Novels like When the Dark Night’s Embers Shine
Books Chinese readers most often put in the same booklists as When the Dark Night’s Embers Shine, best match first.
- 1 Murder in the Dark 暗夜谜案 A father paralyzed from the waist down receives a ransom call from a kidnapper. In the video, his daughter is bound and crying, “Dad, save me!” Having already lost his wife in a car accident, the father transfers three million yuan to the specified account without hesitation, just as the kidnapper demands. But three days after he pays the ransom, his daughter still hasn’t come home. In desperation, he has no choice but to call the police. The police discover that the supposed kidnapping involves 162Reads8.5Score—Shelves
- 2 Master, Shall We Solve a Case and Fall in Love? 大神，一起谈恋案吧 As a criminal psychologist, Xiang Han can make her want to die with his razor-sharp tongue. Ye Wen may not be assertive, but she definitely isn't one to take things lying down. Crime scenes, livestreamed murders, unidentified corpses... Am I supposed to be scared? What the hell? The aloof man says, “If you're ugly, you should read more. Though you're ugly and stupid, I'll make an exception and take you in, so you don't become a menace to society.” The woman replies, “What? I'm ugly and stupid? I 25Reads8.6Score—Shelves
- 3 My Dear Detective Gu 我亲爱的顾神探 A romance wrapped in a case file, offering a fresh perspective on mystery. Who says mysteries are all about mind-bending cases? Sometimes, they need a little sweetness too. Can you imagine Su Bai, a policewoman and criminal investigator who’s tougher than most men, able to catch criminals with her bare hands, break bricks with one hand, and master every kind of grappling and martial arts, yet after falling in love, becoming so delicate around Gu Ying that she can’t even twist open a bottle cap? 75Reads7.5Score—Shelves
- 4 When the Mountains and Seas Call Us Home [Crime Investigation] 山海归期【刑侦】 Don’t leave malicious negative reviews. If it’s not for you, don’t read. [No mindless plot + No padding + Romance] A fresh-faced newcomer joins the major crimes unit of the Linjiang Public Security Bureau. Shen Changfeng vows he’ll never let her go on field duty. “The major crimes unit doesn’t need women.” He even files requests every few days to have her transferred to the publicity department. He has no idea that later he’ll cling to her like a bandage, begging her to marry him. He thinks h 330Reads8.4Score—Shelves
- 5 Fireflies Illuminate the Hidden Crickets 浮萤照潜蛩 (Early on) Mystery and crime novelist (later) criminal investigation consultant: Shen Xuexian vs. criminal investigation captain: Wan Ming A popular idol dies mysteriously on a film set, and the scene is exactly as described in the script. Shen Xuexian, a mystery novelist, is taken in for questioning by the police at her new book signing. She never imagined that selling the rights to her novel would land her in a police station. Getting caught up in a murder on a film set and taken in to assist 402Reads8.7Score103Shelves
- 6 Captain, I Kind of Want to Be Your Mom 队长，我有亿点想当你妈 A sharp-tongued, fatherly, tough-guy captain vs. a meticulous policewoman who isn't good at Chinese. A criminal investigation novel with sound logic, deductions, and a romance plot. [Mystery and deduction + Two strong leads + Mutual salvation + Suitable even for the timid] A series of articles titled "Demons Running Amok Beneath the Sunshine" seems to have predicted several major cases that have recently occurred. But after the reporter disappeared in a psychiatric hospital, they vanished withou 501Reads8.7Score103Shelves
- 7 The Eyes in the Abyss 深渊里的眼 Zhong Yi, an administrative staff member at the Criminal Police Division, was refused permission to resign and mercilessly reassigned by her superior to the Special Cases Center in Zhongjiang Province. Facing the stone-faced, tough-as-nails captain of the special cases team, strange colleagues with a variety of talents, and a steady stream of murder cases, Zhong Yi became even more determined to quit. But then a female college student’s apparent suicide completely changed her mind. A disembowele 5.5kReads7.7Score549Shelves
- 8 Signs of Murder [Crime Investigation] 见凶[刑侦] [An Amnesiac Childhood Friend, a Forensic Doctor Who Can Share the Senses of the Dead, and the Childhood Sweetheart Who’s Protected Her Since They Were Kids, Now a Criminal Investigation Captain] When they first met, Xing Yu voiced the words she hadn’t said aloud. Gu Yiqiu found his behavior strangely familiar. In that familiar setting, fragments of sealed memories flashed through her mind. As the strange cases in Beijun City began happening again... Could the two of them really stop the coming 48Reads6.8Score—Shelves
- 9 The Deadly Rabbit Man 致命兔人 Cheerful psychologist vs. stern criminal investigation captain A chilling nursery rhyme about a rabbit sparks a series of murders spanning ten years. A rabbit-like figure appears at every crime scene. Ten years ago, seven high school students went on a trip together. Six were killed. Ten years later, the rabbit-like figure appears again beside Su Fei, the sole survivor. If the rabbit-masked killer hadn’t returned, psychologist Su Fei would never have suspected that the stoic police officer Luo M 584Reads8.7Score105Shelves
- 10 Crime Investigation 罪案调查 Investigate a series of unusual cases, bring the criminals to justice, and ensure they receive the full punishment of the law. Let everyone believe that justice always prevails, that every criminal will be severely punished and none can escape. The people's police will see that victims get justice. The Lotus Town murder, the 312 serial killings, the locked-room murder, the kidnapping, the murder-by-proxy case, and others were solved one after another thanks to Zhang Wende and his teammates. 3.4kReads8.8Score229Shelves
- 11 From the Start, I Crack a Serial Murder Case and Shock the Chief Detective 开局破获连环杀人案震惊刑警队长 989Reads8.1Score108Shelves
- 12 Following the Clues [Criminal Investigation] 觅迹【刑侦】 Criminal Investigation Deputy Captain Nan Feng vs. Officer He Yi [Some plot details are fictionalized. Please don’t compare them to real life!] [A secret-crush story from the heroine’s perspective, with a little angst.] [If you don’t like criminal investigation stories with a heroine and a romance plot, this may not be for you.] [If you’re okay with the premise, follow the story where it leads.] [Features a fantasy crossover with other protagonists on the author’s bookshelf] Seek an unknown tru 905Reads8.9Score102Shelves
- 13 Captain Shen's Madness Turns a Crime Thriller into a Sweet Romance 沈队靠疯，把刑侦文硬掰成甜宠文 [Mystery + deduction + sweet romance] [Seven-year age gap + government-employed boyfriend + ruthless pursuit] [Reader advisory: This is a fictional setting, very fictional] Mad-dog, nurturing mom-type police captain x gentle, S-obsessed fairy-like policewoman Eight years ago, Yan Wan's father was murdered by the person he had helped through legal aid. Of the family of four, only Yan Wan survived. Eight years later, Shen Hong finds Yan Wan and uses her father's death to threaten her into using he 2kReads9.1Score332Shelves
- 14 In Search of the Light [Crime Investigation] 寻光【刑侦】 Also known as The Gentle Captain Yan’s Cool, Aloof Fiancée Is So Hard to Woo and The Fiancée Who Solves Cases Her Own Way [Mystery + sweet romance + both leads are inexperienced + one-on-one romance + happy ending + crime-solving + suspense] The plot takes center stage, with romance as a secondary thread. . On the first day Yan Mo reunites with his long-lost fiancée, he handcuffs her and brings her back to the police station as a suspect. Facing Chu Xi, who is cool and aloof while pretending to 686Reads8.9Score103Shelves
- 15 Malicious Growth [Crime Investigation] 恶意生长【刑侦】 Fifteen years ago, a car accident was officially classified as a traffic accident. By now, dust had long settled over the case file in the old archives of the Hequan Public Security Bureau. “Your father's death wasn't an accident.” An anonymous email brought Chi Sang back to her hometown. To tear open the truth sealed away for fifteen years, she returned alone to the small city she had left behind so long ago, posing as a forensic science intern. On her first day at a crime scene, she ran in 1.2kReads8.1Score209Shelves
- 16 Case Files 推案实录 Si Li never dreamed that a trip back to her old family home would end with her grandfather foisting her and all her luggage onto Yan Huai, captain of the city bureau’s criminal investigation squad, to serve as her “human bodyguard.” Fine. If it would help the old man sleep peacefully, she could stay there. She’d just shut herself in and paint. They could mind their own business. For the first month, they got along without incident. She worked on game illustrations while he went out to crime s 1.6kReads7.3Score180Shelves
- 17 I'm Just a Beat Cop. Is It Really So Strange to Catch a Wanted Criminal? 我一个片警，抓个通缉犯很合理吧 Synopsis: Urban setting + One heroine + System + Crime Solving + Not a comedy Su Jie transmigrates to a parallel world (don’t compare it to reality) and becomes an ordinary patrol officer. He suddenly awakens the Crime Buster System, and from then on sets out to catch criminals and solve cases. On the very day he awakens the System, he happens to run into an A-list fugitive. On his way to the hospital, he casually solves a scumbag’s murder case, too. A human-trafficking gang that has stumped 5.1kReads8.8Score449Shelves
- 18 Clouds Part, Moonlight Shines [Crime Investigation] 拨云见月【刑侦】 [Cool, Beautiful, Fierce Forensic Doctor VS Dominant, Wolfish Police Captain] Behind a succession of brutal cases, it seems a hidden hand is pulling at people's heartstrings. Zhou Yan and Jiang Tan meet by chance during a murder investigation. The former lovers, who once loved each other but parted on bitter terms, come face to face again. Holding up his police ID, Zhou Yan formally asks, "Miss Jiang, I hear you went on a blind date today?" Jiang Tan: "That's my private business. We've broken up 16.1kReads8.8Score2.3kShelves
- 19 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
- 20 Unbelievable! The Brash Blonde Is Actually a Criminal Investigation Captain 离谱！黄毛丫头竟是刑侦队长 [Criminal Investigation + Suspense + Case-by-Case Mystery Solving + Brain-Teasing Cases + Female Lead Investigator] A madman attacked everyone in a film studio, while a girl was brutally slashed across the throat on her way home. The clues that surfaced were merely a ploy to mislead the police. When obsession becomes the root of evil, and victims become perpetrators, just how evil can human nature be? The truth is buried beneath layer upon layer. Ever since joining the Special Cases Unit, Su Xia 32.4kReads9.1Score4.3kShelves
- 21 The Sixth Line: Initial Nine 六爻之初九 Lu Yao has shared a bond with Zhou Yi since childhood and is well versed in divination. But a college student from a remote mountain village who practices fortune-telling is an oddball in her classmates’ eyes, so she moves off campus and rents a place of her own. One day, she checks her bank statement and sees she’s in the red. She hops on the little scooter she uses to deliver packages. “Dear customer, you have a romantic disaster in store. Please don’t go out today!” Customer: “Are you crazy?” 1.6kReads8.5Score187Shelves
- 22 The Lie-Detecting Master 识谎大师 She is a master at detecting lies, able to see the true emotions hidden on every face and behind the slightest expression. He is a celebrated crime-solving genius and a rising star in the police force. They meet during a bank robbery. But who could have guessed that this seemingly simple robbery would lead to a vast international crime syndicate? A dismembered body dumped in a river, the bizarre disappearance of a close friend, a mysterious letter S, an unexplainable diamond ring, DNA that match 483Reads9.0Score108Shelves
- 23 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
- 24 Who Says a Mentally Ill Person Can't Solve Crimes? 谁说精神病不能破案 {Serial murder case + basement captivity case + human trafficking case + haunted ancestral home...} Multiple personalities, no romance, no golden finger, no System, and a sharp mind. Handsome with a sense of humor, funny and handsome all at once. Humanity's evil is magnified without limit, while goodness takes root in the midst of evil. A genius psychologist is locked away for three years because of dissociative identity disorder. After passing his evaluation and being released, he gets caught u 7.7kReads9.0Score961Shelves
- 25 Pleading Guilty 伏罪 [Now available in print] [Wild, calculating, wolfish captain vs. quirky, inscrutable genius girl, with deduction and crime-solving at the heart] Three years ago, Jiang An, the renowned genius girl of the police force, vanished without a trace after a meticulously planned bombing rocked the city. Three years later, Jiang An, now a famous mystery novelist, was arrested as a suspect and drawn into a bizarre murder case. Fu Jinhan, captain of the criminal investigation team, personally made the arre 11.2kReads9.2Score1.5kShelves
- 26 Inheriting a Police Badge: I Just Joined the Force, and My Crime-Solving Skills Are Maxed Out 警号继承：刚入职，刑侦技能拉满 Crime-solving + power fantasy + System + fast-paced + one heroine across 500,000 words (ongoing)! “Police badge reactivated! Badge number 89757! Officer Guan, welcome back!” Twenty years ago, his father died in the line of duty, and his badge was decommissioned. Twenty years later, Guan Feng transfers to a new post, inherits his father's badge, and awakens a System. Every case he solves earns him various rewards: clues, detective skills, physical enhancements, and cutting-edge technology... From 8.5kReads8.8Score640Shelves
- 27 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
- 28 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
- 29 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
- 30 The Psychological Analyst 心理分析者 A twisted criminal psychology expert VS a stoic criminal investigation captain Former title: The Psychological Analyst Fungal threads that control the brain, human-shaped ant nests, sinister mukbangs... These bizarre cases reflect the killers' warped inner worlds. Genes load the weapon of crime, psychology takes aim, and the environment pulls the trigger. Those who gaze into the abyss must beware of the abyss. Jiang Ningxi: I want to jump into the abyss and see what it's like. The Abyss: Don't c 19.6kReads9.1Score2.9kShelves
- 31 Roses and Guns [Criminal Investigation] 玫瑰与烈枪【刑侦】 [Their flesh and blood will forge my glory, becoming the honor I pursue for the rest of my life.] One June, two major events took place at the Qin City Public Security Bureau. First, a female captain named Gu Ji joined the anti-narcotics squad, and her darts flew in dazzling patterns. Second, a police badge number that had been dormant for ten years was reactivated, and this female captain was its successor. That same June, two major things happened to Song Yanci, leader of the major crimes 13.5kReads9.4Score1.9kShelves
- 32 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
- 33 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
- 34 Solving Cases Is a Little Bitter, but My Sister Is Super Sweet 破案微苦，我姐超甜 Lin Xuan was reborn. No System, no cheats, no golden finger. But Heaven had given him an outrageously powerful body. And at that very moment, the wheels of fate began to turn. Mu Qingtian: Brother-in-law, do you have a dream? Lin Xuan: I do. I want to show off. Mu Qingtian: ... Lin Xuan: Showing off is a longing for dignity, a fantasy about reality, and the right to pursue what you desire. What’s the difference between not showing off and being a salted fish? ... Hey, honey, why’d you hit me 53.3kReads9.4Score3.7kShelves
- 35 A Hard Nut to Crack 硬骨头 The new major-crimes squad captain, Lin Cuo, is gorgeous, cool, confident, and bold enough to take on Jiang Yi, the icy demon king of the criminal investigation corps. Everyone waits for her to make a fool of herself, but... Captain Lin keeps sending in good news: the shattered-skull case, the Lolita case, the death of a female livestreamer... Captain Lin is incredible! Jiang Yi is a top criminal investigator, a walking iceberg who solves cases with ruthless speed and dominates the police force. 3.1kReads9.3Score691Shelves
- 36 Surrender 自首 (Now streaming on iQIYI. Starring Xu Weizhou, Guo Junchen, and Xiao Yan. A criminal police captain, played by Xu Weizhou, teams up with a psychologist, played by Guo Junchen, to solve cases and capture the monsters of the human heart. Mystery + deduction + psychologist + episodic cases + serial murders + high-IQ crimes + revenge plots + strange tales and records + best partners + light horror + suitable for the faint-hearted) “I killed someone.” A girl turns herself in, claiming that she killed 20.6kReads9.4Score2.9kShelves
- 37 A Little Land of Mountains and Rivers 小山河 When Chi Xia first joins the special investigations team, Luo Xun strongly recommends transferring her elsewhere. The intern is so thin-limbed and wooden, like she can barely keep her eyes open. What makes her suitable for this team? She’d be much better off in Publicity! The thin-limbed intern says nothing, responding to everything with, “Captain Luo, solving the case comes first.” Luo Xun is so frustrated he can barely contain himself. The team is doomed, he thinks. Before long, Captain Luo ge 69.2kReads9.5Score12.3kShelves
- 38 Solving Cases Takes Someone Like Me [Criminal Investigation] 破案需要我这样的人才【刑侦】 When it comes to Ling Wuyou, even an ant passing by would turn to its companion and say, “Don't mess with that lunatic!” Say a couple of words to her and she'll blow up like a firecracker. She doesn't care one bit about acting like a respectable adult. While she was studying at the police academy, she taught quite a few classmates a lesson more than once. It's because she's not very strong, but her dirty tricks are endless. Later, the lunatic became a proud police officer. She'd say, “Who wants 106kReads9.4Score16.7kShelves
- 39 The Devil Reversed 恶魔逆位 “If I wanted to kill him, I wouldn’t use a method this laughably clumsy.” After the black-haired girl in black finished speaking in the interrogation room, she didn’t say another word. The way she calmly studied the photograph made it seem more like she was admiring the victim’s gruesome death. In the photo was a cold, white bathtub filled with shocking amounts of blood. A man lay slumped inside, his deathly pale body visible only from the shoulders up. The deceased was Zhou Haixiong. He had 39kReads9.5Score6kShelves
- 40 The Psychological Anatomist 心理解剖者 [Signed for publication] Genius Forensic Doctor VS Tough-as-Nails Police Captain [Mystery + deduction + sweet romance + high-IQ crimes + serial murders + criminal profiling + suitable for the timid] Original title: The Psychological Anatomist Schizophrenia, antisocial personality disorder, high-IQ crimes... This is a world overrun by psychopaths. The Cat-Fetus Man case, the Couple Butchers, the Angel of Death... Twisted fantasies of evil always burst into reality alongside violence. A corpse is 95.5kReads9.5Score13.3kShelves
![When the Mountains and Seas Call Us Home [Crime Investigation]](https://p3-novel.byteimg.com/novel-pic/p2o1e1e4252d2b3a39a3f84f9cd22661a6d~tplv-resize:120:0.jpeg)
![Signs of Murder [Crime Investigation]](https://p3-novel.byteimg.com/novel-pic/1c3e019823f1e110d29d4f3376fcc062~tplv-resize:120:0.jpeg)
![Following the Clues [Criminal Investigation]](https://p3-novel.byteimg.com/novel-pic/394b85fba01f3fc3ef1f864ad1d322bf~tplv-resize:120:0.jpeg)
![In Search of the Light [Crime Investigation]](https://p3-novel.byteimg.com/novel-pic/p2o3827162b8abed541ab2027b405aa2ab5~tplv-resize:120:0.jpeg)
![Malicious Growth [Crime Investigation]](https://p3-novel.byteimg.com/novel-pic/ac5d2a4f6b762f50efaf742a0d0ea788~tplv-resize:120:0.jpeg)
![Clouds Part, Moonlight Shines [Crime Investigation]](https://p3-novel.byteimg.com/novel-pic/65e3196da37bba2eae9718dfb0ba9906~tplv-resize:120:0.jpeg)
![Hunting Down the Guilty and Pursuing the Wicked [Criminal Investigation]](https://p3-novel.byteimg.com/novel-pic/6c56e78274059492d306ca04302cf877~tplv-resize:120:0.jpeg)
![Roses and Guns [Criminal Investigation]](https://p3-novel.byteimg.com/novel-pic/cc6d272e3daf76f701d635c1b77970e0~tplv-resize:120:0.jpeg)
![Solving Cases Takes Someone Like Me [Criminal Investigation]](https://p3-novel.byteimg.com/novel-pic/p2o81ca0ada724552aaf07c74312b0261ec~tplv-resize:120:0.jpeg)
