{"title":"Robert Van Gulik","description":"Robert van Gulik (1910-67) was a Dutch diplomat and an authority on Chinese history and culture. His many works include sixteen Judge Dee mysteries, a study of the gibbon in China, and two books on the Chinese lute.","products":[{"product_id":"the-chinese-gold-murders-paperback","title":"The Chinese Gold Murders - Paperback","description":"\u003cp\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eIn this, the second book in Robert van Gulik's classic mystery series of ancient China, Judge Dee must look into the murder of his predecessor. His job is complicated by the simultaneous disappearance of his chief clerk and the new bride of a wealthy local shipowner.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eMeanwhile, a tiger is terrorizing the district, the ghost of the murdered magistrate stalks the tribunal, a prostitute has a secret message for Dee, and the body of a murdered monk is discovered to be in the wrong grave. In the end, the judge, with his deft powers of deduction, uncovers the one cause for all of these seemingly unrelated events.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003ch3\u003eBack Jacket\u003c\/h3\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eIn this, the second book in Robert van Gulik's classic mystery series of ancient China, Judge Dee must look into the murder of his predecessor. His job is complicated by the simultaneous disappearance of his chief clerk and the new bride of a wealthy local shipowner.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eMeanwhile, a tiger is terrorizing the district, the ghost of the murdered magistrate stalks the tribunal, a prostitute has a secret message for Dee, and the body of a murdered monk is discovered to be in the wrong grave. In the end, the judge, with his deft powers of deduction, uncovers the one cause for all of these seemingly unrelated events.\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"BooksCloud","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":51369137864927,"sku":"9780060728670","price":15.99,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0813\/8958\/4607\/files\/sFEtjClmbh9780060728670.webp?v=1789139227"},{"product_id":"the-chinese-bell-murders-paperback","title":"The Chinese Bell Murders - Paperback","description":"\u003cp\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eMeet Judge Dee, the detective lauded as the \"Sherlock Holmes of ancient China\"\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eFans of Alexander McCall Smith's No. 1 Ladies' Detective Agency series will thrill to this reissue of the first volume in Robert van Gulik's classic Chinese Murders series. \u003cem\u003eThe Chinese Bell Murders\u003c\/em\u003e introduces the great Judge Dee, a magistrate of the city of Poo-yang in ancient China.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eIn the spirit of ancient Chinese detective novels, Judge Dee is challenged by three cases. First, he must solve the mysterious murder of Pure Jade, a young girl living on Half Moon Street. All the evidence points to the guilt of her lover, but Judge Dee has his doubts. Dee also solves the mystery of a deserted temple and that of a group of monks' terrific success with a cure for barren women.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003ch3\u003eBack Jacket\u003c\/h3\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eMeet Judge Dee, the detective lauded as the \"Sherlock Holmes of ancient China\"\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eFans of Alexander McCall Smith's No. 1 Ladies' Detective Agency series will thrill to this reissue of the first volume in Robert van Gulik's classic Chinese Murders series. \u003cem\u003eThe Chinese Bell Murders\u003c\/em\u003e introduces the great Judge Dee, a magistrate of the city of Poo-yang in ancient China.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eIn the spirit of ancient Chinese detective novels, Judge Dee is challenged by three cases. First, he must solve the mysterious murder of Pure Jade, a young girl living on Half Moon Street. All the evidence points to the guilt of her lover, but Judge Dee has his doubts. Dee also solves the mystery of a deserted temple and that of a group of monks' terrific success with a cure for barren women.\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"BooksCloud","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":51369139011807,"sku":"9780060728885","price":18.99,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0813\/8958\/4607\/files\/DRlk7Gkj8Y9780060728885.webp?v=1789139229"},{"product_id":"the-chinese-nail-murders-a-judge-dee-detective-story-paperback","title":"The Chinese Nail Murders: A Judge Dee Detective Story - Paperback","description":"\u003cp\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eThe ancient Chinese detective Judge Dee returns for a fourth and final time in \u003cem\u003eThe Chinese Nail Murders\u003c\/em\u003e. Though the setting is exotic and the time period ancient, Judge Dee has all the style and swagger of a modern Sherlock Holmes.\u003c\/strong\u003e \u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eJudge Dee is appointed to the magistrate of Pei-chow--a distant frontier district in the barren north of the ancient Chinese Empire. It is here that he is faced with three strange and disturbing crimes: the theft of precious jewels, the disappearance of a girl in love, and the fiendish murder involving the nude, headless body of a woman. And even more curious, the crimes seem to be linked together by clues from a popular game of the period, the Seven Board.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eFirst published in the 1950s, \u003cem\u003eThe Chinese Nail Murders\u003c\/em\u003e\u003c\/strong\u003e includes charming illustrations and an epilogue that details the origins of each case and how the author discovered them.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003ch3\u003eFront Jacket\u003c\/h3\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eIn the fourth installment of Robert Van Gulik's ancient Chinese mystery series based on historical court records, detective Judge Dee is appointed to the magistrate of Pei-chow -- a distant frontier district in the barren north of the ancient Chinese Empire. It is here that he is faced with three strange and disturbing crimes: the theft of precious jewels, the disappearance of a girl in love, and the fiendish murder involving the nude, headless body of a woman. And even more curious, the crimes seem to be linked together by clues from a popular game of the period, the Seven Board.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eA delight to the connoisseur (\u003cem\u003eSan Francisco Chronicle\u003c\/em\u003e), \u003cstrong\u003eThe Chinese Nail Murders\u003c\/strong\u003e was first published in the 1950s. Timeless and exotic, it is now reissued by Perennial and includes charming illustrations and an epilogue that details the origins of each case and how the author discovered them.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003ch3\u003eBack Jacket\u003c\/h3\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eIn the fourth installment of Robert Van Gulik's ancient Chinese mystery series based on historical court records, detective Judge Dee is appointed to the magistrate of Pei-chow -- a distant frontier district in the barren north of the ancient Chinese Empire. It is here that he is faced with three strange and disturbing crimes: the theft of precious jewels, the disappearance of a girl in love, and the fiendish murder involving the nude, headless body of a woman. And even more curious, the crimes seem to be linked together by clues from a popular game of the period, the Seven Board.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\"A delight to the connoisseur\" (\u003cem\u003eSan Francisco Chronicle\u003c\/em\u003e), \u003cstrong\u003eThe Chinese Nail Murders\u003c\/strong\u003e was first published in the 1950s. Timeless and exotic, it is now reissued by Perennial and includes charming illustrations and an epilogue that details the origins of each case and how the author discovered them.\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"BooksCloud","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":51369154609375,"sku":"9780060751395","price":16.99,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0813\/8958\/4607\/files\/d7EbBSqeQ9780060751395.webp?v=1789139253"},{"product_id":"judge-dee-at-work-eight-chinese-detective-stories-paperback","title":"Judge Dee at Work: Eight Chinese Detective Stories - Paperback","description":"\u003cp\u003e\u003cb\u003eA delectable collection of cozy puzzle mysteries starring the wonderful Chinese sleuth Judge Dee, whom the \u003ci\u003eLos Angeles Times\u003c\/i\u003e ranked with Sherlock Holmes\u003c\/b\u003e \u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e The eight short stories in \u003ci\u003eJudge Dee at Work\u003c\/i\u003e cover a decade during which the judge served in four different provinces of the T'ang Empire. From the suspected treason of a general in the Chinese army to the murder of a lonely poet in his garden pavilion, the cases here are among the most memorable in the Judge Dee series.","brand":"BooksCloud","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":51369556967647,"sku":"9780226848662","price":12.0,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0813\/8958\/4607\/files\/riW2ta0GUV9780226848662.webp?v=1789143379"},{"product_id":"the-lacquer-screen-a-chinese-detective-story-paperback","title":"The Lacquer Screen: A Chinese Detective Story - Paperback","description":"\u003cp\u003e\u003cb\u003eA fiendishly clever, yet cozy entry in the much-loved mystery series starring Judge Dee, whom the \u003ci\u003eLos Angeles Times\u003c\/i\u003e ranked with Sherlock Holmes\u003c\/b\u003e \u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e Early in his career, Judge Dee visits a senior magistrate who shows him a beautiful lacquer screen on which a scene of lovers has been mysteriously altered to show the man stabbing his lover. The magistrate fears he is losing his mind and will murder his own wife. Meanwhile, a banker has inexplicably killed himself, and a lovely lady has allowed Dee's lieutenant, Chiao Tai, to believe she is a courtesan. Dee and Chiao Tai go incognito among a gang of robbers to solve this mystery, and find the leader of the robbers is more honorable than the magistrate. \u003cp\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"BooksCloud","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":51369557590239,"sku":"9780226848679","price":15.0,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0813\/8958\/4607\/files\/obtheANZqd9780226848679.webp?v=1789143379"},{"product_id":"the-monkey-and-the-tiger-judge-dee-mysteries-paperback","title":"The Monkey and The Tiger: Judge Dee Mysteries - Paperback","description":"\u003cp\u003e\u003cb\u003eA pair of clever, cozy mysteries starring the beloved detective Judge Dee, whom the \u003ci\u003eLos Angeles Times \u003c\/i\u003eranked with Sherlock Holmes\u003c\/b\u003e \u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e \u003ci\u003eThe Monkey and The Tiger\u003c\/i\u003e includes two detective stories, \"The Morning of the Monkey\" and \"The Night of the Tiger.\" In the first, a gibbon drops an emerald in the open gallery of Dee's official residence, leading the judge to discover a strangely mutilated body in the woods-and how it got there. In the second, Dee is traveling to the imperial capital to assume a new position when he is separated from his escort by a flood. Marooned in a large country house surrounded by fierce bandits, Dee confronts an apparition that helps him solve a mystery.\u003ch3\u003eFront Jacket\u003c\/h3\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003ci\u003eThe Monkey and The Tiger \u003c\/i\u003eincludes two detective stories, The Morning of the Monkey and The Night of the Tiger. In the first, a gibbon drops an emerald in the open gallery of Dee's official residence, leading the judge to discover a strangely mutilated body in the woods-and how it got there. In the second, Dee is traveling to the imperial capital to assume a new position when he is separated from his escort by a flood. Marooned in a large country house surrounded by fierce bandits, Dee confronts an apparition that helps him solve the mystery.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003ch3\u003eBack Jacket\u003c\/h3\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003ci\u003eThe Monkey and The Tiger \u003c\/i\u003eincludes two detective stories, \"The Morning of the Monkey\" and \"The Night of the Tiger.\" In the first, a gibbon drops an emerald in the open gallery of Dee's official residence, leading the judge to discover a strangely mutilated body in the woods-and how it got there. In the second, Dee is traveling to the imperial capital to assume a new position when he is separated from his escort by a flood. Marooned in a large country house surrounded by fierce bandits, Dee confronts an apparition that helps him solve the mystery.\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"BooksCloud","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":51369558147295,"sku":"9780226848693","price":13.82,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0813\/8958\/4607\/files\/xNU-2h7eNN9780226848693.webp?v=1789143380"},{"product_id":"necklace-and-calabash-a-chinese-detective-story-paperback","title":"Necklace and Calabash: A Chinese Detective Story - Paperback","description":"\u003cp\u003e\u003cb\u003eA fiendishly clever puzzle mystery starring the beloved detective Judge Dee, whom the \u003ci\u003eLos Angeles Times \u003c\/i\u003eranked with Sherlock Holmes\u003c\/b\u003e \u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e \u003ci\u003eNecklace and Calabash\u003c\/i\u003e finds Judge Dee returning to his district of Poo-yang, where the peaceful town of Riverton promises a few days' fishing and relaxation. Yet a chance meeting with a Taoist recluse, a gruesome body fished out of the river, strange guests at the Kingfisher Inn, and a princess in distress thrust the judge into one of the most intricate and baffling mysteries of his career.\u003cbr\u003e\u003ch3\u003eBack Jacket\u003c\/h3\u003e\u003cp\u003eDue to its proximity to the Water Palace, the summer residence of the Emperor's favorite daughter, Riverton lies within a Special Area administered by the military. To Judge Dee, returning to his district of Poo-yang, the peaceful town promises a few days' fishing and relaxation. But it is not to be. A chance meeting with a Taoist recluse, a gruesome body fished out of the river, strange guests at the Kingfisher Inn, a princess in distress--before long the judge is facing one of the most intricate and baffling mysteries of his career.\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"BooksCloud","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":51369561555167,"sku":"9780226848709","price":15.0,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0813\/8958\/4607\/files\/nCIYHgkHiF9780226848709.webp?v=1789143381"},{"product_id":"the-emperors-pearl-a-judge-dee-mystery-paperback","title":"The Emperor's Pearl: A Judge Dee Mystery - Paperback","description":"\u003cp\u003e\u003cb\u003eA fiendishly clever mystery that can only be unraveled by the unflappable Judge Dee, whom the \u003ci\u003eLos Angeles Times\u003c\/i\u003e ranked with Sherlock Holmes\u003c\/b\u003e \u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e The latest puzzling mystery facing Jude Dee begins on the night of the Poo-yang dragonboat races in 699 A.D.: a drummer in the leading boat collapses, and the body of a beautiful young woman turns up in a deserted country mansion. There, Judge Dee-tribunal magistrate, inquisitor, and public avenger-steps in to investigate the murders and return order to the Tang Dynasty. \u003cbr\u003e In \u003ci\u003eThe Emperor's Pearl\u003c\/i\u003e, the judge discovers that these two deaths are connected by an ancient tragedy involving a near-legendary treasure stolen from the Imperial Harem one hundred years earlier. The terrifying figure of the White Lady, a river goddess enshrined on a bloodstained altar, looms in the background of the investigation. Clues are few and elusive, but under the expert hand of Robert van Gulik, this mythic jigsaw puzzle assembles itself into a taut mystery.\u003cbr\u003e\u003ch3\u003eBack Jacket\u003c\/h3\u003e\u003cp\u003eThe time is 699 A.D.; the place is Poo-yang. Here Judge Dee, imperial magistrate, must investigate two deaths: the collapse of a young drummer in the annual dragon-boat race and the murder of a woman in a deserted country estate. The mystery involves the cruel River Goddess, and the legendary Emperor's Pearl, as well as a wealthy merchant's lovely, mute, mad wife.\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"BooksCloud","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":51369561981151,"sku":"9780226848723","price":12.0,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0813\/8958\/4607\/files\/MIS1b3z61I9780226848723.webp?v=1789143382"},{"product_id":"the-red-pavilion-a-judge-dee-mystery-paperback","title":"The Red Pavilion: A Judge Dee Mystery - Paperback","description":"\u003cp\u003e\u003cb\u003eThree fiendish murders challenge the beloved detective Judge Dee, whom the \u003ci\u003eLos Angeles Times\u003c\/i\u003e ranked with Sherlock Holmes\u003c\/b\u003e \u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e A chance encounter with Autumn Moon, the most powerful courtesan on Paradise Island, leads Judge Dee to investigate three deaths. Although he finally teases the true story from a tangled history of passion and betrayal, Dee is saddened by the perversion, corruption, and waste of the world \"of flowers and willows\" that thrives on prostitution.\u003ch3\u003eFront Jacket\u003c\/h3\u003e\u003cp\u003eA chance encounter with Autumn Moon, the most powerful courtesan on Paradise Island, leads Judge Dee to investigate three deaths. Although he finally teases the true story from a tangled history of passion and betrayal, Dee is saddened by the perversion, corruption, and waste of the world of flowers and willows that thrives on prostitution.\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"BooksCloud","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":51369562603743,"sku":"9780226848730","price":12.0,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0813\/8958\/4607\/files\/ajevg-DKGK9780226848730.webp?v=1789143383"},{"product_id":"murder-in-canton-a-judge-dee-mystery-paperback","title":"Murder in Canton: A Judge Dee Mystery - Paperback","description":"\u003cp\u003e\u003cb\u003eA delightfully complicated mystery that could only be unraveled by the beloved detective Judge Dee, whom the \u003ci\u003eLos Angeles Times\u003c\/i\u003e ranked with Sherlock Holmes\u003c\/b\u003e \u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e \u003ci\u003eMurder in Canton\u003c\/i\u003e takes place in the year 680, as Judge Dee, recently promoted to lord chief justice, is sent incognito to Canton to investigate the disappearance of a court censor. With the help of his trusted lieutenants Chiao Tai and Tao Gan, and that of a clever blind girl who collects crickets, Dee solves a complex puzzle of political intrigue and murder through the three separate subplots \"the vanished censor,\" \"the Smaragdine dancer,\" and \"the Golden Bell.\"\u003ch3\u003eBack Jacket\u003c\/h3\u003e\u003cp\u003eMurder in Canton takes place in 680 A.D. Judge Dee, recently promoted to Lord Chief Justice, is sent incognito to Canton to investigate the disappearance of a court censor. With the help of his trusted lieutenants Chiao Tai and Tao Gan, and that of a clever blind girl who collects crickets, Dee solves the traditional three puzzles - \"The Vanished Censor, The Smaragdine Dancer, and The Golden Bell\".\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"BooksCloud","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":51369563193567,"sku":"9780226848747","price":20.0,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0813\/8958\/4607\/files\/31A3PoXbSn9780226848747.webp?v=1789143385"},{"product_id":"poets-and-murder-a-judge-dee-mystery-paperback","title":"Poets and Murder: A Judge Dee Mystery - Paperback","description":"\u003cp\u003e\u003cb\u003eA double murder confounds everyone in this mystery--but not the beloved detective Judge Dee, whom the \u003ci\u003eLos Angeles Times\u003c\/i\u003e ranked with Sherlock Holmes\u003c\/b\u003e \u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e Judge Dee, the master detective of seventh-century China, sets out to solve a puzzling double murder and discovers complex passions lurking beneath the placid surface of academic life. A mild-mannered student is rumored to have been slain by a fox-demon, while a young dancer meets her death as she dresses to perform for the magistrate's illustrious dinner guests-an obese Zen monk revered for his calligraphy, a beautiful poetess accused of murder, and the past president of the imperial academy. To connect the present crimes with betrayals and adulteries from decades past, the clever judge must visit a high-class brothel and the haunted shrine of the Black Fox. From the moment the young scholar is found dead on the eve of the Autumn Festival, the pace never lets up.\u003ch3\u003eBack Jacket\u003c\/h3\u003e\u003cp\u003eMaster detective Judge Dee sets out to solve a puzzling double murder and discovers that complicated passions lurk beneath the seemingly tranquil landscape of academic life. A student has been murdered; a beautiful poetess is accused of whipping her maidservant to death; and further mysteries lie in the shadows of the Shrine of the Black Fox.\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"BooksCloud","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":51369563717855,"sku":"9780226848761","price":12.0,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0813\/8958\/4607\/files\/k5Xb34_FWi9780226848761.webp?v=1789143386"},{"product_id":"the-chinese-maze-murders-a-judge-dee-mystery-paperback","title":"The Chinese Maze Murders: A Judge Dee Mystery - Paperback","description":"\u003cp\u003e\u003cb\u003eThe very first mystery in the beloved series starring Judge Dee, a detective whom the \u003ci\u003eLos Angeles Times\u003c\/i\u003e ranked with Sherlock Holmes!\u003c\/b\u003e \u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e Join the T'ang Dynasty detective Judge Dee on his very first full-length mystery! Poisoned plums, a cryptic scroll picture, passionate love letters, and a hidden murderer with a penchant for torturing and killing women lead Judge Dee to the heart of the Governor's garden maze and the answers to three interwoven mysteries. This book kicked off Robert van Gulik's long-running series and introduced countless readers to a cozy, clever series and the incredible detective at its center. Read this one and you'll quickly find yourself seeking out the whole series. \u003cp\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"BooksCloud","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":51369564209375,"sku":"9780226848785","price":13.0,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0813\/8958\/4607\/files\/9RnZ1WQ0n9780226848785.webp?v=1789143387"},{"product_id":"the-chinese-lake-murders-a-judge-dee-detective-story-paperback","title":"The Chinese Lake Murders: A Judge Dee Detective Story - Paperback","description":"\u003cp\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eIn the third installment of Robert Van Gulik's classic ancient Chinese mystery series based on historical court records, magistrate, lawyer, and detective Judge Dee has his work cut out for him. Set in 666 A.D., in the hidden city of Han-yuan, sixty miles from the imperial capital of ancient China, Dee is sent to investigate a case of embezzlement of government funds. But things are about to get more complicated for the great detective. Just before he is about to take leave of Han-yuan, the popular courtesan Almond Blossom disappears, and then a bride who dies on her wedding night also disappears from her coffin -- her body replaced with that of a murdered man. To make matters worse, Judge Dee is confronted with the dangerous sect called the White Lotus.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003ch3\u003eBack Jacket\u003c\/h3\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eIn the third installment of Robert Van Gulik's classic ancient Chinese mystery series based on historical court records, magistrate, lawyer, and detective Judge Dee has his work cut out for him. Set in 666 A.D., in the hidden city of Han-yuan, sixty miles from the imperial capital of ancient China, Dee is sent to investigate a case of embezzlement of government funds. But things are about to get more complicated for the great detective. Just before he is about to take leave of Han-yuan, the popular courtesan Almond Blossom disappears, and then a bride who dies on her wedding night also disappears from her coffin -- her body replaced with that of a murdered man. To make matters worse, Judge Dee is confronted with the dangerous sect called the White Lotus.\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"BooksCloud","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":51374216020191,"sku":"9780060751401","price":18.99,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0813\/8958\/4607\/files\/yPsFR_Oi4l9780060751401.webp?v=1789175536"}],"url":"https:\/\/blackandbarhe.com\/collections\/robert-van-gulik.oembed","provider":"Black \u0026 Barhe Bookstore","version":"1.0","type":"link"}