I struggled a bit with this, in large part because I was unfamiliar with the Tang Dynasty, let alone the politics of the period. That said it's an interesting historical mystery with each chapter introduced by poetry. And it's based on two real people- Judge Dee and Empress Wu. Thanks to Netgalley for the ARC. If you like me feel a bit at sea, stick with it as it's a worthy read.

In the wake of Xu Jingye's disastrous attempt to overthrow Empress Wu poet Luo Binwang, the author of the infamous Call to Arms, which inspired thousands to join the uprising against the Empress has gone missing. Whether he died on the battlefield or ran away, it doesn't matter. Empress Wu is deadset on knowing his fate, and so she assigns the case to Judge Dee. Almost immediately, Dee is apprehensive about even accepting the case, Empress Wu, no matter how much she says she wants him, finds that his exceptional talent is far from a fan of Lou's. She even had him imprisoned at one point, so Dee is really baffled as to why she's become so obsessed with him. And when another minister shows up unannounced and uninvited to a dinner the judge hosts with many of Lou's fellow poets, Dee's misgivings about the case seem to be validated. Within hours of that dinner the first body shows up, and while at the time the death of an ex palace maid he had interviewed the day before seems to be simply a coincidence, Dee cannot accept the brutal of a Dr. who had treated within hours of his speaking to Dee as a coincidence. As this case drags on and everyone he speaks to ends up dead, Dee must admit to himself that the longer his investigation drags out, the more people will die.

This was such an interesting mystery, mainly because it becomes fairly obvious that some things are just better left alone early on. While this is steeped in Tang Dynasty politics, I still expected this to be a straightforward mystery. However, it was anything but. This is way more about the politics involved in the disappearance of Lou Binwang and how they are not only affecting, or will affect Judge Dee, but also every single suspect he talks to. Instead of an investigator, Dee ends up being weapon, unwittingly yielded against people that the paranoid Empress suspects may hold some sort of sway over her. So the "mystery" part of this is gone pretty quickly, and it becomes more of an ethical and self-preservation question by the end. And to be fair after reading it I feel like in the back of Dee's head he always knew that's what it was too so it and the story is more him deciding what is the right thing to do given the circumstances. It takes him a bit to firm of his answer to that question, but once he did, I 100% would have done the same.

I also truly enjoyed how, instead of having chapter titles, Qui uses quotes from philosophers and poets that tie into the proceeding chapters. Each one definitely set you up for what Dee's mindset would be during that chapter while also giving the reader a little bit to think about in terms of not what the political world looked like in Tang Dynasty China, but how these quotes tied into our current timeframe.

Finally, I can not begin to express how much I appreciated the in-depth review of the actual history behind Lou, Dee, and Wu. My knowledge of Chinese history bounces all over the place but with most of it only being within the last two and a half centuries, and I had planned on doing some pretty extensive research into this time frame afterwards, but Lou beat me to it. Added to that, he includes all of the Chinese poems used within the story in their entirety, including the infamous Call to Arms, which this story could not exist without, and I so appreciated that.

Overall, this was excellent, and while I found it to be less mystery and more of a conversation around a moral and ethical dilemma, at no point was I disappointed in that.

As always, thanks to NetGalley and Severn House for the eArc!

I am a huge fan of Detective Dee. I immensely thank author for translating this book. I really loved the way the author had translated the poetry of the poets of tang dynasty. It was such a a quick read.

(Thanks to Severn House for providing an eARC.)

The historical details and translated poems were interesting to read. However, the story kept reiterating the same details of the case; each new clue was followed by Judge Dee's repetitive thoughts about it, along with his thoughts about the previous clues. It felt tedious reading the same thoughts throughout the story. The mystery also felt underwhelming.

This is a Real historical mystery taking place in the 6th century in the Tang Dynasty. It stars a real person, Judge Dee, who is asked by Empress Wu to find a well known poet, Luo Binwang, who has written a poem which angered her. This is the second book in the series by Xiaolong, and the same Judge Dee who stars in novels by Van Gulik.

Before Dee even leaves on his search trip, after interviewing former Empress Wang's personal maid in secret, the maid is found dead. As he stops at different places on his trip few people want to talk with him about the poet. It then seems that most of those who do talk with Dee are murdered shortly thereafter. When he finally gets to the Temple, he finds there is a fire going on in the back garden (where poets poems are written on the walls). Will Dee find Binway? If so, will Binway be killed as well. Will Dee solve his moral dilemma?

Judge Dee is … well, consider him a Chinese Miss Marple (bear with me!); he’s a court official of rather high rank who has earned respect for his intelligence, his impartiality, and has favor with Empress Wu, so much so that she tasks him to track down a poet who may or may not be dead. A poet who moved her with an eloquent poem, her ostensible reason for wanting him brought to her, but a poet who who also fought against her during an uprising. He is currently presumed dead, but there are rumors that he may still be alive, and Empress Wu … well, she isn’t exactly happy about that.

Judge Dee isn’t a fool. He’s a politician, and he’s served in Empress Wu’s court long enough to know that there is a game being played, and he is a piece being moved on a board. He’s also — like Miss Marple — a keen judge of people. He is also compassionate, and when people die because of his actions, because they talked to him, he cannot help but feel the guilt of it. This is a story about consequences, about human connections, and it’s just a fun story.

The book takes place in the Tang Dynasty, which is where both Judge Dee and Empress Wu — based on the actual Judge Dee and Empress Wu — lived. It’s filled with glimpses of life in China during this time, it’s politics, the culture, the way the world worked and it’s just fascinating. It’s also more of a telling than a showing sort of book, with a very fast moving plot (and less than 200 pages long, so there’s isn’t much time lingering in the not-so-important scenes.

Personally, I had fun with it. If you’re a fan of mysteries, history, and interested in learning a bit more about both China and Confucianism, give this book a try! There are many Judge Dee books out there, by a variety of authors, but I did find Qiu Xialong’s writing style to be very easy to read. Thank you so much to Net Galley and the publisher for giving me an ARC!

My thanks to NetGalley and Severen House for an advance copy of this new mystery featuring a famous character from books, manga and movies investigating a missing poet in a time of political uncertainty, and unknown dangers.

When I first began reading I was big into mysteries and thrillers, starting with The Hardy Boys and Nancy Drew, and moving up the ranks from boy detectives to real detectives. Recently thought mysteries have not done anything for me. Most police procedurals have a fake earnestness that lacks both reality and Candy Crush phone use that seems to be modern policing. Same for thrillers. Why read about Jack Ryan stopping threats to democracy, when the same threats are campaigning in swing states. I have enjoyed a few mysteries though, and these tend to be set in different countries, or even in different eras. The stories seem larger, more interesting and usually have something else I enjoy in good stories, not just a whodunnit, but a lot of whydunnit. What makes a person do crimes, and what makes a person want to risk everything to find answers. I think that is why I have been enjoying this recent iteration of Judge Dee, known from popular movies, movie serials and books both in the mystery and horror genre. This Dee looks not only at the crime, but the larger story of what the crime means, and the repercussions it can have on society in whole, not just Dee's place in it. In The Conspiracies of the Empire: A Judge Dee Investigation by Qiu Xiaolong, Judge Dee is asked to find a missing person, one wanted by the government who might have ties to a coup against the Empress, or something even darker.

Judge Dee Renjie is a minister to the current empress of the Tang Dynasty, Wu, a trusted minister he would like to think, due to his age and stature. The Empress Wu comes to Dee with a task, and a mild rebuff, or maybe a warning. A recent coup attempt has caused much consternation in the government, mainly in that no one expected it to do as well as it did. Much of this has to do with with a poem decrying the actions of the Empress and her rise to power. This poet was last send with the rebels, whose ranks and morale surged with the poem, but was wounded and presumed dead in the battle that broke the rebellion. Dee is first told the Empress is annoyed for not telling her about the skill of this poet, as the Empress likes to keep artists around her. Than told to find out what happened to the poet, does he live, is he dead, and provide proof. Dee is wary finding that his trusted position might no be as trusted as he thought. This and the fact that the people he talks seem to die in ways that can only be murder.

A book that really places one in the era in which it takes place. Also a book about a poet that actually has decent poetry, unlike many books about artists, that sound very tin-eared. This is the second book in the series and the author has a very good feel for the story. Being a poet himself Qiu Xiaolong has a way of breaking down different works, explaining why the poems are so controversial, and giving Dee an interesting character trait that can be drawn on while working on this case. The story is good, and the narrative moves well. The setting is interesting and there is a long postscript describing the times that that author has drawn on, what is real and what is fake. Judge Dee is different here than his usual portrayal. Dee is older, tired, and feel guilt for dragging these people into his investigation, and getting them killed. I line he repeats quite a bit is ' I did not kill this person, but he or she died because of me". One doesn't usually get that in book, especially mysteries. Mike Hammer might be sad for a page when someone he knows dies, but after shooting a Commie in the gut, everything will be better. There is a weight to this case, one that asks a lot of questions. Is this a case worth solving, or will things be made worse?

If one like historical mysteries, or wants to try something new, this is quite good. One doesn't have read the first book in the series to understand things. For readers who enjoy this there are many Judge Dee books written by other hands, as well as more modern mysteries written by the author Qiu Xiaolong.

It took me a little while to get into this novel, but I'm glad a persisted. Really enjoyed learning about the Tang Dynasty and meeting elderly, thoughtful Judge Dee and his faithful servant and particularly liked being transported to the very different world of the 5th century court of Empress Wu. That it is based on what history and poetry remains from that time is also impressive. I would read more if a series.

This is a historical mystery set in Tang Dynasty China and starring the semi-fictional, semi-historical character Judge Dee. There was a historical magistrate by that name, but the Judge Dee of this novel is based on his various fictionalizations: first in an eighteenth-century Chinese crime novel, and then in the mysteries written by translator and writer Robert van Gulik (in English) in the mid-twentieth century. Qiu Xiaolong has a detailed postscript going into this, along with the historical basis for the novel and the changes he chose to make in writing it.

So! What's the plot of the book? Basically, the Empress Wu has quashed a recent rebellion, and assigns Judge Dee to track down a missing poet, one of the rebellion's figureheads, who vanished during the uprising and may, or may not, be dead. As Judge Dee attempts to track down his quarry, he finds himself being shadowed by mysterious figures with mysterious aims - and more than one death may be laid at the feet of his investigation by the end. Judge Dee himself is turmoiled; he is ambivalent about the Empress Wu and the rebellion, and unsure if he's been told the truth about the Empress's reasons - or if the entire investigation is a smokescreen, a way to force him into a public failure which could result in his own denunciation. I guess what I'm saying is, this is very much a book that exists in the shadow of modern China, and for that matter many other totalitarian regimes, where even those people acting on behalf of the existing power structure don't necessarily support it, and may in fact be its next victims - a fact of which they are well aware. Judge Dee is older in this book, suffering from numerous health problems, and walking a very fine line between betraying his morals and betraying his duty.

As a mystery, it's more complicated and ambiguous than most. The real mystery - and focus of the book - is the mystery of what choices Judge Dee is being faced with. It's not solving the mystery of the missing poet - it's figuring out why he's been asked to solve the mystery of the missing poet, and what choices he makes based on his theories. The solution, and ending, to the book is most satisfying when that is kept in mind. The prose style felt a little flat, but this is true of a lot of translated work and also very much in keeping with the van Gulik books.

I found the book on the whole readable and enjoyable, but more evocative and philosophical than most mysteries. The poetry of the Tang period plays a role and the author has translated a number of Tang poems which make appearances in the narrative. As a work of historical fiction this is excellent and engrossing, but readers expecting a more typical mystery may be disappointed.

Set during the Tang dynasty in China, the story follows the investigation of Judge Dee into the fate of the poet Luo Binwang. Ordered by the Empress Wu to either find Luo and bring him to her, or else confirm his death, Dee sets out with his loyal assistant, Yang, to see what he can discover. As he travels around the country, he is closely pursued by deaths that leave him feeling uncomfortable with his role.
The story started off slowly and it took me a while to engage with it. Once the scene had been set and Dee started his investigation the story followed better. The story is based on a real historic mystery and the style of the narrative reflected the ancient times and the characters grew on me as I continued to read.
This is a very short story and so a quick read and an interesting, gentle mystery.