We discuss chapters 1-7 of Dutch diplomat Robert van Gulik’s reinterpretation of an 18th-century Chinese magistrate-detective, Judge Dee. In the fifth book in Robert’s series, we revisit Judge Dee’s appointment to Peng Lai, witness him meeting his aides, and solving his first three cases as the lead magistrate of the district. The Bolting Bride, the Butchered Bully, and his murdered predecessor all paint a picture of a town with a darkness at its core, but Judge Dee is determined to have is overwhelming expertise at just about everything keep the district in order.

Check out Part Two and Part Three here!