The Chinese Gold Murders
The Chinese Gold Murders is a "gong'an" historical mystery novel written by Robert van Gulik and set in Imperial China (roughly speaking the Tang Dynasty). It is a fiction based on the real character of Judge Dee (Ti Jen-chieh or Di Renjie), a magistrate and statesman of the Tang court, who lived roughly 630–700. The book includes a map of the fictional town of Peng-lai. Plot introduction. Judge Dee is a recently appointed magistrate to the miserable town/district of Peng-lai. On the way to town, he meet two ruffians in the woods ; Chiao Tai and Ma Joong. They try to rob the judge but instead ends up to be his trusted followers. Arriving to Peng-lai Judge Dees start the investigation of the murder of his predecessor. The investigation is made more complex due to the disappearance of his chief clerk as well as the disappearance of a new bride of a wealthy local shipowner. Meanwhile, a tiger is terrorizing the district, the ghost of the murdered magistrate is stalking members of the court, a prostitute has a secret message for Judge Dee, and the body of a murdered monk is found  to have been placed in the wrong grave, and there is a serious rumor of smuggling of weapons to Korea. What could possibly relate all these events? The Chinese Gold Murders is not the first Judge Dee book that the author wrote, but in the series setting, it is the first story, and shows how the judge meet Chiao Tai and Ma Joong. The town of Peng-lai is also the setting for other Judge Dee stories including: "The Lacquer Screen", and three of the short stories from "Judge Dee at Work".