MURDER

            IN

CANTON

a Judge Dee Chinese Detective Story

by

Robert van Gulik

Scribner’s (©1966)

CONDITION:  Good.  Book is slightly cocked.  Thisis a former library book with the usual library markings, dust jacket protected by a transparent wrapper taped to the book; apparently card pocket was ripped off the back flyleaf.  But the pages are well bound.

About the book:

Murder In Canton takes place in 680 A.D. Judge Dee, recently promoted to Lord Chief Justice, is sent incognito to Canton to investigate the disappearance of a court censor. With the help of his trusted lieutenants Chiao Tai and Tao Gan, and that of a clever blind girl who collects crickets, Dee solves the traditional three puzzles-- 'The Vanished Censor, The Smaragdine Dancer, and The Golden Bell.’

About the author:

Robert Hans van Gulik was a Dutch diplomat best known for his Judge Dee stories. His first published book, The Celebrated Cases of Judge Dee, was a translation of an eighteenth-century Chinese murder mystery by an unknown author; he went on to write new mysteries for Judge Dee, a character based on a historical figure from the seventh century.

Commentaries on line:

In the chronology of Judge Dee, this book is set at the end of his career as an investigator, as he makes the transition to a statesman in the capital. Most of the actual investigation is handled by two of his men, Chiao Tai and Tao Gan. In fact, at the conclusion of the story Judge Dee notes that criminals have become familiar with his techniques and can use that knowledge to evade him.

The story is very good, but it since it is set at the end of his career it should probably not be a new reader's introduction to the series. 

Characters appear and disappear as the plot twists and turns. The reader is kept wondering almost to the end. The book is fast paced and compelling.

Canton is Cantonese and in the south. It is a major trading city with populations of non Chinese. How China tries to deal with these people adds to the picture of this long ago China.

Actually, this one is probably among my favorites in this series.

I have really enjoyed this series and have reread these books many times. If you haven't read these books, then you're missing something.

Overall, one of the more interesting books of the series, great characters and historical setting. 

I think this might be my favourite Dee novel. It has its share of casual racism (and sexism, but that's in all the book) but it helps to make the setting feel real. The riddle (riddles?) is very good, the characters are more fleshed out than in other novels and it has a truly bittersweet ending. And, of course, chronologically it's the last Dee novel. 

Love, court intrigue, and murder are well-mixed in this fast-paced tale in which Judge Dee finds himself uncharacteristically outmaneuvered by the villains in the piece. Good fun…

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