The Haunted Monastery: A Judge Dee Mystery

I just ordered this because I loved the TV movie "Judge Dee and the Monastery Murders" from 1974. I understand it was based on this book. If that's the case I'm sure this will be a great read. If you haven't seen the movie you should as it has a great cast with Khigh Diegh, Mako, Irene Tsu, James Hong, Soon-Tek Oh, Keye Luke, and many others. The movie is very well done. Unfortunately it is not available on VHS or DVD. You will have to catch it on TV when it is telecast. I haven't seen it in years myself, so I keep hoping to find it on DVD. Let me know if you see it somewhere.

Let's face it; Robert Van Gulik may be an expert on 7th century China, but he isn't exactly a Pultizer-Prize winning author. His writing style is somewhat plain and simple and you'll never be knocked out by his glowing literary descriptions. What he does manage to do, though, is bring this long-lost era to life with his interesting characters and his cultural and historical know-how while telling an enjoyable tale along the way. While some of his longer books are bogged down by too many characters and too much detail, The Haunted Monastery is virtually perfect. Judge Dee and one of his assistants are stuck in a gloomy monastery on a stormy night. The place is rumored to be haunted, and while the threat of harmful spirits lingers in the background, the judge must solve three seemingly unrelated mysteries which all tie together in the end. Dripping with atmosphere and good, interesting characters, this is a fast and enjoyable read which is perfect for a rainy night or a cold winter's day.

An unexpected storm forces Judge Dee and his three, (yes three!) wives to seek shelter at a Taoist monastery. The wives go straight to bed but the Judge must pay his respects to the abbot before joining them. Thus begins a frantic night of murder and mayhem during which Judge Dee, suffering from a bad head cold, must solve a series of murders, rescue a maiden in distress and arrange for the villain to meet his just deserts, bringing together two sets of star-crossed lovers along the way. "I should give up being a magistrate and become a match-maker!" he grumbles. One of the best of the series.

The Haunted Monastery is possibly the best of the Judge Dee novels. As the Judge would say, all the elements are here: an immensely appealing and exotic locale, eroticism without pornography, characters we come to care about, a duel between confucianism and taoism, romance, a monstrous murderer, a damsel in distress, a dauntless hero and more atmosphere than you can shake a chopstick at. Van Gulik makes ancient China come alive, and makes us believe that the people who lived in it, no matter how alien on the surface, are more like us than not. A good read anytime...but a great read on a dark and stormy night.