The Chinese Gold Murders: A Judge Dee Detective Story (Judge Dee Mysteries)

In my student days, we were exhorted that lots of things were invented in China -- gunpowder, fireworks, pasta and several other foods, and paper money. However, having read this book I can add another element to the list: the detective novel. The author, a Dutch diplomat serving in China for most of his life, says in the afterword that he conflated a number of different detective novels dating to the Ming dynasty (1368-1644) to create his plot, but that the character of Judge Dee had already been known in the sources. The historic Judge Dee lived from AD 630-700, in the much earlier Tang Dynasty.For the modern, American reader, there are minor hurdles to get over because the setting is so unusual. For me the Chinese characters' names all seemed the same at first. And, of course, looked on as a mystery novel, we must get used to the fact that many of the investigative tools accessible to even Sherlock Holmes were unknown in the Tang Dynasty. On the other hand, although Judge Dee is only a municipal magistrate, a relatively minor official of the Chinese Empire, he has powers no modern detective can boast: in a comic element his underlings are continually suggesting he might want to torture witnesses to get confessions. He can summon extra manpower from any of the military garrisons located nearby. He can pronounce judgment on his own without calling for a jury. Also, no one is entirely sure there can't be ghosts and other supernatural happenings (this plays some havoc with the rules of evidence but of course our judge is a firm rationalist!)But, humans are humans the world over, and accordingly, a detective novel set in Tang Dynasty China has all the attributes that draw us to the genre in more familiar settings. At the beginning, 3 murders have been committed, including that of the Judge's predecessor as magistrate (we're pretty sure his death is part of a cover up for the others). Judge Dee and his faithful assistant, Sergeant Hoong, painstakingly investigate to find the culprits, and the story moves along briskly with clues showing up regularly enough to keep us guessing who did it. But, naturally, if we have motive and opportunity we have some idea who to suspect, and the evidence eventually leads them to the culprit. Our provincial seaport setting has restaurants, brothels, temples of both Confucius and Buddha, shipyards, and the like, brought to life in the author's description, although I did wonder a bit if the bustling little harbor described might have been anachronistically more like the Ming era than the Tang.Nonetheless, I felt this book was well worth my time, a quick, enjoyable read of something both different and familiar.

This is the beginning of the Judge Dee series. He begins his duties in Peng Lai, the first of several locations where he serves as magistrate. In this first book he meets two of his assistants who help him with some of the tough and dangerous detective work. What a figure he is in his judge's robe of dark green brocade and his winged hat, sitting in the high court at his bench covered in red brocade. We see that the judge is intelligent and has strong character. Some of the wording is dated, as the writer did most of his work in the fifties. And his native language was Dutch. This does not detract from the reading. What I like is the feeling of being transported to the time and place of the Chinese Ming Dynasty. Travel by horse or sedan chair, meals in noodle shops, candles and lanterns for light, walled cities with the tribunal in its place of honor in the center. And cups and cups of tea! Reading is the next best thing to being there.

His friends beg him not to go to Peng-lai, a dismal place of mist and rain. The previous magistrate was murdered, and his ghost is said to walk in the tribunal. Who in his right mind would want to go there? But Dee is tired of studying criminal cases on paper. He's eager to untangle real-life puzzles and even face a bit of danger. He'll get his wish in Peng-lai.If you wish to follow Judge's Dee's brilliant career from its beginning, start with this novel, first published in 1959. Here he hires his two rough-and-ready lieutenants. How he meets them on the way to Peng-lai is an adventure story in itself. Here too is the first mention of Judge Dee's illustrious sword Rain Dragon. We also encounter Dee's future third wife Miss Tsao at the center of a mystery. The plot revolves around several crimes, reflecting the heavy workload of a regional magistrate.Judge Dee is an appealing character. It's a pleasure to watch him stroke his beard in reflection, knit his shaggy eyebrows in a deep frown, or relish a simple meal of noodles in a restaurant. It's amusing to see his surge of envy at the luxurious abundance of another man's beard. It's touching to observe his compassion for a rape victim. And it's thrilling to watch his dramatic flashes of insight into the solution of a crime.There's a fun scene at a performance of traveling actors, delightful escapades in a floating brothel with the two lustful lieutenants, and rousing fight scenes. This novel offers as much excitement and as many plot twists as a modern thriller, along with the authentic flavor of life in Imperial China.Robert Van Guilik was a distinguished linguist, historian and art connoisseur. He wrote the Judge Dee novels in English, not his native Dutch. And he wrote them rapidly in his spare time, while serving in demanding diplomatic posts in Asia and Europe. His genius is aptly conveyed by the excellent introduction in this University of Chicago edition.

First book in the series chronologically. Judge Dee meets his trusty lieutenants and tries to understand the new town under his care. Smuggling, trade wars… a great read!

great, knew what i was ordering and got exactly that

A great detective story and a treat for everyone who likes Chinese culture.

A superb "whodunnit", which reads like a thriller. Will somebody please a movie of this? It is set in the (fictional) harbour town of Peng-lai, in the north east of China, near the border with Korea. This turns out to be important to the plot. If you want to read Van Gulik's novels in the order in which they are set, then this should be the novel you begin with, as it marks the beginning of Judge Dee's career as investigating magistrate. The characters, as always, are deftly drawn, and the ancient chinese setting is completely convincing. Superb

J'adore cette série de livres!Robert Van Gulik était un écrivain fantastique qui savait transmettre sa passion pour l'Asie et pour les intrigues policières à ses lecteurs. J'ai vécu très longtemps dans le Sud Est Asiatique et je retrouve dans ces livres toute l'atmosphère de mon vécu malgré les siècles qui nous séparent le Juge Dee et moi, la culture, la façon de vivre, dictée par des règles immuables et des conventions bien établies. Méticuleux dans sa manière de faire vivre des histoires fictives dans un environnement spécifique et bien réel, on ne peut que se laisser embarquer par van Gulik dans les aventures du juge Dee, véritable Sherlock Holmes chinois qui n'hésite pas, comme son illustre confrère, à faire appel à des malfrats reconvertis pour l'aider dans ses enquêtes, à se déguiser pour passer incognito, à faire appel à des méthodes peu orthodoxes pour obtenir les renseignements dont il a besoin tout en devant suivre le protocole et les règles très rigides et strictes des tribunaux de l'époque. Les histoires sont bien menées, pleines d'intrigues, les meurtres s'entremêlent et le Juge Dee démêle devant nos yeux les fils de chaque pelote de façon experte et méthodique tout préservant jusqu'au bout la solution qui permet de démasquer les coupables.On ne se lasse pas et jusqu'à la dernière page, on savoure sa lecture. Tous ceux qui aiment les histoires de détectives et qui veulent quelque chose qui sort de l'ordinaire seront comblés par les aventures du juge Dee et par la plume géniale de cet auteur.