The Red Pavilion (A Judge Dee Mystery)

Rating:
Summary: Judge Dee will keep you guessing
Review: One of the most interesting things about Van Gulik's Judge Dee books is that the Judge is usually juggling three or four mysteries at once. Your brain definitely stays awake as he shifts his attention from one to the other. "The Red Pavilion" takes place on "Paradise Island", a town in which the main industry is the selling of pleasure--sort of a Las Vegas of ancient China. Between current murders and murders of the past, the Judge has his hands full, and with only one of his usual four assistants he is a busy guy.

I enjoyed the interesting characters of the various courtesans, bouncers, businessmen, and mysterious beggars no end. His Excellency is not beyond making a guess at a solution and then proving himself wrong, which is quite refreshing in detective novels. If you like detective novels combined with ancient culture, you may well enjoy these books.

Rating:
Summary: Oriental sleuth cracks tough case
Review: Oriental sleuth Judge Dee, based on a historical character, is brought to life in 'The Red Pavilion'. While Judge Dee shares many traits with traditional quirky Western detectives, this novel has a definite Chinese feel. The cultural interplay is very interesting, and allows for different scenarios than the typical mystery. A nice change of pace.