A review by writerlibrarian
The Chinese Gold Murders by Robert van Gulik

4.0

A reread. Classic Chinese detective tale, almost verbatim from archival accounts. van Gulik was a world renowned sinologist and he had a passion for Chinese criminal justice. His hero Judge Dee is based on an historical judge and his adventures around the Empire starting around 663 AD. It's well done, the reader is put right inside the story and you get to learn a few interesting things about the Empire frontier life on the Korean borders. I love his original mysteries. The new adventures of Judge Dee are not to be even approached. It's like getting a slice of processed cheese when you had the real thing.