If you’re a fan of Robert van Gulik’s Judge Dee mysteries, you’ll enjoy Elsa Hart’s Jade Dragon Mountain. An itinerant scholar, Li Du, arrives in a village just a week before the Emperor of China is due to visit. Li Du talks to a Jesuit astronomer about the upcoming eclipse. Li Du also hears an argument between the Jesuit and an East India Company merchant. Shortly thereafter, Li Du finds the body of the murdered Jesuit. The magistrate asked Li Du to investigate the crime and he uncovers many secrets. As the day of the Emperor’s arrival approaches, the tension increases as plots abound. If you enjoy twisty plots, political intrigue, and red herrings, Jade Dragon Mountain is the mystery for you! I hope Elsa Hart writes another mystery featuring the brainy Li Du! GRADE: B
Thanks, George. I remember trying the Van Gulik books and not being able to get into them.
OT: Laura Joh Rowland has written a Victorian suspense novel. I read and enjoyed one of her historicals years ago.
Maggie, from time to time I get in the mood to read an historical novel. JADE DRAGON MOUNTAIN was a quick and enjoyable read!
I do like an occasional change and Judge Dee is always worth reading.
Apparently there is already a sequel to this one.
Jeff, thanks for the link! I’ll have to check out the sequel.
I like the Judge Dee books a lot, and was reading my way through them a year or so ago, but got sidetracked. I’ll get back to them this coming year. When those have all been read, I’ll consider this one.
Rick, you’d enjoy JADE DRAGON MOUNTAIN. The crime is clever and the characters are memorable.
I just got back from the library. In the new section they had a Jade Dragon Mt sequel called The White Mirror. I didn’t pick it up, I already had enough stuff.
Steve, like you I have stacks of books everywhere. But, I was in the mood for a clever historical mystery so I read JADE DRAGON MOUNTAIN in a day. I’ll track down a copy of THE WHITE MIRROR!