and killers spring up like bamboo shoots, piercing the calm surface of the world. As layer upon layer of real evidence is stripped away, their ugly faces are exposed. What happened to the missing young couple during their final eight hours? A pair of lecherous eyes follows a young woman's skirt, trailin 436Reads9.1Score—Shelves
- 103 Captain, Stop Flirting: The Forensic Doctor Is Losing His Mind 警花队长别撩了，法医先生要疯了 Ye Xi, a former narcotics officer, was suddenly appointed captain of a criminal investigation team. In a short time, she solved one difficult case after another, earning the respectful nickname Captain Ye from everyone around her. Ye Xi had always kept her personal and professional lives strictly separate, until Si Ye unexpectedly entered her life. Their first meeting was a comedy of errors. Si Ye came across her at her lowest and, with one offhand warning, set their fates on a tangled course. I 1Reads—Score—Shelves
- 104 The Ten Great Mysteries of the Song Dynasty 大宋十大奇案 No harem, no formulaic tropes, no invincible protagonist, no System, no golden finger, and no transmigration. This is not a power fantasy, so read at your own discretion! A pure historical mystery set in the jianghu, offering an immersive experience of everyday life in an ancient town and the suspenseful twists and turns as officials use their wits to solve cases… 7.3kReads8.6Score643Shelves
- 105 Deadly Scorpion 1: A Male Criminal's Case Files 致命毒蝎1：男子犯罪档案 3.3kReads9.2Score367Shelves
- 106 Fragrant Dust on Purple Paths 紫陌香尘 Drawing on more than a decade of experience as a police officer and my broader understanding of society, I wrote this original social realist mystery novel. This is not a wish-fulfillment story. It spans 20 years from beginning to end, with dozens of clues and echoes woven throughout. I hope to share it with readers who are patient and enjoy thinking things through. There are two cases, but what truth will you see in them? The Fragrance of Purple Dust is divided into four volumes, each named wit 23Reads—Score—Shelves
- 107 New Bao Qingtian Fan Fiction: The Fragrant Consort of Luoshen 新包青天同人：洛神香妃 Bai Yutang x Original Female Lead She is the reincarnation of the celestial realm's narcissus flower goddess, with a pure and holy soul. She has no noble status, only a mysterious and extraordinary background. She cares for all under heaven, is high-minded, excels in both letters and arms, and brings blessings to all living beings. … An adaptation of The Seven Heroes and Five Gallants, beginning when Zhan Zhao receives the title “Imperial Cat” from 87Reads—Score—Shelves
- 108 The Mystery: Chasing the Light 谜局：逐光 The first book in the Mystery Series: Mystery: Chasing the Light [Two male leads + only each other + older love interest + no angst + happy ending + multiple side couples] * Fifteen years ago, his parents died in an “accident.” For fifteen years, he searched desperately for the one ray of “light” that could guide him. Fifteen years later, he joined the police force with top marks and finally found himself standing behind that man. * Huo Ye is the youngest captain of the criminal investigation un 3.4kReads9.1Score493Shelves
- 109 Hunting Killers in the Dark 暗夜逐凶 [Delicate, sickly beautiful forensic examiner vs. tough, handsome elite criminal investigator] On her first day at work, the beautiful forensic examiner earns a reputation for being a scammer after the captain of the criminal investigation team mistakenly issues her a ticket. The victims in a string of murders are all found with their hands joined in a strange prayer-like pose. A poor college student is dismembered into countless pieces, but when the body is put back together, the liver and kidn 566Reads8.9Score142Shelves
- 110 On Night Duty, I Was Kissed by the Goddess Who Mistook My Car 半夜执勤，被上错车的女神强吻了 [Transmigration + campus goddess + a little detective work and crime-solving + urban slice of life + one female lead + guaranteed sweetness (with a mix of spicy and mild scenes)] [This is a career-and-romance novel! Career and romance! Career and romance! The important things must be said three times!] [This is neither an invincible protagonist story nor a power fantasy! Just an ordinary urban slice-of-life novel!] [Romance is the focus, with crime-solving as a secondary element (though the case 8.1kReads9.3Score648Shelves
- 111 The Haunted House: The Midnight Wind Chime Murders 凶宅之午夜风铃杀人事件 The Haunted House: The Midnight Wind Chime Murders 4Reads—Score—Shelves
- 112 The Case Files of Shen Rufeng 沈如风探案录 There's only one truth. Follow Shen Rufeng and his colleagues as they piece together the clues and solve each case. The stories are mainly standalone cases. This is a new book by a new author, so please show your support. 1.5kReads—Score100Shelves
- 113 This Detective Is No Ordinary Man: Falling in Love Makes Him Stronger 这个侦探不一般，恋爱就能变强 Zhang Xici had endured a lonely, miserable life, and just as he was about to retire, he got caught up in something huge. An enormous scapegoat's burden was dumped on him. With his frail build, how could he possibly bear such a huge burden? He was crushed to death beneath it. But who would have thought that a disaster would turn into a blessing: he was reborn. After being reborn, Zhang gained the support of a System and finally became a force to be reckoned with. Unfortunately, his System wasn't 6.1kReads9.0Score921Shelves
- 114 You Were Supposed to Visit the Task Force, and You Solved the Case? 让你慰问专案组，你把案子破了？ Su Mu graduates and is assigned to work as a police officer in the police station’s political affairs office. On his first day, he’s sent to convey the leadership’s regards to a special investigation team, but on the way there, he cracks a case the team had been helpless to solve. He catches a rabid dog, then solves a string of thefts. During a coordinated operation, they find a suspect’s trunk full of junk. Su Mu manages to assemble the junk into a firearm, uncovering and dismantling a gun-runn 16.9kReads9.1Score1.6kShelves
- 115 Fresh Out of Police Academy, I Crack Cases Like Crazy and Refuse to Be a Rookie 警校刚毕业，疯狂破案，不当新人 [The System plays a minor role + One Heroine + Brainy, with a focus on deduction and solving cases. Not for readers who dislike that.] Han Xu accidentally transmigrated to a parallel world while driving, becoming a rookie police officer and activating the Detective Development System. He made a great haul! On his very first day on the job, he cracked a major case and shocked the task force! Then one bizarre and mysterious case after another followed! The Snow Mountain Case, the Lighthouse Case… 24.6kReads8.8Score2.3kShelves
- 116 Yet Was Forced to Master Social Skills 却被迫掌握社交技能 (No heroine, no romance, standalone cases, and conversations with animals. Complete.) (Book five) Zhou Peng can talk to small animals. He uses this ability to solve cases, but he also often receives reports from animals. To those who don’t know what’s going on, Officer Zhou seems to be possessed by the Grim Reaper. Wherever he goes, trouble is sure to follow. Officer Zhou says: I want a vacation. This story is entirely fictional. Any resemblance to real people or events is purely coincidental. 2.1kReads9.0Score236Shelves
- 117 City Detective: The King of Solving Cases, Starting with Summer Vacation 都市神警：从暑假开始的破案天王 My new work is out! You can read it on Tomato Novel. I hope you’ll enjoy it. Your support motivates me to write, and I’ll do my best to tell every story well! 15.6kReads8.9Score1.2kShelves
- 118 The Clue System: No Criminal Can Escape 提示线索系统之犯罪分子无处可逃 (Urban crime investigation + System + mystery and deduction + team investigations.) The protagonist, Song Mozhou, unexpectedly awakens a System that provides clues to criminal cases. Follow along as he solves one baffling case after another with the System’s help. This is a pure crime-solving novel, with no romance, featuring a series of standalone cases. All cases and characters in this book are fictional. Any resemblance to real people or events is purely coincidental. Here’s hoping you’ll enj 264Reads—Score—Shelves
- 119 Detective Di Renjie, Book Five 神探狄仁杰第五部 In the final years of Emperor Wu of the Tang dynasty, the capital Luoyang had finally begun to settle down. After the brilliant detective Di Renjie exposed the Burning Heaven Fire at the Shanjin Bureau, the rebellion in Youzhou, and the Blood Eagle's chain of murders, he retired from public life and settled in the Southern Market, hoping to enjoy his twilight years in peace. But when all is quiet, trouble is never far away. After a banquet in the Eastern Palace, Crown Prince Li Xian suddenly fa 629Reads8.8Score122Shelves
- 120 The Strange Her 奇怪的她 The new girl is an oddball, but she’s smart and solves cases fast, so everyone figures they can put up with her personality flaws. She often forgets she’s “weak” and rushes into things, but she’s quick to admit her mistakes and has the right attitude, so everyone decides they can put up with her a little longer. Until one day, she sets her sights on the captain of the criminal investigation team. That’s going too far! He’s handsome, rich, and brilliant, and the two of them together look… well, l 8.7kReads9.3Score1.1kShelves
- 121 Evil Bones 4: Partners in Crime and Love 恶骨4：罪爱同谋 [Mind-Bending Mystery + Case-of-the-Week Stories + Crime + Criminal Investigation + Stunning Twists + Fighting Side by Side] A shadowy hand controls a deadly game. Out on the sea, a white suitcase drifts slowly across the water. When it's opened, it reveals the bloated, headless corpse of a woman! Is the butterfly tattoo on the body a clue to the victim's identity, or a warning from the killer? A blood-soaked coffin appears on a stormy night, its oozing blood horrifying against the darkness! The 1.2kReads9.3Score494Shelves
- 122 Crime Scene Investigation: The Clues 犯罪现场调查：蛛丝马迹 (Not a wish-fulfillment story, no System, no romance, traditional criminal investigation) While the officers of the Changlin Criminal Investigation Division were still grieving the death of former Deputy Division Chief Xu Wei, who had died in the line of duty, their new deputy chief, Shen Yanning, arrived out of nowhere, stirring up resentment and rejection among them. But as time went on, they discovered that their young, handsome new superior could unravel cases thread by thread, finding the t 1kReads8.7Score130Shelves
- 123 The Eye of Deduction and Ten Curious Cases 破解之眼与十个奇妙案件 Truth-Piercing Eye, activate! Lies trigger a red alert, while secrets lie hidden beneath transparency... My name is Zhou Shijiu. With these Truth-Piercing Eyes that see through to the truth, I’ve solved countless strange cases in a marvelous world! And these eyes are just one of countless marvelous protagonists. This isn’t a one-person show! This is an anthology celebration, with a wild new premise in every installment! There’s no fixed protagonist, only a cast of characters shining together: It 3Reads—Score—Shelves
- 124 You Think You Can Get Away with the Perfect Crime? No! You Can't Hide Anywhere 你想完美脱罪？不！你无所遁形 [Two male leads, episodic investigations + overarching case, 1v1.] [The story focuses on solving cases, with romance as a secondary element. The romance develops very slowly and subtly. Early on, it's roughly a 9:1 split, with 9 parts investigation and 1 part romance. The romance gets more focus later.] [The male lead, Song Kui, isn't entirely a righteous person.] [Volume One: Song Kui, Tang Yu, Tao Li] [Volume Two: Song Kui, Tang Yu, Li Zeru] [Volume Three bonus stories: Chen Yunning, Rong Chen 2.6kReads8.8Score431Shelves
- 125 EN Genius Detective 追凶神探 Legendary police officer Song Lang is reborn and goes incognito as a driver named Chen Shi. He had hoped to live quietly, but fate had other plans: Chen Shi gets caught up in another murder case... A company that preaches a ruthless corporate culture and slaughters its employees while everyone stays silent; A wayward young man who skins his childhood sweetheart alive, with tears in his eyes, to get “justice”; A middle-aged couple bound together by a dark secret, each raising a blade against the 6kReads9.1Score743Shelves
- 126 Dawn of Murder 1: Undercurrent 破晓杀机1：暗潮 [Criminal Investigation and Deduction + Criminal Psychology + Stunning Twists + Horror + Wild Imagination] On the square of the Police University, a horrifying corpse lies curled inside a shattered sculpture, its face contorted as if frozen in a silent scream. Even more unsettling, a note found in the victim's stomach eerily foretells the crime scene. Chen Ye has only just become a police officer when he is handed such a difficult case, and this is only the beginning. A string of deaths shatters 761Reads8.9Score131Shelves
- 127 Lost in You 沉溺 A week ago, An Lan’s criminal investigation unit received a report about a strange kidnapping that had taken place on the night of the twenty-fifth of this month. The people who reported it were Long Jia, a student who had taken a year-long leave from Provincial Normal University, and her mother. During the rescue operation, an anonymous video appeared on the campus video-bulletin website of Xuan City’s famous Provincial Normal University. These two seemingly unrelated exposés would set off the 846Reads8.8Score—Shelves
- 128 The Feathered Deep 羽化深渊 The story takes place in the modern East Asian coastal city of Linyuan. Linyuan is a port city plagued by year-round rain, industrial decline, and a mix of religions. It is home to: * Abandoned Taoist temples * An underground black market * A seaside altar * A sealed-off mountainous region * Folk villages * An old, quarantined psychiatric hospital * A secret religious sect left over from the Republican era Ordinary people believe the world is normal. But in truth, the world has been infiltrated 32Reads—Score—Shelves
- 129 Officer, Stop Guessing! I’m Really Innocent! 警官别猜了，我真的是无辜的啊 Everyone thought Jiang Yi was quiet and ill-tempered, but no one expected her to be decisive and cool-headed. When a case came up, she calmly analyzed the situation and offered to act as bait to help the police catch the killer. When they asked what she used to do, Jiang Yi said, "Maybe I was an assassin." Police officer: "?" The word "maybe" really carries a lot of weight. Later, after the police became her colleagues, her talent for solving cases was impossible to miss. Her coworkers nearly we 1.8kReads—Score223Shelves
- 130 First Day of School: The Teacher Dies Before My Eyes 开学：老师死在面前 [Supernatural + Horror + Ensemble Cast + Smart Characters + Infinite Flow + Decisive and Ruthless + Teamwork] On the first day of school, the moment Class 4's homeroom teacher, Mr. Bai, mysteriously committed suicide in the classroom, everyone's worldview was completely overturned by what they saw. A bleeding blackboard, blood-red words appearing out of nowhere: it was as if a novel had become reality. Everyone in the class would be forced to take on all kinds of deadly missions. They could neit 28.2kReads8.9Score2.6kShelves
- 131 The Great Coroner: Xilai, Another One’s Dead 大仵作：喜来，又死一个 She was a posthumous child pulled from a pile of corpses. She spent her days among the dead, playing with skulls and amusing herself by catching maggots. To uncover the truth behind her adoptive father's death, she even took it upon herself to dissect a corpse. Others mocked her as a freak and kept their distance, but the ruthless commander of the realm's forces doted on her beyond measure. Dismemberment and cremation, for love or for money. In this bizarre world, joy comes from seeing clearly f 5.7kReads8.9Score877Shelves
- 132 Officer Lu's Journal 小陆警官的手记 Lu Chengwen: I'm a detective. I only believe in evidence. Lin Xiao: I can feel corpses talking. Lu Chengwen: Say that again? Lin Xiao: The corpse says it wants to go home. Lu Chengwen: ...Fine. Lead the way. Author: If you two keep chatting, the readers will all go next door to read romance ◉‿◉ 317Reads—Score—Shelves
- 133 The Evil Tale (Complete) 恶谭（全文） [Suspense + criminal investigation + deduction + episodic cases + the depths of human nature + no romance + crime-solving focus] “When a person’s heart is filled with darkness, evil takes root there. The guilty are not the criminals, but those who create the darkness.” A distress call received in the early hours comes from a dead person’s phone number. A murder in a village is reported in the news, with the Wolf God suspected of being responsible! Men in Liangcheng are repeatedly found to have b 1.5kReads8.8Score203Shelves
- 134 Major Crime Investigation Files 刑侦大案录 6.6kReads6.9Score413Shelves
- 135 The Female Detective of the Great Song Dynasty 大宋女刑司 [High IQ + mystery-solving + suspense] She transmigrates straight into a murder scene. Framed for the crime and squeezed dry by her gambling-addict parents, she disguises herself as a man to escape trouble, only to be exposed without mercy by a general. Watch as this lowly servant latches on to the general, examines corpses, and deduces the truth behind each case. She punishes princes above and corrupt officials below, all with a loyal friend by her side. From hunting killers in Jiangnan to trek 7kReads9.2Score805Shelves
- 136 Dark Tales 5: The Power Game 恶谭5：权势局 [Mystery + Criminal investigation + Deduction + Case-by-case mysteries + The depths of human nature + No romance + Focused on solving cases] [Beneath the power, there is nothing but desire] A dismembered body is found in an alley, its bones and flesh mixed with pork. The brutal method of killing is appalling, and the victim’s wife has vanished without a trace! A popular young star dies mysteriously in a luxury hotel. The crime scene is covered in blood, but a malfunctioning surveillance system l 131Reads9.2Score100Shelves
- 137 Dark Tales 4: Tides of the Sea of Hate 恶谭4：恨海潮 [Mystery + Criminal investigation + Deduction + Case-by-case mysteries + The depths of human nature + No romance + Focused on solving cases] [Love and hate are poison. In excess, they consume flesh and blood and devour the soul.] A student at a foreign studies university carries explosives into a classroom, causing a tragedy that shocks the entire city! A wealthy boy vanishes on a rainy night, and his body surfaces in the river the next day. But the circumstances of his drowning are riddled with 246Reads9.3Score103Shelves
- 138 Dark Tales 3: The Abyss of Desire 恶谭3：欲望渊 [Mystery + criminal investigation + deduction + episodic cases + the depths of human nature + no romance + solving cases] [Desire is a wildfire, hard to contain once it spreads. It burns away reason, leaving only ashes behind.] Young Jiang Tingxu was presumed to have died by suicide, but years later he suddenly reappears and mercilessly kills the family members he once knew. A bizarre family history begins to come to light... The shocking discovery of several skeletons brings Longxue Village, a 184Reads9.2Score109Shelves
- 139 Officer, Stop Guessing. I’m Really Innocent 警官别猜了，我真是无辜的啊 [Don’t read this. Check out the new book with the same title instead.] Everyone thought the young heiress of the Si family was a timid pushover, known in their circle for liking nothing but corpses and barely speaking. But no one expected that after disappearing and returning, the once timid, soft-spoken girl would change her name, become decisive and ruthless, and join the criminal investigation squad. When faced with a case, she calmly analyzes the situation and offers to act as bait to help t 29Reads—Score—Shelves
- 140 Dark Tales 2: The Fame and Fortune Circuit 恶谭2：名利场 [Mind-bending mystery + criminal investigation + deduction + episodic stories + the depths of human nature + stunning twists + hard-core sleuthing] “Where fame and fortune reign, disputes are sure to arise.” A woman's corpse hidden inside a Buddha statue in an ancient temple, a mysterious online celebrity, and a group of suspects with tangled connections: Tan Zheng takes on a baffling murder case. As the investigation deepens, he discovers that the case is far more complicated than it first appe 257Reads9.3Score104Shelves
- 141 Evil Bones 2: The Ashen Mystery 恶骨2：灰烬谜踪 [Criminal Investigation + Criminal Psychology + Hard-Core Deduction + Genius Detective + Serial Murders + Fighting Side by Side + Ensemble Cast] The dead can speak, and clues never lie! Thirty years ago, a shooting sent shockwaves through the entire town. A man and a woman died on the spot, while the killer remained at large. Years later, another case brought the true culprit behind the cold case to light! At the same time, a young girl vanished under mysterious circumstances, and every suspect 3.2kReads9.3Score774Shelves
- 142 Crime Solving: My Sweet, Innocent Boss Wants to Arrest Me Every Day 破案：清纯女上司每天都想逮捕我 [A Not-So-Serious Traditional System Story (The System Barely Appears and Might Be Fake...) + Mystery and Crime Solving (Sort Of) + One Heroine + Mutual Devotion + Nontraditional Fluff + Slow-Building Plot + Sweet, Sweet, Sweet, Sweet] [This is a romance story! This is a romance story! This is a romance story! Important things must be said three times!] [As usual, the cases start in Chapter Four. I’m no good at writing blurbs (the opening is pretty bad too, haha), so please read 50 chapters. If 6.8kReads9.3Score661Shelves
- 143 Livestreaming Fortune-Telling: All My Top Supporters Are in Jail 直播测字：我的榜一全在局子里 A ghost-seeing girl and a genius young detective make the perfect supernatural duo! Jiang Chen: Can you check whether there are any nasty things around us? Su Su: Do you think I'm a ghost-hunting police dog or something?! Ghost: You're the nasty thing! Your whole family is nasty! The supernatural duo always cracks the case! 18.4kReads9.1Score2.6kShelves
- 144 Rose Blade 玫瑰利刃 Stern, upright criminal investigation captain VS sweet, capable rookie policewoman Jiang Buhan was a new intern with the criminal investigation squad. Xing Niansheng had assumed that beautiful women were usually lacking in ability. “My squad doesn’t need a pretty face,” Xing Niansheng said sternly. “You have three months. If you can’t cut it, you’re out.” Who could have guessed that this so-called pretty face would be tall, long-legged, and extraordinarily strong, able to knock a burly man down 24.5kReads9.4Score3.5kShelves
- 145 The Bureau's Twin Years: A Record of Strange Herb Mysteries in the Martial World 局编双年：奇草谜案江湖录 (Not a power fantasy + no System + plot-driven + crime-solving and deduction + mind-bending twists) (The author spent a full year crafting all the murder cases. They’re sure to be gripping and mind-bending, so enjoy!) One year ago, on a dark night, I was a lowly cleaner working in the City Lord’s Hall when I was dragged into a murder targeting the three great families. Everyone said I was the killer! One year later, by day, I’d turned my fortunes around and become deputy director of the Security 19Reads—Score—Shelves
- 146 The Assassin Lu Yutang 杀手陆鱼塘 (No transmigration, no System.) Lu Yutang, a professional killer, never imagined that his wealthy landlady would turn out to be a police detective, living right across the hall from him. What a predicament. (Other works in this series are now available. Visit the author’s page.) 39.5kReads9.1Score3.7kShelves
- 147 Sin Hunter Detective 猎罪神探 What's the most terrifying case you've ever heard of? The Corpse Immortal Madam, the Medical University's Sex Fiend, the Human-Head Planters, the Zombie Baby in Building Seven... There are no ghosts in this world, only wrongs waiting to be righted by a master hand. The legendary coroner Song Yang returns to the scene with his disciples, piercing through layer upon layer of mystery to hunt down the killers lurking in this world. Come face-to-face with the bloodiest, most baffling, and most hair-r 5.9kReads9.4Score819Shelves
- 148 Detective Dayong 真探大用 Volume Two of “The Young Cop's Big Cases.” The first volume follows Du Dayong's growth, while the second chronicles his brilliant detective work. The first volume alone shows how the author keeps a story of over two million characters consistent and engaging, packed with substance and no filler. The cases in the second volume are even more gripping, and its quality is sure to surpass the first. 19.3kReads9.6Score3.2kShelves
- 149 The Corpse Reader 读尸人 Standalone cases + criminal investigation + two male leads + mind-bending mystery The Linghai Public Security Bureau established a major crimes unit. Just as everyone was wondering which criminal investigation captain would be given the job, they were told that the provincial bureau had parachuted someone in directly. Everyone was curious about the new head of the major crimes unit. Cases piled up, from opening coffins for autopsies and childbirth after death to missing wives. See how a forensic 50.4kReads9.2Score4.8kShelves
- 150 Flowers at the Bottom of the Valley 谷底的花 [Slice-of-life mystery + deduction + crime solving + case-of-the-week + serious drama] Main characters: Lu Jun (forensic pathology intern) vs. Chen Zhou (criminal investigation team captain) Six years ago, a family upheaval completely changed Lu Jun's personality, and his family sent him abroad. Six years later, Lu Jun returned to China and voluntarily joined Chen Zhou's workplace. The two are twelve years apart in age. Their relationship shifted from close friends to an awkward “uncle and nephe 1.2kReads—Score132Shelves
