The Chinese Maze Murders: A Judge Dee Mystery

All the Judge Dee misteries are great reading. Not only do they give an insight into early China but they are great at following logical paths in thinking.

I am never disapointed in Gulik's judge Dee. I like all his books about this eccentric wise man.

Judge Dee is a very busy magistrate in "The Chinese Maze Murders." At one point in his whirlwind of activity he wearily tells his trusty lieutenants he can't believe "that it is only one week since we arrived here in Lan-fang!" Indeed, even before Judge Dee and his three wives, children, household and judicial assistants, and four carts can arrive in the border city that is his new assignment, they are accosted by ruffians. Then, in Lan-fang, they discover a strongman and his brigade in control of the city, and the judge must use his wits and his four loyal men to depose the outlaws. As Judge Dee maneuvers to exert his rightful authority, he reckons with the inheritance issues of a recently deceased governor whose property includes a hundred-mile maze; investigates a locked-room murder of a renown general; and searches for a missing, possibly kidnapped young girl. Not to mention attending to his normal tribunal duties on the bench and defending against imminent attack by foreign soldiers whose leaders sense an opportunity to seize Lan-fang. When does Judge Dee get to sleep? As the author himself notes, "The magistrate is a permanently overworked official." Robert Van Gulik wrote a series of Judge Dee mysteries in the mid 1900s. "The Chinese Maze Murders" was first published in 1957, and, true to the author's intent, it "gives a general idea of Chines court procedure" in the 7th century. In fact, a real crime-detecting "Judge Dee" existed: Ti Jen-chieh (630-700 AD). Before Van Gulick authored these and other fictional exploits of "Judge Dee," he translated an 18th-century Chinese novel entitled, "Celebrated Cases of Judge Dee." The three main crime plots in "The Chinese Maze Murders" are borrowed from 16th-century collections according to Van Gulik. "The Chinese Maze Murders" is an intricate weave of suspense, excitement, shrewd puzzle detection, political intrigue, and human psychology. Certain sexual themes and the judicial tortures and executions described in the book designate this a mystery for mature readers. It's good to see a new edition being released. The attractive, colorful art work on the cover is an eye-catcher, while the black and white illustrations throughout the text remain those the author himself drew to punctuate the story. A nice copy to own, read and re-read.

For the uninitiated, Robert van Gulik's Judge Dee mysteries are absolutely brilliant. Van Gulik's Judge Dee (based on a historical character) finds himself involved in murders, barbarian plots, and a plan to overthrow the state in The Chinese Maze Murders. The settings are historically as accurate as can be, since van Gulik was one of the leading experts on China and an expert on Asian affairs, due to his service in the Dutch Foreign Service. All of the Judge Dee mysteries show a great deal of sophistication and detail which is often lacking in the genre. For those readers who shy away from mysteries because they seem contrived, get this (and The Chinese Bell Murders) and be transported to another time and place. I don't care for mysteries myself, but the history and exotic locales penned by van Gulik made me a fan!

This is much more than a most exciting detective story with different complicated crimes being brilliantly solved. It is also a fascinating glance at the ancient China - a guided tour into the Oriental way of thinking. Written with amazing credibility and expertise, the Judge Dee stories (especially this novel and "The Chinese Bell Murders") are perfectly suited for people with little pre-knowledge who want to learn to understand the Chinese.I can't find a single flaw about this book. It's plain brilliant.