Novels like Fragrant Dust on Purple Paths
Books Chinese readers most often put in the same booklists as Fragrant Dust on Purple Paths, best match first.
- 151 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—14d adds
- 152 Republican-Era Treasure Hunt 民国寻宝记 My new work is here! You’re welcome to read it on Tomato Novel. I hope you’ll enjoy it. Your support inspires me to write, and I’ll do my best to tell every story well! 1Reads—Score—14d adds
- 153 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—14d adds
- 154 The Realism of Falling 沉沦的写实性 Song Zheng is a clever, independent detective. Solving a case is like putting together a puzzle: evidence is the pieces. Assembling them is easy, but finding them is a thorny road. Female lead: Xu Sui. Her name means “to follow.” Teetering on the edge of a cliff, she can follow the light or the darkness. Whether someone pulls her up or pushes her down, she can handle it. She believes that sinking into darkness is a kind of liberation. Supporting characters: Zhou Guyu, Song Zheng’s assistant an 109Reads8.4Score—14d adds
- 155 The Dark River's Book of Crimes 暗河罪书 I write with care, creating stories readers feel were worth their time and cases they can talk about. Some characters and events in this novel are based on real cases, blending reality with fiction. Not AI-generated + no goody-two-shoes heroines + mind-blowing twists + explosive plot + every facet of life People can look up and see the Milky Way billions of light-years away, yet look down and fail to see the underground rivers just a few hundred meters beneath their feet. In those dark, turbulen 1.3kReads8.2Score21414d adds
- 156 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—14d adds
- 157 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—14d adds
- 158 The Criminal's Code 罪犯密码 I’ve always believed that only works with real depth are worth readers’ time! I hope you can see the characters grow as you read this novel! Some people always think that little people don’t matter, until their retaliation exceeds all expectations. Only then do they realize, too late, how wrong they were! Gao Lei smiled faintly. After taking a few puffs, he asked Shen Che, “What is a police officer’s responsibility?” Shen Che replied, “Fight crime and maintain public order.” Gao Lei stubbed ou 673Reads—Score10214d adds
- 159 Major Crimes: Hunting Down the Killer 重案追凶【刑侦】 [Realistic Crime Investigation]+ [No Romance]+ [Case-of-the-Week Mysteries]+ [Ensemble Cast] No paranormal activity, no supernatural phenomena, just solving cases through physical evidence. There's a saying in forensic medicine: You don't have to know every bone, but you do have to know Lu Yangu. Forensic pathologist Lu Yan, nicknamed Lu Yangu, doesn't just perform autopsies. He solves crimes, too. [The Mystery of the Coffin] An accidental plunge into a river leads to the recovery of a pitch-bla 38.2kReads8.8Score4.8k14d adds
- 160 Criminal Investigation: Case Files 刑侦：大案纪实 1980s criminal investigation + case-by-case stories + no romance or female lead + a touch of ensemble cast Based on real cases, with some changes. The investigations generally follow the original cases. Case One: Too clever by half: Charred remains by the river Case Two: Everyone is evil: A naked corpse in a well Case Three: The thief cries “Stop thief!”: A corpse hidden in a wardrobe Case Four: The poisonous insect’s last stand: A demon strikes Case Five: A killer in two places: A body dismembe 16.3kReads8.3Score1.4k14d adds
- 161 The Sealed Evidence 尘封之证 Every silent corpse is a life story violently brought to a close. We are the only ones who can read it. Forensic examiner Chen Mo and detective Lin Tao are partners with very different temperaments but perfect rapport. Day after day, they move between crime scenes and the autopsy table, searching for forgotten truths among cold physical evidence and inscrutable human hearts. The cases they face lie buried beneath layers of time and the fog of human nature. From the city’s poorest neighborhood 13Reads—Score—14d adds
- 162 The Evidence Puzzle 罪证拼图 On the boundary between crime and justice, evidence is the only light. Chen Yuan, captain of the city’s criminal investigation squad, has spent ten years failing to solve his younger sister’s disappearance. The case has become an unhealed scar in both his career and his life. When an unidentified woman’s body disturbs the quiet of the city moat, a mysterious snowflake tattoo and a bloodstained old cotton shoe draw him and his teammates into a vast criminal network spanning schools, mining distri —Reads—Score—14d adds
- 163 Cold Case Unit 悬案组 Behind many major and unsolved cases lies a truth no one knows. There’s no such thing as the worst, only worse. Read at your own risk if you’re fainthearted. 46Reads8.7Score—14d adds
- 164 1993: Back on the Police Beat 1993重走警途 [Mind-Bending Mystery + Episodic Stories + Crime + Criminal Investigation + Twists + No Golden Finger] The rating has just come in, and it will rise later “I wanted to be a good person too, but the nights in that era were so dark that I had no choice but to be more ruthless than the criminals.” In 1993, Binjiang County had no surveillance cameras, no DNA technology, and no big data. It was a golden age for crime to flourish unchecked, and the darkest of times for criminal investigators, who co 3.1kReads7.5Score26214d adds
- 165 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 635Reads8.3Score10014d adds
- 166 The Truth Is Just Within Reach 真相近在咫尺 Truth Is Within Reach is a mystery novel by Yaoyao Yaowu. It tells the strange story of a missing-person case that sends a rookie police officer further and further off course as he tries to solve it. The truth is within reach, but the ending is heartbreaking. Blending mystery, modern life, and romance, the novel uses a complex plot and intricate relationships to portray the challenges and dilemmas the protagonist faces while uncovering the truth. The novel's main elements include: A strange dis 1Reads—Score—14d adds
- 167 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—14d adds
- 168 The Story of Miss Zhao and the Young Policeman 赵大小姐与小警察的故事 After graduating from the Police University and marrying into the wealthy Zhao family, Ke Dongfan remains a low-ranking officer at a local police station. He accidentally discovers that his two-year-old son isn't his biological child. His wife, Zhao Xinlan, treats him with such devotion that he can't bring himself to make a decision. But after learning the truth, he resolutely takes the path of justice. From then on, he awakens to his calling, solves one bizarre case after another, and avenges t 230Reads6.8Score—14d adds
- 169 The Sin Factory 饲罪工厂 A fairy-tale murder case rocks Ning City! A golden ribbon is wound around the victim’s neck, a blood-painted copy of The Emperor’s New Clothes rests on their knees, and the ink on a card marked with a strange symbol is still wet. The killer is caught at the scene, yet vehemently denies any connection to the crime scene, which looks like something out of a dark fairy-tale book! As Detective Du Ran leads his team in a deep investigation, every clue sends a chill down their spines: a red-clad chi 4Reads—Score—14d adds
- 170 Just Straight-Up Deduction? That's My Specialty! 单纯推理是吧？这个我擅长啊！ [A Conan-style episodic story. No romance or ambiguous relationships, grounded, no invincibility, no System, no brainless plot, with deduction and crime-solving] “Like Detective Conan? Then don’t miss this book!” There’s no such thing as a perfect crime. And if there is, then I must have committed it. While pursuing one of the world’s greatest criminal masterminds, Xian Yifan, hailed as the youngest great detective in history, died alongside his quarry. After accidentally transmigrating, he 185Reads6.4Score—14d adds
- 171 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 4.8kReads9.5Score37614d adds
- 172 The County Town Murders of 1997 97县城凶案 [Detectives +] [Interlocking Cases] [A Blend of Manhunts and Anti-Corruption] At the end of 1997, a series of murders takes place in a county town in Northeast China. The killer’s first victim is Liu Jing, head of the county’s Culture Bureau. Her uterus is stuffed inside a mannequin and dumped across from the entrance to the county committee offices. The second body part dumped is Liu Jing’s heart, left in the same spot among a crowd of people clearing snow for the county committee. An old scave 2.6kReads8.4Score24514d adds
- 173 Eyes of the Deep Abyss 1: Evil Like a Hook 凝渊之眸1：恶如钩 I'm a special-case criminal investigator. I'm also the most ordinary one among thousands upon thousands of criminal investigators. This is a collection of criminal cases, and a record of memories. In this novel, you'll find me, my mentor, and my best friends. Like me, they are all unique, yet utterly ordinary. We once blazed with ambition and confidence. We once pieced together clues and chased criminals through the fog. We also knew sorrow and hesitation. My mentor once told me: We walk the lin 591Reads9.3Score10314d adds
- 174 I Am the Suspect 我就是嫌疑人 A high-IQ suspect versus a criminal investigator [Mystery and deduction, ensemble cast, no CP or romance, slow-paced. Please don’t read if that’s not your thing.] Ten years ago, the head of Guangyang Orphanage was found dead in a gruesome state. A twelve-year-old child named “A Lang” became the prime suspect, but has never been brought to justice. Ten years later, A Lang reappears. After killing three people, he takes an entire junior high school class hostage and calls the police himself. In fr 216Reads8.4Score—14d adds
- 175 1998: Who Stole the County Magistrate's Donkey? 1998，是谁动了县长的驴？ [Before You Read]: High-octane suspense and wild imagination + sensory contamination + power games Enter the donkey’s abyss at your own risk... [Warning! Consciousness Contamination Index: 81%] I woke up to find myself and four others bound and thrown into a deadly game of the mind > Rule: violently cram the consciousness of all five of us into a donkey’s brain! > And this donkey is said to be the only witness to a string of murders in 1998. > The murders are still happening! The real killer is —Reads—Score—14d adds
- 176 Reading Bones to Solve Cases 鉴骨断案 No golden finger, no System, no romance. A traditional criminal investigation novel, focused entirely on solving cases. He examines bones to solve crimes, uncovering long-buried truths from scattered fragments. Those broken, scattered bones tell tales of life’s joys and sorrows. 593Reads8.1Score—14d adds
- 177 The Criminal Psychologist 罪案心理师 Genius profiler vs. tough homicide squad captain A hand inside a wall, a charred corpse in a cave, human limb fragments in a pigsty... Antisocial personalities... High-IQ crimes... Serial murders... Homicide squad captain Song Qingshan and genius profiler Chu Yanran take you to crime scenes, where they peel back layer after layer of mystery, explore the darkness of human nature, and catch the real culprits! Suspense + deduction + bizarre and unsolved cases + high-IQ crimes + serial murders + psy 3.7kReads6.9Score36014d adds
- 178 Ning City Detectives 宁城刑警 (No System, no transmigration, no wish fulfillment) A modern-day Sherlock Holmes story about an elite team of detectives solving one bizarre case after another in the bustling city of Ningcheng. From busting drug rings in bars to uncovering international telecom scams, from locked-room murders to financial fraud, they face ruthless criminals and criminal masterminds. One mystery leads to another, and every scheme hides a deeper plot, as truth and human nature intertwine. A tightly paced, brain-t 2Reads—Score—14d adds
- 179 Reconstructing the Crime Scene: I Can See the Erased Traces 重构现场：我能看见被擦掉的痕迹 [Criminal investigations + trace evidence deduction + cold case pursuit + episodic cases + master-apprentice legacy] Seven years after leaving frontline work, trace examiner Lu Chuan is called back to the scene by a suspicious case on a rainy night. Everyone thinks it is just an ordinary accident. But Lu Chuan crouches down, takes one look at the gray marks on the soles of the shoes, and realizes something is wrong. The trail of mud on the ground is broken, the scuff marks by the window are 115Reads—Score—14d adds
- 180 Creation! The First Venerable of All Time 创世！万古第一尊 Eastern Xianxia | Eastern Fantasy | Multiple Heroines | All-Rounder | Good-for-Nothing’s Rise | Broken Engagement It begins with the Primordial Creation Immortal Venerable splitting heaven and earth. After the Immortal Venerable falls, the primordial chaos disperses throughout the myriad worlds. Billions of years later, a young man with ruined meridians sees the pattern on the jade pendant at his chest shine for an instant. It is identical to the pattern in the Immortal Venerable’s palm in an an 10Reads—Score—14d adds
- 181 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 1.6kReads9.5Score16114d adds
- 182 Beyond the Fingerprints 指纹之外 Forensic trace expert Lin Du can read any trace, except the ones that lead to himself. At a corpse-burial site in the mountains, the DNA under the victim’s fingernails is a perfect match for Lin Du’s. His partner, Shen Quan, points a gun at him and asks, “Are you here to solve the case, or destroy the evidence?” Lin Du has no answer. He has forgotten more than just his memories: something has also been implanted in his genes. He has no idea that Shen Quan is quietly clenching his right hand into 16Reads—Score—14d adds
- 183 The Six-Nosed Fox Demon 六鼻狐妖 Linghu Yin of Ningcheng is a renowned constable of the Six Fan Gate, known by the nickname Fox Demon of the Six Noses. He is exceptionally skilled, and his foxlike cunning in solving cases often helps him spot the smallest clues where none seem possible. So come along with me and see how this official, Linghu Yin, cracks his cases. 1Reads—Score—14d adds
- 184 The Secret on the Hospital Rooftop 医院顶楼的秘密 The city hospital was bustling with people, seemingly ordinary. But hidden on its top floor was a dark secret capable of dragging the world into an abyss. A merciless “Eternal Life Project” was being conducted in secret, part of a mad plot by a mysterious organization to awaken an ancient evil slumbering at Earth’s core. By a twist of fate, Lin Qian, Chen Feng, and David ventured into the forbidden top floor of the hospital, becoming embroiled in a thrilling global adventure. From ruins radiati —Reads—Score—14d adds
- 185 Pufferfish 河豚 [No brainless plot] + [No protagonist plot armor] + [No ghosts] + [Three male leads] A tightly paced, plot-driven crime-solving story. It all begins with a bizarre murder in the small town of Menghai... A dead man checking into a hotel, an unknown toxin, a mole in the police force, execution-style killings, a secret buried for years... In this case, criminal investigation captain Si Jiannan, case consultant Cheng Tian, and rookie officer Duan Luo untangle the clues and find redemption... Love ha 14Reads8.1Score—14d adds
- 186 Crows Descend on Sin City 鸦落罪城 (Mystery and deduction + criminal investigation + anti-drug operations + anti-corruption + mind-bending crimes) In Yacheng, Nanhuai Province, in the 1990s, a sensational case shocked the nation: the 712 serial murders. The case reached far and wide. The suspect brutally murdered a family of three, but the Qingsha Syndicate behind the killer controlled Yacheng's police, procuratorate, and courts, keeping justice out of reach. To solve the case, Zhou Zhen of the Nanhuai Provincial Police Departmen 3Reads—Score—14d adds
- 187 Cursed Livestream: My Brother's Revenge 诅咒直播间之哥哥的复仇 The Cursed Livestream: My Brother's Revenge 3Reads—Score—14d adds
- 188 My Husband Cheated, So I Personally Turned Him In to the Police 老公出轨，我亲手把他送进警局 In the middle of the night, I got a call from the city public security bureau. They said my husband had been arrested for soliciting a prostitute and told me to come bail him out. I hurriedly denied knowing him and said they had the wrong number. How ridiculous. I was the one who put him away. Why would I go bail him out? My husband cheated, and my mother-in-law treated me like a doormat. Since I’ve already sent one of them inside, I might as well send the other one too. —Reads—Score—14d adds
- 189 I Woke Up After Being Knocked Unconscious and Became a Murder Suspect 被打晕醒来后，我成了杀人凶手 Yang Meng is a wildly popular outdoor paranormal exploration blogger, and my boss. The two of us went to the famous haunted “check-in spot” of Fengmen Village to shoot a video. There were four of us in all. Once we arrived, someone suddenly knocked me unconscious. When I woke up, I was covered in blood, and Yang Meng was already dead. The bloodstained knife was mine, and all the evidence pointed to me. But I know the killer is one of the other two who are still alive. He is still watching me lik —Reads—Score—14d adds
- 190 My Daughter Was Kidnapped, and the Kidnapper Turned Out to Be My Husband 女儿被绑架，绑匪竟是我老公 My daughter had just turned one hundred days old when she was kidnapped. I paid the ransom, bankrupting myself in the process. Then the kidnappers killed her anyway. I was devastated. But then I suddenly realized my husband was deeply involved in the kidnapping. —Reads—Score—14d adds
- 191 Pathological Growth: A Life Destroyed by My Family of Origin 病态生长：被原生家庭毁掉的一生 [Dysfunctional Family Background + Women's Growth + Causes of Crime + Family's Influence] Just how deep, far-reaching, and devastating can the effects of a person's family background be? Some people spend their whole lives healing from childhood. Others lose themselves for life in its shadows. A woman born of love and destroyed by hate, trapped in a twisted relationship that went from dependence to ruin, ended everything with 32 knife blows: her love, her hatred, and a life trampled underfoot. T —Reads—Score—14d adds
- 192 Murderous Testimony 证言杀机 When I was seventeen, driven by jealousy, I reported someone to the police for stealing. But I never imagined that years later, he would nearly destroy my happiness… —Reads—Score—14d adds
- 193 During Renovations on My New Home, We Found Thirty Million Hidden in the Walls! 新房装修，墙体里竟藏着三千万！ I returned to my hometown and bought the house next door. But during renovations, I found thirty million yuan in cash hidden inside the wall! 3Reads—Score—14d adds
- 194 Consumed by Love, He Became an Executioner 为情沉沦，他终成刽子手 Who was really in the wrong? A mother and son were brutally murdered. She was a married woman of irresistible charm. He was a hardworking, diligent carpentry contractor. On a quiet night, he climbed into her home and slit the throats of the woman and her son as they slept. —Reads—Score—14d adds
- 195 He Killed His Wife, Then Took His Own Life 杀死妻子后，他自杀了 His wife was dead. He had killed her with his own hands. He held her as her body grew cold, weeping uncontrollably. The moment the police rushed upstairs, he plunged a knife into his own abdomen… —Reads—Score—14d adds
- 196 The Court Summons Was the Best Gift I Ever Received: A Betrayed Housewife's Complete Account of Taking Down Her Scumbag Husband 法院的传票是我最好的礼物：被出轨主妇手撕渣男全记录 After three years of marriage, I thought I’d married for love. I never expected I’d actually married into a carefully orchestrated scam. My husband, Zhou Ming, not only cheated on me, but also worked with his mistress to transfer our assets and leave me with nothing. And the most ridiculous part? The court ruled against me in the first trial! The reason was that I couldn’t provide concrete evidence that Zhou Ming had cheated or transferred our assets. What a joke. In this day and age, are honest —Reads—Score—14d adds
- 197 My Late Husband's Secret 亡夫的秘密 I tried one of those viral TikTok tests and texted my husband: “Let’s get a divorce!” He replied instantly: “Fine. You can have the house, I’ll take the money.” My mind went completely blank! Was the marriage I’d always been so proud of really that fragile? I never expected a joke to reveal what he truly thought. Not long after we divorced, I unexpectedly received a massive inheritance. Just as I was convinced Ji Siming had already died, I received a text from an unknown number: “Wife, don’t tru —Reads—Score—14d adds
- 198 The Body Double's Deadly Game: An Amnesiac Wife's Revenge 替身杀局：失忆妻子的复仇 On our wedding night, my wife accidentally discovered my secret. She walked up to me holding that yellowed diary. “Chen Sheng! What’s this? Why is it in the safe?” After learning how important the diary was, she kept pestering me to tell her where it came from. Maybe I made it sound too real, because when I finished, she trembled all over and bolted out of the house like a madwoman. The next day, the police arrested me. But no one knew that I still had a get-out-of-jail-free card. —Reads—Score—14d adds
- 199 Banxia and Qiao An 半夏和乔安 Jiang Banxia won her company a project to renovate a detached villa in the suburbs. She brought her assistant Qin Chao to survey the site. Though the villa was almost abandoned, traces of its former splendor and luxury remained. Jiang Banxia went up to the third floor alone. A room with a broken doorknob inexplicably piqued her curiosity. Just as she was about to push the door open, a cool, unfamiliar male voice sounded behind her: “Who are you?” 6Reads—Score—14d adds
- 200 There's a Killer Outside the Door 门外有个杀人犯 There’s a Murderer Outside the Door 712Reads—Score1314d adds
