Red Blossom in Snow: A Lotus Palace Mystery

The leads in this novel are the magistrate Li Chen, who has appeared in semi-prominent roles in all of the Pingkang Li books thus far and Song Yi, a courtesan who has hovered at the edges of the story. Li Chen is a stickler for the rules, and he's meticulous in everything he does, whether it be his work, uncovering the mystery of his father's untimely death, or courting Song Yi by uncovering the secrets of her past. He's so dedicated to his work that it's clear Li Chen is a novice in a lot ways socially, and it's honestly adorable. Lin does a great job balancing his naivety with the side of him that has obviously seen some dark things.