Chinese Maze Murders: A Judge Dee Mystery | 
pickThis was a good set of cases: Judge Dee usually has three on the go, & it's interesting to see whether they are interlinked or not.
This one sees JD arrive at a new posting, Lan-feng, & having to deal with organised crime & insurrection in addition to murder, kidnapping & fraud.
There's a locked-room mystery, puzzle clues, the secret of a maze, a baffling will, barbarians on the doorstep & a mystic recluse. Learning more about JD & his trusted ⬇️
I'd intended this month's #ClassicLSFBC pick to be my next read, but this came in & I find I can't delay it!
The 2nd volume in the Judge Dee Mysteries, this is van Gulik's sequel to his translation of historical murder cases from the Tang Dynasty (618-907 CE). While this is his own invention he says the plots are based on other historical cases.
This is actually a prequel, covering 3 interlinked cases Judge Dee investigated earlier in his career.
JD uses the legal tools available to him, which include torture & cruel methods of capital punishment (which they all are, actually), that are fairly graphically described.
There are some prejudiced attitudes consonant both with the historical setting and the time of writing, in this case lesbophobia being the most egregious to a modern reader. If you're prepared for these, the story is colourful and ingenious. 5mo