The Chinese Nail Murders: A Judge Dee Detective Story

I have all the books Robert van Gulik wrote. I love them all, but "Chinese Gold Murders" and this book I rate as best!In all the books we do meet Judge Dee, who was a historical person, and his life and activites has inspired a lot of chinesewriters in his time (?) to write detectiv novels about him. These books are written in chinese teatre tradition as short novels, concentrating narrowly on each criminal case, on solutions, and elude characterisation of Judge Dee, his family, his helpers and the juridical system of the confutsialist chinese administration. All this was well known to the chinese readers. One of these chinese books could present up to 6-8 investigations to the reader. It was Robert van Guliks genial understanding of us westerners, that he presents us only one "detectiv story" at the time, but fills inn everything we do not know about China in judge Dee-s time. This way a criminal case swells up from short novel stile, to a novel of greater format. From each of Guliks books we get to know more and more about the Judge, his character, about his houshold, about climat, furniture, houses, religion, food, agriculture, communication, also: everthing. This is why Guliks stories make kultural and historical gems. It is nearly a Sci-Fi woorld. That is why I hearthily recommend Gullliks books to Sci-Fi-entusiasts.The "Nail Murders" is unik and separates itself from the other books, because it is the only one, where judge Dee showsgreat empaty for the suspect, and hesitates to give judgement. He understands the brutality of the low. G.A.Szilvay, [email protected]

Van Guilik wrote this Judge Dee novel in 1956 in Beirut, while relaxing from his official diplomatic duties. It is closer to ancient Chinese court cases than later stories. The murders, or the means of concealing them, are ingenious, and Van Guilik describes his Chinese sources in a postscript.At the same time, this is a psychological novel that portrays Judge Dee in the grip of an almost postmodern angst. He is nearly crushed by moral ambiguities. He's forced to uphold the law even when it causes others, and himself, great suffering. Judge Dee is no longer an infallible superhero, but an all-too-human civil servant with an acutely stressful job!The plot revolves around several crimes. A young wife is found murdered in her home, her bloody body headless. A champion boxer is poisoned in a public bath. And Judge Dee has suspicions that a supposedly respectable widow murdered her husband, although the doctor in attendance ruled it a natural death. This case threatens to be the death of Judge Dee.The story is replete with fascinating glimpses of life in imperial China. We witness the reverence for ancestors. We see instances of parents selling their daughters to brothels. We hear intimations of the occult powers supposed to be held by Tartar women. Pei-chow, where Judge is posted in this book, used to be the supply center for the Tartar tribes.All in all, another great Judge Dee mystery!

I read all the Judge Dee novels years ago and had to order the set now to read again. Fabulous, how Judge Dee would solve crimes centuries ago using logic. They are a must read!

Before Amazon.com or Borders, we used to have only the public library to get books to read. So over40 years ago, I read 5-6 of this series and never knew there were 18 books to complete the set. So,when a friend gave me the first book last month, I went on Amazon.com and was so happy to see they were are re-released - I got all 17 books. I am happily into the 5th one now. If you are a lover of mysteries - there are 3 cases to be solved in each book; if you are a lover of Chinese culture - you will love the subtle descriptions and seemingly minor hints. I've learned things I never knew before.You will enjoy Judge Dee.

A good mystery. The author has written his own story, but based on popular detective stories from 17th C China, in turn based on official archives from 1,000 years earlier. Both Judge Dee and the criminals are ingenious. Details in autopsies attest to the advanced state of physiology for the time. The principal character is shown in some depth, and somewhat sympathetically, but the cruelty he employs against suspects will offend today's readers.

I am a huge fan of Magistrate Dee, he is considered the Sherlock Holmes of ancient China. The Judge has to solve thecrime, not just judge the criminals... and he has helpers that go about town and find out information for him, fight the roughnecks, etc. and out of thebrilliant mind of Judge Dee, he finds the solution, after, he puts all the information together! Interesting thing is hewas a true personage.

This Chinese mystery story is one of Judge Dee's best, although I like all of his books so far. The book was fun to read. I always try to figure out who is the murderer and how it was done before finishing the book; the author is very clever, and sometimes there is a surprise ending. I am delighted these books were reprinted. I read them 50 years ago; and now that they are again available, am rereading them. I like them even better now!

This book has fairly complex plots that are well developed and kept me guessing. The murders are based on real cases. This is one of the author's best books in the Judge Dee series.

Très bien

Ich kenne alle Richter DEE bücher in Deutsch und Englisch, ich bin zugegebenermaßen Fan. Wer gerne Detektivgteschichten liest, der ist hier genau richtig. Richter Dee ist eine historische Person und van Gulik hat die Geschichten mit großer Sorgfalt entlang der Originalvorlagen geschrieben. Der Leser erfährt viel über das China und seine Gesellschaft bevor die Engländer und das Opium dort ankamen. Wirklich gute Lektüre!

A1

What a pleasure to see this novel is still around for a new generation. Judge Dee and his assistants solve three cases set firmly in the milieu of Imperial China. As the Judge moves around from post to post we encounter a new part of the Middle Kingdom. In this case we are in the North with wind and snow, all meticulously but effortlessly evoked by Robert van Gulik. The mysteries are of high quality with some excellent roles; especially amongst the women. As my introduction to these books this one remains a firm favourite, as I hope that it will be with you.

My only quibble, a very minor one, is that the book was a little smaller than I expected.