The Emperor's Pearl: A Judge Dee Mystery - Paperback

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by Robert Van Gulik (Author)

A fiendishly clever mystery that can only be unraveled by the unflappable Judge Dee, whom the Los Angeles Times ranked with Sherlock Holmes

The latest puzzling mystery facing Jude Dee begins on the night of the Poo-yang dragonboat races in 699 A.D.: a drummer in the leading boat collapses, and the body of a beautiful young woman turns up in a deserted country mansion. There, Judge Dee-tribunal magistrate, inquisitor, and public avenger-steps in to investigate the murders and return order to the Tang Dynasty.
In The Emperor's Pearl, the judge discovers that these two deaths are connected by an ancient tragedy involving a near-legendary treasure stolen from the Imperial Harem one hundred years earlier. The terrifying figure of the White Lady, a river goddess enshrined on a bloodstained altar, looms in the background of the investigation. Clues are few and elusive, but under the expert hand of Robert van Gulik, this mythic jigsaw puzzle assembles itself into a taut mystery.

Back Jacket

The time is 699 A.D.; the place is Poo-yang. Here Judge Dee, imperial magistrate, must investigate two deaths: the collapse of a young drummer in the annual dragon-boat race and the murder of a woman in a deserted country estate. The mystery involves the cruel River Goddess, and the legendary Emperor's Pearl, as well as a wealthy merchant's lovely, mute, mad wife.

Author Biography

Robert van Gulik (1910-67) was a Dutch diplomat and an authority on Chinese history and culture. His many works include sixteen Judge Dee mysteries, a study of the gibbon in China, and two books on the Chinese lute.

Number of Pages: 192

Dimensions: 0.4 x 8.04 x 5.18 IN

Illustrated: Yes

Publication Date: November 10, 2008