<div>Imperial China, T'ang dynasty, seventh century A.D.--home of imperial magistrate and detective Judge Dee. A near mythic figure in the Chinese consciousness, Judge Dee distinguished himself as tribunal magistrate, inquisitor, and public avenger. Long after his death, accounts of his exploits were celebrated in Chinese folklore. Van Gulik's popular Judge Dee stories, often based on actual cases, offer a vivid insight into life in traditional China.<br><br>The time is 699 A.D. The place is Poo-yang, a large flourishing district in Kaingsu Province, where Judge Dee must investigate two deaths--the heart failure of a rower in the annual boat race and a murder committed in a deserted and possibly haunted country estate. Folklore surrounding the River Goddess, the lost Emperor's pearl, and the cultivation of herbs plays a role in the mystery, as does the beautiful, mute, mad wife of a wealthy merchant.<br><br>"Here is a classic detective story, as crisply paced as if it were set in present-day New York, and far more exciting than many that are."--R. Schwartz, <i>St. Louis Post</i><br><br>". . . attractive editions that include the author's extremely amusing pen-and-ink chinoiseries."--April Bernard, <i>Newsday</i><br><br>"If you have not yet discovered Judge Dee and his faithful Sgt. Hoong, I envy you that initial pleasure which comes from the discovery of a great detective story. For the magistrate of Poo-yang belongs in that select group of fictional detectives headed by the renowned Sherlock Holmes."--Robert Kirsch, <i>Los Angeles Times</i><br><br>"The title of this book and the book itself have much in common. Each is a jewel, a rare and precious find."--<i>Atlanta Times</i><br><br>Robert Van Gulik (1910-67) was a Dutch diplomat and an authority on Chinese history and culture. He drew his plots from the whole body of Chinese literature, especially from the popular detective novels that first appeared in the seventeenth century.<br><br><br></div>