Another re-imaging of the investigatory work of Judge Dee building on the historical character written about across many books by author, Robert Hans van Gulik.

Qiu Xiaolong is a Chinese American crime novelist, poet, translator, critic, and academic. His work in this second book about the ancient Chinese investigator is littered with literary connections and brimming with historical links.

Set within an historical milieux with real documented characters for his expanded fiction, the author here not only reflects the culture and power struggles of this period but mirrors something of China’s long history against contemporary political nuances. Consequently he has not only added to the cannon of Judge Dee’s detective work but thrown a light upon China’s modern ruling class.

I loved the literary quotes at the start of every chapter and the proximity throughout to poetry and cultural traditions. The concluding part of the book also provides historical context and reproduces many of the poems within the text.

None of this information is needed before reading this adventure where Judge Dee embarks on one of his most difficult cases. As established in his first book, “The Shadow of the Empire”, the approach of these investigations are gentle, methodical and cerebral. Interviews often interpreted by what is unsaid or avoided. The spiritual elements are to the fore, people matter and honour and position count above all else. It is certainly a different world to spend time within, slow paced but filled with enchanting locations, where dreams, poetry and symbolism enhance and provide clues.

Judge Dee is a learned man on something of a fool’s errand where his footsteps are dogged by silent and secretive shadows. Not just checking up on his search for a missing enemy of the state but also exercising an ulterior motive.

His journey to find the truth and report back to the Empress is therefore a dangerous one. He must find a satisfying solution that preserves his integrity as well as keeping his head!

A compelling page turner and a book in love with Chinese history and its literary traditions. A perfect escape from modern life, intelligently written with a well crafted mystery.

Giving it 4 stars for the poetry

I enjoyed the poetry, political, cultural, and historical context of the novel.

#ConspiraciesOfTheEmpire #NetGalley

Thanks to the publisher and Netgalley for the ARC
3 of 5,
DNF about 20%
I'm a big fan of the author's contemporary mysteries, and I thought this books sounded like an interesting read.
I enjoyed the historical notes, the foreword and afterword, and the poetry.
I couldn't get into the narrative at all - possibly having read the 'context' stuff first, I was left with no surprises in the actual text.
Would recommend to fans of non-fiction history, it just wasn't for me.

Thanks to NetGalley and Severn House for making an advance copy of this title available for an honest review.

I enjoyed experiencing the culture of long ago China. I had mixed feelings about this book. I enjoyed the intermittent poetry and the quotes that began each chapter and highlighted many of them. Experiencing the poetry while searching for the poet made me appreciated his art and skill. However, I think the things that I loved perhaps are what made the book less affective for me overall. The breaks in the story were so frequent that I had difficulty becoming engaged with the tale.

More Judge Dee is always a good thing!

Qiu Xialong has now written a couple of continuation books to Robert Van Gulik’s 1950s – 1960s Judge Dee stories. The Conspiracies of the Empire is the second of these, and in it, Judge Dee, who is a real historical figure, is now older and more politically active than he was in the Van Gulik books. Not that he was unsophisticated before – quite the opposite - but he’s now a very high official in the court of Empress Wu, with all the political machinations and skullduggery that entails.

Like many of the folks I imagine will gravitate to this book, I have been a big fan of the Van Gulik/Judge Dee stories for years, and The Conspiracies of the Empire is a worthy successor. It has the feel, or at least what I imagine to be the feel, of that time, although I’m not an expert on seventh century China. But the emphasis both on the dynastical issues, and on the respect for poets and poetry, are consistent with what I do know. And one of these poets is Luo Binwang, who wrote the famous poem, A Call to Arms, which helped spark a revolution against the Empress.

The mystery itself is less of a whodunnit and more of a journey to resolve whether Luo has died in battle, or has somehow survived. Judge Dee is feeling old and creaky, and doesn’t want to pursue the investigation, but the Empress compels him to, claiming she wants to bring such a brilliant man to her court. But does she – or does the trail of dead bodies following Judge Dee indicate that she really wants to eliminate Luo? Or maybe even eliminate Judge Dee himself? Hence the “Conspiracies” of the title…

All-in-all, The Conspiracies of the Empire is well worth a read, but do be forewarned that it’s heavy on the poets and poetry, with quotations – some by famous orators/poets and some by the author himself – at the beginning of every chapter, as well as woven into the text. And in the historical notes at the end, in addition to providing a really nice background, Qiu also provides the text of A Call to Arms and other poems of the time. I enjoyed these, but if poetry is really truly not your thing, you might try a sample before buying. Otherwise, though, I have no hesitations in recommending The Conspiracies of the Empire. And if you are lucky enough to have started reading about Judge Dee with this book, you now have not only Qiu’s previous book, The Shadow of the Empire, to read, but the entire Van Gulik series as well!

And finally, my thanks to the publisher, Severn House, and to NetGalley for the review copy.

If you’ve been brought up on a diet of popular Western whodunits, then this is certainly something different. This book veers into the literary genre anyway, where the pacing differs from usual whodunnits. For starters, Judge Dee isn’t going anywhere fast as he is travelling by carriage on unpaved roads and is frankly too old and frail to undertake the journey he’s forced to undertake. Empress Wu is very keen to discover exactly what has happened to the famous rebel poet Luo Binwang, who is reported to have died on the battlefield during the savagely repressed uprising. For whatever reason, the Empress isn’t convinced and has put her best investigator, Judge Dee, on the case.

Judge Dee is uneasy about the case from the start. He is an admirer of Luo Binwang’s work, being something of a poet himself – and can’t quite work out why the Empress is so obsessed with finding out the exact whereabouts of the rebel poet. Given that Luo Binwang probably died during the rebellion and was reported to have been seriously injured before the battle, he won’t be posing any further risk to the Empress’s rule. And the secret police have already thoroughly investigated every person who has had anything to do with Luo Binwang during the last decade and found nothing. However, as Dee reluctantly sets out on his journey, he isn’t prepared for the shocking events that unfold as he tracks down the few people who were in contact with Luo Binwang before the rebellion.

The writing style is literate and flowing, with plenty of description vividly depicting the countryside, the people and the buildings. Which is important, because I had no realistic reference to fill in the gaps and the author more than ably ensures I had no difficulty in visualising Dee’s journey and all the places and people he met. I really like his devoted servant, Yang, and the man’s indignation on Dee’s behalf as the traumatic journey increasingly takes its toll. It was also fascinating to learn of the food and drink available at the time – I’ve no doubt that Qiu ensured he was historically accurate with such details, as he’s gone to painstaking efforts to ensure he has kept more or less to the historical records available. For the other interesting aspect to this tale is that it is based on true events, as Qiu makes clear in the fascinating Afterword.

The depiction of Dee is masterful as a sensitive, highly intelligent and exhausted man, wrung out after years of devoted service to a woman who he has acknowledged is capricious, violent, lascivious and single-mindedly driven to stay in command of the Empire at all costs. If you enjoy lyrical poetry, you’re in for a treat as lines of beautiful poetry infuse the story throughout. Obviously, if poetry isn’t your thing – then this one won’t be for you. Any niggles? Given the pace is reasonably leisurely anyway, there was too much repetition for my taste which further silted up narrative and was a tad frustrating. In other books, this would have been a dealbreaker – but this book is such an unusual reading experience, I have only knocked a point off. If you are a fan of stories with an unusual setting written in a literary style with some hauntingly beautiful passages, then track this one down. It’s a memorable read. While I obtained an arc of The Conspiracies of the Empire from the publisher via Netgalley, the opinions I have expressed are unbiased and my own.
8/10

4 stars

Judge Dee Renjie is one of Empress Wu's most trusted premiers during her current reign (Tang Dynasty). She dispatches him to find a specific poet, Luo Binwang, who ran off to join the civil rebellion and papered the empire with his incendiary poetry that was decidedly anti-Empress. Although Judge Dee is getting on in years, he wants to fulfill his empress' wishes to find this disgraced poet and bring him back to the capital to face judgement. Only problem? No one knows if Luo even survived the last battle - there was no body found - and the elderly judge has very few clues to go on to start tracking this equally elderly poet.

This is the second book written by author Qiu Xiaolong about Judge Dee's investigations. Judge Dee is a thoughtful, measured, quiet intellectual who is faithful to a reigning government that may not necessarily feel the same way about him. While the majority of the characters in these Judge Dee novels are actual historical figures, I believe Qiu does take a bit of 'poetic license' about their various relationships. There is a beautiful, lyrical quality to the story; the author writes his own poetry which is added to the historic poems sprinkled throughout, and the overall writing is delicate and stylized. There is also a small appendix of famous Tang Dynasty poetry included at the end of the book.

Thanks to NetGalley, author Qiu Xiaolong, and Severn House for giving me a free eARC of this book to read and review. All opinions are my own and provided voluntarily.

I thank NetGalley and Severn House for an advance reader copy of “The Conspiracies of the Empire.” All opinions and comments are my own.

When China’s Empress Wu sends the estimable Judge Dee Renjie on a search for a missing poet, it soon becomes clear to the aging court diplomat that this is much more than just a regular case. And several dead bodies and many enigmatic poems later, he proves to be correct.

“The Conspiracies of the Empire” showcases real historical figures (explained in the Postscript) and the politics of ancient China, and a convoluted and complicated tale it is. And I do hope you like the usage of poetry to explain much of the plot. In the end, Judge Dee writes his report and hopes it will be enough for the empress. It will be the finest thing he’s ever written, accounting for all the deaths which have occurred with perfect logic, and in doing so his conclusion for the real reason he’s been sent out by the empress to look for the missing poet Luo Binwang. “The Conspiracies of the Empire” is more mystical than mystery. I also missed the Judge Dee from the series by Robert van Gulik, who was a stronger character, not afraid to order people around and use his position to get results. Perhaps the threat of the empress was enough to frighten him away from essential character traits. It’s possible, I suppose.

I real all Van Gulik mysteries and I've been a fan of Judge Dee for ages. A fascinating mix of classic whodunit, Chinese society during the Tang Dinasty, and political intrigues.
Qiu Xiaolong does an excellent job in delivering new stories about an older Judge Dee, an estimated high level member of Empress Wu court now, and the world of poets, rebellion, and political intrigues.
It's a fascinated travel in time and it's a gripping read.
Long life to this series and Judge Dee (I'm watching the Netflix series and it helps to visualize the novel)
Highly recommended.
Many thanks to the publisher for this ARC, all opinions are mine

I am a long-time fan of Qui Xiaolong's Inspector Chen series and of the Judge Dee stories. Somehow, though, this telling of a Judge Dee story doesn't work nearly as well as the Robert van Gulik renditions. I adored the poetry in The Conspiracies of the Empire and really appreciated the way in which the author offers facts about Chinese history without providing a literal synopsis or making the reader feel ill-informed. Some of the phrases are memorable: "A tiny yellow flower was blossoming in an empty eye socket, which seemed to be scanning the field, the flower swaying in the mournful wind that swept over the wasteland." But, there is much too much repetition and the mystery is underwhelming. 3.5 rouded up to 4 stars.

I adored the original Robert Van Gulik Judge Dee mystery books. Qiu Xiaolong has taken over writing more in this series and trying to keep the original author's style and prose.

Judge Dee is getting on, he has more aches and pains than he cares to admit to. He would prefer to be settled rather than travelling the countryside solving mysteries and crimes. Empress Wu, however, has different ideas and sets hi the task of locating a poet who roused the rebels with a poem "A Call to Arms".

There is very little for Dee to go on and soon discovers that the poet, Luo Bingwang, is more of an enigma. There have been rumours some saying he died in the battle or that he has just disappeared into the wind.

As Dee travels, asks questions, ponders life and remembers poems from his past and of those told to him on his journey, he is gradually piecing together things he comes across. There is something more sinister that follows his path though and he is soon aware that there is something more sinister afoot.

This was such a good read and one that reminded me of the Gulik version of the stories. The author chose a story that he felt would fit with Gulik's style and mentions at the end of the book how he was surprised that Gulik never used this one. The stories are based in fact and there is a good amount of historical notes at the end and this adds more information to the era of the time the stories are set.

This is another wonderful read, the narrative is broken up with lines of poetry. This is part of a series, it can be read as a follow-on from the Gulik novels or just with this author's novels. This is more of a whodunnit style of mystery, there is not the overabundance of drama, high-tech wizardry or fast pacing. It is a book and a series I would happily recommend as it gives a glimpse into the way of life during the Tang Dynasty.

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.