Chinese Lake Murders

Judge Dee #5

by Robert van Gulik

A.D. 666

The Chinese Lake Murders describes how Judge Dee solves three difficult cases in A.D. 666, shortly after he has been appointed magistrate of Han-yuan.

"[Robert van Gulik] deftly interweaves three criminal cases involving exotic yet universally recognizable characters, then has his Judge Dee provide a surprising yet most plausible solution."-- New York Times Book Review

Robert Van Gulik (1910-67) was a Dutch diplomat and an authority on Chinese history and culture. He drew his plots from the whole body of Chinese literature, especially from the popular detective novels that first appeared in the seventeenth century.

Genres: Mystery, Historical Fiction, Crime, Fiction, China, Detective, Historical

256 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 1960

About the author

Robert Hans van Gulik was a Dutch diplomat best known for his Judge Dee stories. His first published book, The Celebrated Cases of Judge Dee, was a translation of an eighteenth-century Chinese murder mystery by an unknown author; he went on to write new mysteries for Judge Dee, a character based on a historical figure from the seventh century. He also wrote academic books, mostly on Chinese history.

Reviews

[Henry Avila · Rating 4 out of 5]

In the small isolated mountain city of Han-yuan dominated by a large majestic lake and famous for its floating brothels "Flower Boats", Judge Dee is the newly appointed by the exalted Emperor district magistrate. However he is bored nothing has happened during his two tiresome months there, just sixty miles north from the grand Chinese Imperial Capital too...The time... A.D. 666 seems destined to remain mundane , the dark mysterious lake waters holds secrets well though four unlucky people drowned in them this year, and their bodies disappeared never to be seen again. The leading men of the town are giving the judge a banquet to honor the honorable man , where ? On a Flower Boat where else ?....The highlight of the night is the sensual dance of a courtesan performed beautifully, mostly naked by Almond Blossom she moves very erotically in front of the old men , the girl is eighteen. Later in the night Almond Blossom can't be located, a search for her all through the boat but nothing...Dee and his assistants help , finally the magistrate looks over the railing sees a strange sight...Staring back at him are two dead eyes below the surface of the lake's murky waters... a frozen beautiful face watching, it makes Dee feel very uneasy, haunting him for a long , long time in his nightmarish dreams. The city is full of wild rumors , hideous creatures coming up from the bottom of the lake and killing innocent citizens. Still the magistrate is an educated man, knowing murder has been cruelly committed by human hands besides, before being permanently silenced, the lovely girl told him she had vital information to disclose. Shortly afterwards a horrendous storm develops , big waves smash into the fragile vessel rocking it violently , making many passengers "seasick ". An intense struggle follows , the sweet shore is reached at last only after the crews skillful maneuverings , to the relief of all. But the judge's job has just begun, many obvious suspects , prominent respectable men and few clues he has . At the courtesan's spacious home the "manager"is told by Dee, to write a detailed report of the dead girl's abbreviated life in triplicates ...naturally, demands the disturbed , stern judge. Then a young happy married couple are "murdered", tragically, on their wedding night , the woman's lifeless body mysteriously vanishes from a coffin in the Buddhist Temple and in her place a dead man , where is Moon Fairy?...and her husband ? Another case of the usual three, the unexplained financial dealings of an ancient retired, high -ranking, imperial official. The ghostly image in a window spotted by the judge himself...whispers of a secret conspiracy to overthrow the government. He and his four men need answers quickly, otherwise....The key to solving all Dee's big headaches, is a chess problem written seventy years ago...Yes, the magistrate will not be sleeping very much now, but at least he'll not be bored . A great Judge Dee novel, maybe the best or one of the two best I've read , The Haunted Monastery in a rather spooky location is ...
splendid ...Nevertheless ...more books to consume in the inimitable series...

[Nikoleta · Rating 4 out of 5]

Το καλοκαίρι ήρθε με ορμητικό καύσωνα στην Κίνα το 666 μ.Χ. και ενώ προβλέπεται να είναι άκρως βαρετό για τον δικαστή Τι, που βαράει μύγες στην περιφέρεια του, το απόμακρο Χαν- γιουάν, μια περίεργη δολοφονία φέρνει τα πάνω κάτω. Και σαν να μην έφτανε αυτό, στο παιχνίδι μπλέκονται δύσκολοι γρίφοι, σκοτεινές μυστικές κρύπτες, απαγωγές, κορίτσια φαντάσματα που παρασέρνουν ερωτευμένους άντρες στις όχθες μιας στοιχειωμένης λίμνης και μια μυστηριώδης τρομοκρατική οργάνωση που απειλεί να ρίξει ολόκληρη την αυτοκρατορία. Θα καταφέρει ο Δικαστής Τι να βρει τον συνδετικό κρίκο που ενώνει αυτά τα περίεργα και ανόμοια μεταξύ τους συμβάντα και να ξεδιπλώσει την επικίνδυνη συνωμοσία που στήνεται πίσω από τις πλάτες του;
Μυστήριο, περιπέτεια και γρήγορη δράση σε μια σειρά βιβλίων με ήρωα τον Δικαστή Τι, που πρώτη φορά διαβάζω και φυσικά θα συνεχίσω μέχρι να βρω τα βιβλία όλης της σειράς!
Υ.Γ. Μου άρεσε πολύ το υστερόγραφο στο τέλος του βιβλίου, με την λεπτομερή ανάλυση του έργου από τον ίδιο τον συγγραφέα του, Robert van Gulik.
4,5/5 αστεράκια.

[Sinem A. · Rating 4 out of 5]

Yine kitaptan kitaba sürüklenme dönemi benim için. Bu daha doğrusu bir av, bir iz sürme.. Bir kitaptan diğerine ipuçlarını takip ederek kaybolma hali.
Dai Sijie nin peşinde Yargıç Di den Hollandalı ve Uzak Doğu konusunda oldukça meraklı Van Gulik'e oradan ortaçağ dedektiflik öykülerine uzanan buradan da muhtemelen Balzac ve Çinli Terzi Kız a doğru evrilen bir süreç içerisinde yol alıyorum.
Van Gulik bu kitabı eski bir Çin El yazmasından uyarlayarak yazmış, kökenleri düşününce epey heyecan verici. Polisiye öykülerin de özellikle hikayenin çok eski zamanlar Çin'inde geçtiği düşünülünce oldukça heyecanlı ve akıcı bir okumaydı.
Ama Sijie nin Yargıç Di si ile Gulik in Yargıç Dee si arasındaki tek benzerlik mesleki. Bu kadar fark da av peşinde koşmak için bir başka konu :)

[Emiliya Bozhilova · Rating 5 out of 5]

Първият ми досег с Китай беше благодарение на един холандец, който е бил на дипломатически пост там и за забавление е писал и криминални романи. Три от тези криминални романи бяха издадени още преди 1989 г в красиво издание, илюстрирано лично от ван Хюлик в стила на старите китайски гравюри.

Случаите на съдията Ди са отдавна известни в цял свят. В този роман има поне три отделни сюжетни нишки, които започват независимо една от друга, и се преплитат накрая, подтикнати от намирането на тялото удавена красива и известна куртизанка. Ван Хюлик описва времето на династия Тан с много тънко и интересно подбрани детайли, героите му са сложни персонажи с често нееднозначни мотиви. Картините от този свят са изпипани до най-малкия детайл и оживяват в цялата си пъстрота.

Хюлик описва случаите по западния маниер на Шерлок Холмс - отговорът на загадката става известен накрая след много перипетии. Но вплита и китайския подход, който не се интересува толкова кой е извършителят (при китайците това обикновено е ясно още в началото), а от психолохическия профил и мотиви, както и от личните истории на замесените.

Специално този роман е един от най-силните в цялата поредица.

[Ivonne Rovira · Rating 5 out of 5]

Robert van Gulik was a Dutch diplomat, linguist (he writes English like a native!), and an expert in China, both modern and ancient. Thank God he also decided to become an author!

The Chinese Lake Murders unfurls with three cases from when Judge Dee was a new magistrate in Han-yuang in A.D. 666. While being feted on a pleasure boat, Judge Dee discovers the body of a murdered courtesan, Almond Blossom. Just moments earlier, the girl had whispered to Judge Dee that a terrible conspiracy was afoot in Han-yuang, making the magistrate certain that she was killed to keep her from divulging her secret.

Traditionally, Chinese detective stories focus on three mysteries solved by a magistrate. However, in The Chinese Lake Murders, Judge Dee faces quite a few enigmas: The report of a bride who dies on her wedding night and is quickly laid into a coffin. When Judge Dee opens that coffin, the bride is gone, but the murdered corpse of a carpenter has taken its place! What happened to the bride? Who killed the carpenter? What happened to the bridegroom, who vanished on the same night? What is the dangerous conspiracy that Almond Blossom was murdered to conceal? And what about the strange actions of a 90-year-old retired Imperial Councilor? Those familiar with Judge Dee won't be surprised to find that these disparate threads become intertwined by the time of the novel's twist ending! That intertwined case becomes the most important case of Judge Dee's career -- and the centerpiece of an excellent novel.

Van Gulik first introduced Judge Dee to the West in Celebrated Cases of Judge Dee, first published in 1949 (although not translated into English until 1976). Using a real-life Chinese magistrate during the T'ang Dynasty named Ti Jen-chieh, van Gulik simplified the magistrate's name to Judge Dee Jen-djieh, and, in that first novel, he pretty much just used the cases from an 18th century Chinese detective novel, Dee Goong An. In his later novels, van Gulik, while influenced by cases from original ancient Chinese cases and 18th century Chinese detective stories, wrote the books from his own imagination. While some readers contend that the first book is van Gulik's best, I love The Lacquer Screen the best; that said, all of the Judge Dee novels I've read so far have been fantastic! I can't wait for the next one!

[Jim · Rating 5 out of 5]

Over a thousand years ago, there was a brilliant and upright Chinese magistrate named Judge Dee about whom stories were told. In the 1950s, a Dutch diplomat named Robert van Gulik translated some of these tales and decided to write several of his own. The Chinese Lake Murders is one of them.

The city of Han-Yuan seems to Judge Dee a rather tame place. Within short order, he is presented with several murders and other crimes, with intimations that a terrorist cell called the White Lotus may be reestablishing itself. Halfway through, it would seem that Han-Yuan is a hell on earth, but somehow Judge Dee puzzles through the difficult clues and restores peace and tranquillity.

These Judge Dee novels by Van Gulik are delightful.

[Paul Cornelius · Rating 5 out of 5]

Perhaps this is Van Gulik's Judge Dee masterpiece? I haven't read them all, yet, but this story completes every mystery goal imaginable. Yes, there are the three crimes, all interwoven, and with one leading to the unraveling of the others. So we once again have Van Gulik's masterful plotting and intricate storytelling. This time, we also have an unsurpassed sense of atmosphere. It's the very first instance when I've felt totally immersed in this fictional world of the 7th century A.D. (or CE, if you prefer), although Van Gulik has told us earlier that the Judge Dee stories, while set in the Tang dynasty, in fact, take place against a backdrop of China in the 17th or 18th century.

What else is there? The introduction of a new member of Judge Dee's investigative team, Tao Gan. Tao is a wiley, manipulative genius whose brain power balances out the strong arms of Chiao Tai and Ma Joong as well as the administrative ability of Hoong. All the while, Van Gulik is introducing some spicy material for a novel published in 1960. Earlier, in Judge Dee at Work, he had included a story sympathetic to the plight of a homosexual suspect, even though he did have him killed off. But in The Chinese Lake Murders incest rears its head and stands at the very center of the revealed story (I don't think I spoil anything by acknowledging this surprise, because even as I mention it, there are so many possibilities as to make this "knowledge" harmless to the reader). Accordingly, Van Gulik has also applied modern psychology to his characters. Too, Dee has his comeuppance in this novel, proving he is no infallible super detective but a man with flaws who only manages to work things out in a moment of desperation. Finally, there is a motivating tale of sexual jealousy and sexual revenge, all encapsulated within one woman's desire to see her family and herself made good. And it all comes together like clockwork.

[Maria Altiki · Rating 3 out of 5]

3,5* Τα βιβλία του Robert Van Gulik αν και δεν μπορείς να τα αξιολογήσεις σαν λογοτεχνικά κομψοτεχνήματα λόγω της απλότητας στην γραφή τους, έχουν μέσα όλη την τέχνη του παραδοσιακού κινέζικου αστυνομικού μυθιστορήματος αλλά και περιγράφουν με μεγάλη ακρίβεια τους κανόνες και τα ήθη και έθιμα της αρχαίας Κίνας. Βρήκα απίστευτα πρωτοπορειακό απο το "Δολοφόνοι και χρυσάφι" ακόμα ότι οι οίκοι ανοχής τους ήταν σε πλοία εκτός πόλεως, τα λεγόμενα καράβια των λουλουδιών. Στο συγκεκριμένο βιβλίο βλέπουμε πως λειτουργούσαν αυτά τα καράβια, ακόμα και μια κάτοψη τους. Επίσης περιγράφεται η διαφορά της εταίρας απο την παλλακίδα. Βλέπουμε ότι ακόμα και στους επαίτες υπήρχε συντεχνεία που αφού γινόσουν δεκτός έπρεπε καθερινά να καταβάλεις το 10% των εσόδων σου στον αρχηγό της συντεχνείας της πόλης και να μην προκαλείς φασαρίες, διαφορετικά οι παρείσακτοι εκκαθαριζόταν. Ένα ακόμα σημαντικό στοιχείο είναι ότι ο κατηγορούμενος στο δικαστήριο πρέπει να ομολογήσει ο ίδιος τα εγκληματά του, διαφορετικά δεν μπορεί ο δικαστής με όσα στοιχεία και να έχει να τον κρίνει ένοχο. Για τον σκοπό αυτό επιτρέπονται και τα βασανιστήρια. Το κύριο όμως νομίζω σημείο του συγκεκριμένου βιβλίου είναι η περιγραφή των λειτουργειών της μυστικής υπηρεσίας του Αυτοκράτορα για την καταστολή ομάδας εξεγερθέντων.

[Julliana Tsvetkova · Rating 4 out of 5]

Холандският автор и дипломат Роберт ван Хюлик е човекът, който запознава западния читател с китайския криминален роман. Този жанр се появява през XVI век и достига разцвета си през XVIII и XIX век. Интересното е, че има няколко основни отлики от съвременния криминален роман:
-обикновено престъпникът е назован още в самото начало;
-за разлика от западния реализъм в криминалните романи - тук се залага много на свръхестественото;
-извънредна обстоятелственост - всяка подробност е от съществено значение;
-набляга се не толкова на начина на извършване на престъплението, колкото на наказанието на злодея;
В своите 17 издадени криминални романа за съдията Ди Хюлик използва реален образ - на магистрата Ди Жендзие (китайския Шерлок Холмс- живял през VII век), претворявайки класическия „съдебен роман“, както и цялостната атмосфера, характеризираща тази отдалечена от нас цивилизация. След прочита на Езерото (преди година бях прочела и първия от 17-те романа: "Китайски загадки: Ди Гунан") смея да твърдя, че холандският автор, със своето въображение и знания, не просто възражда китайския детективски роман, но и го дарява с нов облик.
В заключение: упоменатото изместване на акцента/културните особености/преплитането в разследването на три различни истории, както и фокусът върху най-незначителния наглед детайл, бяха колкото интригуващи, толкова и пленителни. Препоръчвам!

[4cats · Rating 5 out of 5]

Judge Dee takes up a magistrates post in a village on a lake where he is told that there is no crime. However at a party on the lake thrown in his honour to celebrate his arrival a courtesan is murdered. Dee and his men face their biggest challenge. If you want to be whisked off to Imperial China then this is the series for you.

[Fenia Vazaka · Rating 4 out of 5]

Μου άρεσε πολύ. Η πλοκή εξελίσσεται κρατώντας τον αναγνώστη σε αγωνία, οι ιστορίες δένουν αρμονικά μεταξύ τους, ο συγγραφές δεν αφήνει ανεξήγητα κενά και δημιουργεί όμορφες εικόνες.

[Δήμητρα Κουζούλογλου · Rating 4 out of 5]

Είναι πρώτη φορά που διαβάζω ένα αστυνομικό μυθιστόρημα με φόντο την Κίνα του 7ου αιώνα και πραγματικά ενθουσιάστηκα.

Δες ολόκληρη την κριτική μου εδώ: Μυστηριώδεις φόνοι στη λίμνη: ταξίδι στην Κίνα του 7ου αιώνα

Αυτό που μου άρεσε περισσότερο σε αυτό το αστυνομικό μυθιστόρημα είναι η ονειρική και μυστηριώδης ατμόσφαιρα που κυριαρχεί σε όλο το βιβλίο. Ο συγγραφέας μου μετέδωσε τόσο παραστατικά το κλίμα της εποχής μέσα από τις συνήθειες και τα έθιμα εκείνων των ανθρώπων. Επιπλέον, μαθαίνουμε πολλές πληροφορίες για τον τρόπο ζωής και οργάνωσης της κινεζικής αυτοκρατορίας την περίοδο της δυναστείας των Τανγκ, ενώ βλέπουμε και πώς οι "ντετέκτιβ" της εποχής εξιχνίαζαν εγκληματικές υποθέσεις χωρίς τα σύγχρονα εργαλεία της επιστήμης.

Αυτό που δεν με κέρδισε στο βιβλίο ήταν οι γυναικείοι χαρακτήρες που ήταν περισσότερο διακοσμητικοί και ίσως η κλιμάκωση της έντασης που δεν έγινε με τέτοιον τρόπο ώστε να με αιχμαλωτίσει.

[Minh Hiền · Rating 4 out of 5]

Mình không bình luận về các vụ án mà chỉ cung cấp thêm một vài thông tin lý thú về cờ tướng và cờ vây vì nó là một chi tiết then chốt trong truyện.

Cờ tướng theo giả thuyết được nhiều người đồng tình nhất là có nguồn gốc từ bộ cờ Saturanga của Ấn Độ. Nó được phát minh dưới vương triều Gupta khoảng thế kỷ V. Khi nó nó du nhập sang châu Âu thì phát triển thành cờ vua, còn qua Nhật thì có tên là Shogi....
Cờ vây thì có lịch sử lâu đời hơn, nhiều người cho rằng nó ra đời cách đây hơn 4000 năm, một số khác lại cho rằng là vào thời nhà Chu ở Trung Quốc (1122 - 249 TCN). Cờ vây cũng rất được ưa chuộng ở Nhật Bản. Thời kỳ hoàng kim của hai loại cờ này là dưới thời nhà Đường (618 - 907).

[Ivan · Rating 4 out of 5]

Je n'en suis pas très certain que le fonctionnement des services secrets de l'époque de la dynastie Tang ait été tel que van Gulik l'a imaginé, cependant, la tentative d'une description fidèle de certains événements étatiques qui étaient courants à cette époque et encore, plus regrettablement, courants quelques siècles après cela reste admirable, vu la pauvreté des sources traduites, dont lui-même en a été certainement traducteur pour le bien des générations actuelles des chercheurs dans l'histoire chinoise.

[Matt · Rating 5 out of 5]

Probably my favourite of the classic Judge Dee mysteries by RH van Gulik.

Part of the appeal is all in the setup. A small sleepy town at the foot of the hills, sixty miles away from Chang'an. Possibly a town with a very dark secret, given the beating and drowning of the dancing-girl and courtesan Xinghua, at an informal party held for Judge Dee by the local town magnates - right after she had hinted to him of an evil conspiracy. The suspects are the very same magnates and tradesmen of the town, who may or may not have been working together to kill her: Han Yongnan, Liu Feibo, Su Yicheng and Wang Yujue. A local elder statesman in retirement has taken to behaving in an irrational manner, much to the vexation of his poor nephew Liang Yide. A midnight attack on Han Yongnan leads Judge Dee to begin suspecting that a secret cult may be plotting against the Dragon Throne itself.

In addition to the evil conspiracy, the novel features two pairs of young lovers, of which one of these pairs - Jiang Youbi and his new bride Liu Yue'e - seems cursed with a string of incredibly bad luck, leading in all appearances to both of their demises on their wedding-night. Additionally, an unsolved riddle on the last page of a manual, written by a weiqi master who lived in the town over seventy years ago, may hold the key to the entire case. But in order to solve all of these vexing cases, Judge Dee must make another addition to his band of assistants: Tao Gan, a more-than-middle-aged vagrant swindler, gambler and petty crook with an encyclopaedic knowledge of the criminal underworld.

The book delivers superbly on the promises of its set-up. The atmosphere and the high-stakes tension don't let up even until the end, when Judge Dee's whole career and possibly his life are laid on the outcome of the case. It features van Gulik's preference for puzzles with an antiquarian and Sinological twist, as well as the fisticuffs, shady hotel back rooms, dilapidated temples and sordid brothels that van Gulik's brand of storytelling relishes in.

And no mystery like this would work without a colourful cast of well-sketched characters: the blustering, oblivious and heavy-drinking town provost Han Yongnan; his talkative daughter Chuiliu; the somewhat stuffy professor Jiang Wenzhang; his skittish (but filial and protective) son Youbi, matched somewhat comically with his robust, fearless and tomboyish bride Yue'e; her jealous father Liu Feibo; the poor, careworn, lovestruck clerk Liang Yide; the sullen and brutish Su Yicheng; the sleazy man-of-business Wan Yifan; and of course the lovely but ill-fated murdered dancer Xinghua, whose backstory brings up more questions than it answers.

My only complaint with this book (and it's not really even that much of a complaint), was the slightly clichéd way in which the murderer is revealed at the end, with Judge Dee literally challenging him by ripping his masque off. But other than that, the book is completely brilliant - Robert Hans van Gulik was clearly on his A-game here.

[Vanessa Wu · Rating 4 out of 5]

Robert Van Gulik is a fascinating man and this novel reflects many of his interests. It combines scholarly attention to detail with a flair for melodrama and the macabre. He was very knowledgeable about ancient China and took a deep interest in Chinese erotic art. This mystery story draws on ancient Chinese detective stories, of which he had made a special study, and is enlivened with many erotic allusions to tease the reader's imagination. There are also a few action sequences featuring clever tricks and deft manoeuvres of the kind found in ancient Chinese literature such as Outlaws of the Marsh and Romance of the Three Kingdoms.

It is more ambitious than it seems on the surface. If you return to the first five pages after reading it all, you will discover that what is at first a confused and confusing preface is an attempt to create a story that has no beginning and no end, just as the opening epigraph suggests:

Only Heaven that wrote the scroll of human life
Knows where its beginning is, and where its end—
If end there be.

It is, amongst other things, a ghost story, very much in the ancient Chinese tradition, and the drowned heroine of the story, to whom a monument is erected in honour of her brave and loyal actions, comes back to haunt with her seductive beauty, men who have evil in their hearts.

Unfortunately I don't think the author's craft matches his ambition. The novel is too crammed with incidents. The language is sometimes awkward. There is little or no character development. There is a lot going on but much of it is explained only after it has happened, which makes it difficult to become caught up in the action.

However, the Judge Dee stories, as far as I know, have no equivalent in English and I recommend them for anyone who likes exotic mysteries or is interested in China during the Ming Dynasty.

[Libros Prestados · Rating 3 out of 5]

Este es un "whodunit" clásico. Tan clásico que nos recuerda a Arthur Conan Doyle y su Sherlock Holmes. Aunque probablemente el juez Di tenga algo menos de carisma.

Hay peleas, disfraces y ayudantes de los "bajos fondos", como en las novelas del sabueso de Baker Street. Y hay conspiraciones y organizaciones secretas, como se espera de este tipo de novelas de la vieja escuela. El puzle son en realidad tres casos, siendo el central, y el que une los otros dos, el asesinato de una bailarina en un barco. Un misterio que en realidad no es tan complejo como parece, hay información que se nos escamotea, por supuesto, y otra ofrecida de tal forma que da pistas falsas. Todo ello esperable en este tipo de libros.

Los misterios "quién lo hizo" son todo mecánica, todo estructura. Y éste no lo es menos. Los personajes son funcionales, el detective (el Juez Di) tiene suficiente personalidad, aunque no llegue a los legendarios (como Poirot, por ejemplo), y todo se supedita a la trama, al misterio.

Así que todos aquellos a quienes les gusten las novelas detectivescas de la vieja escuela lo disfrutarán. El resto tal vez lo encuentre un poco simple o pedestre. Yo, por mi parte, he pasado un buen rato con él. Es un buen ejemplo del género, aunque tal vez le haya faltado un "algo" especial para gustarme más. Eso sí, he aprendido muchísimo del sistema judicial chino del siglo VII.

[Mikhail · Rating 4 out of 5]

As with so many classics, you read this, you have no idea why you read this since it violates every standard of how to write a proper mystery, and yet you can't stop.

I will also say that Robert van Gulik was one of those authors who is at *least* as interesting as his characters.

[Ver · Rating 5 out of 5]

I really enjoyed this book and read it very quickly. There was a lot of action and the background of the story is so different than the European setting. I like how the author describes the different culture and makes it accessible to the reader. The mysteries were also interesting and lead to something bigger. I intend to read the whole series.

[Vintagebooklvr · Rating 3 out of 5]

A bit slow and dry at times but it is interesting to see a mystery form (with some changes for Western tastes) that predates Poe by centuries. Clever and some excitement as well.

[KIRIAKI(Dominica Amat) · Rating 4 out of 5]

https://dominicamat.blogspot.com/2020...

Βαθμολογία 3.5/5

Κυκλοφόρησε πρόσφατα από τις εκδόσεις Μίνωας το αστυνομικό μυθιστόρημα ''Μυστηριώδεις φόνοι στη λίμνη'' του συγγραφέα κυρίου Ρόμπερτ Βαν Γκούλικ,το οποίο αναφέρεται στην τρίτη περιπέτεια με πρωταγωνιστή τον Δικαστή Τι.
Αν κι εσείς,όπως εγώ,δεν έχει τύχει να διαβάσετε τα δύο πρώτα βιβλία,μην άγχεστε για το αν θα μπορέσετε να καταλάβετε την υπόθεσή του. Έξυπνα ο συγγραφέας στο υστερόγραφο του βιβλίου δίνει όλες εκείνες τις χρήσιμες λεπτομέρειες που θα σας βοηθήσουν στην κατανόησή του. Αλλά καί στην επεξήγηση του κινεζικού συστήματος δικαιοσύνης της τότε εποχής. Εγώ,μάλιστα,πρίν ξεκινήσω την επαφή μου με το κείμενο,διάβασα με προσοχή όσα αναφέρονται μέσα στο υστερόγραφο κι έπειτα συνέχισα με την κανονική σειρά την ανάγνωσή του.
Ξεκινώντας να ξεφυλλίζετε το βιβλίο θα βρείτε έναν χάρτη/άποψη του Χαν-Γιουάν,του μέρους δηλαδή που θα λάβουν χώρα τα γεγονότα. Στην συνέχεια,υπάρχει ο πρόλογος από τον ίδιο τον συγγραφέα που είναι εξίσου πολύ κατατοπιστικός καί πρίν αρχίσει η εξιστόρηση της ιστορίας,μας παρέχεται ένας αναλυτικός πίνακας των ονομάτων των προσώπων που θα συναντήσουμε μέσα στην υπόθεση,παράλληλα με την αναφορά στην ιδιότητά τους.
Το βιβλίο αποτελείται από 20 μικρά,περιεκτικά κεφάλαια,καθένα εκ των οποίων έχει ως δικό του τίτλο δύο προτάσεις,οι οποίες εσωκλείουν όλο το νόημα του κεφαλαίου,καθώς καί σημαντικές κατευθυντήριες γραμμές.
Εδώ έχουμε μία ιστορία πρωτότυπη,ενδιαφέρουσα καί πολυπρόσωπη. Την χαρακτηρίζει η σφιχτοδεμένη πλοκή,η πληθώρα των εικόνων,το απλό λεξιλόγιο,η δράση καί το μυστήριο. Επίσης,θα συναντήσουμε τρείς κι όχι μία υποθέσεις,οι οποίες αν καί εκ πρώτης άποψης μοιάζουν να μην σχετίζονται μεταξύ τους,τελικά είναι αλληλένδετες κι η μία βοηθάει στην επίλυση της άλλης.
Ο τόπος διεξαγωγής των γεγονότων είναι το Χαν-Γιουάν το 666 μ.Χ. Δεν πιστεύω να είστε προκατειλημμένοι/ες βλέποντας τον αριθμό στην χρονολογία! Δεδομένου ότι τόσο ο Δικαστής Τι,όσο καί κάποια γεγονοτά ήταν πραγματικά,θα έπρεπε ο συγγραφέας να τοποθετήσει την υπόθεση στην συγκεκριμένη περίοδο. Με αυτό τον τρόπο τονίζονται τα ήθη καί τα έθιμα της χώρας.
Επιπλέον bonus,12 εικόνες σχεδιασμένες από τον συγγραφέα με την κινεζική τεχνοτροπία,εντέχνως τοποθετημένες σε καίρια σημεία του κειμένου. Του δίνουν έναν τόνο ζωντάνιας καί φρεσκάδας καί μπορεί το αναγνωστικό κοινό ευκολότερα να αντιληφθεί τα χαρακτηριστικά των ηρώων.
Αν ψάχνετε κάτι αλλιώτικο κι εναλλακτικό,το συγκεκριμένο βιβλίο είναι μία αρκετά καλή πρόταση. Εγώ θα σας πρότεινα να αναζητήσετε καί τα δύο προηγούμενα καί να τα διαβάσετε με την σειρά που έχουν εκδοθεί.
Καλές σας αναγνώσεις!

[Lauri · Rating 5 out of 5]

Kohtunik Di ja Valge Lootose õudne ja kurjakuulutav salaselts! Kuld! Ilmselt viie klassikalise kohtunik Di juhtumi (Hiina kulla/järve/kella/labürindi/naelamõrvad) seast üks vingemaid - kuigi meenub et kella ja labürindimõrvad polnud sugugi kehvemad. Nagu ikka kolm kokkupõimunud juhtumit ja geniaalne lahendus neile kõigile. Ja Valge Lootos!

[Con Bé Ki · Rating 4 out of 5]

Tình tiết cũng dễ hiểu dễ đoán dễ tưởng tượng, nhưng khi đọc vẫn thấy hưng phấn tò mò đoạn tiếp sau. Cái kết hơi nhanh gọn ít tốn giấy, mặc dù phần giải thích sau đó thì khá chi tiết. Ok 4 sao **** hehe.

[Sarah Kipp · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book was a classic murder mystery like Sherlock Holmes, but set in seventh century China. I really enjoyed reading about the sorted underbelly of life in China at this time as judge Dee solved the mystery!

[Orwellka · Rating 5 out of 5]

Kolejne udane kilka wieczorów w towarzystwie sędziego Di.

[Ad · Rating 5 out of 5]

The Chinese Lake Murders is set in 666 in Hanyuan, a fictional lake resort in the mountains about 40 miles from the Chinese capital of Changan (now Xian). It is the second post of Judge Dee in the fictional chronology of the series. Hanyuan is famous for its floating brothels or "flower boats" and the story starts with the mysterious murder of a beautiful dancer on one such boat, just as Judge Dee is being wined and dined for his new appointment by the dignitaries of the town. As usual in these novels, problems come in sets of three, and the investigation turns into a maze of political intrigue, sordid greed, and dark passions. Many motives in the novel are based on old Chinese sources, such as a case of suspended animation of a young bride, a robber band hiding in the marshes, and above all the big theme on which the novel ends, a revolt against the Chinese government by a secret religious sect.

This was the fourth original Judge Dee novel by Dutch Sinologist and diplomat Robert Van Gulik, published in 1960, but already written in 1952. It has the form and style of the early Judge Dee novels, which was borrowed from Celebrated Cases Of Judge Dee, the Judge Dee novel Van Gulik translated from the Chinese: the start from an introduction which serves as a frame, chapter titles in parallel lines, a description of the execution of the criminal, interest in the supernatural, etc. - also the idea of having the Judge solve several mysteries at the same time came from that Chinese novel (in our lives we are also never just engaged upon one thing, but we have to multitask).

As usual, the novel derives its major interest and fascination from Van Gulik's original description of Judge Dee and his assistants, Sergeant Hoong, Dee's faithful family retainer, Ma Yoong and Tsiao Tai, former "brothers of the green woods" (i.e. highwaymen), and Tao Gan, a reformed itinerant confidence man. Hanyuan and its lake would also be the settings of the novella "The Morning of the Monkey" and the short story "The Murder on the Lotus Pond," while also the novel "The Haunted Monastery" takes place when Dee is magistrate of Hanyuan (but situated at another location).

Read my blog at https://adblankestijn.blogspot.com/

[Dfordoom · Rating 5 out of 5]

Published in 1960, this is another of Robert van Gulik’s detective novels set in Imperial China the 8th century AD, sees Judge Dee investigating three apparently unconnected cases. One involves a beautiful murdered courtesan, one involves the death of a bride of her wedding night, and the third involves the strange financial transactions of an elderly imperial councillor. It soon becomes evident that none of these cases is what it seems, and that the judge has stumbled upon something much larger and much more sinister. It’s wonderful entertainment.

[Brian R. Mcdonald]

Go references: Little on the game itself, but a diagram of a game position plays a major role in the plot.

[Dora · Rating 4 out of 5]

Ξανά απολαυστικό

[Μιχάλης Παπαχατζάκης · Rating 4 out of 5]

Το βιβλίο, όπως όλα όσα έχω διαβάσει της σειράς, είναι πολύ καλό. Ο Δικαστής Τι διελευκάνει ταυτόχρονα τρια μυστήρια.