The Chinese Maze Murders

The legendary T’ang Dynasty judge untangles three intertwined cases in the “entertaining” historical detective series (Times Literary Supplement).

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. The Chinese Maze Murders represents Robert van Gulik’s first venture into writing suspense novels after the success of Dee Gong An, his translation of an anonymous Chinese detective novel from the eighteenth century—leading to a long-running series inspired by a real-life magistrate of seventh-century China.

“Judge Dee, the officers of his tribunal and the people with whom he and they are concerned are interesting folk, and the world of crime, mystery, violence, lust, corruption and ceremony in which they move is formidably picturesque.” —Times Literary Supplement

“Delightful novels, so scrupulously in the classic Chinese manner yet so nicely equipped with everything to satisfy the modern reader.” —The New York Times