Shadow of the Empire: A Judge Dee Investigation by Qiu Xiaolong

 

Reviewed by Jeanne

Di Renjie, a seventh century Chinese magistrate and statesman, was the inspiration for an eighteenth century Chinese detective novel.  The book greatly intrigued Robert van Gulik, a Dutch scholar who studied Chinese culture, especially art and literature.  He reworked the book to suit Western sensibilities, taking out some of the supernatural elements, and then wrote several novels using the character “Judge Dee.” These proved very popular.

Now Qiu Xiaolong, a Shanghai-born, award-winning mystery author has decided to do his own version of a Judge Dee story.  As the story opens, Dee has just been appointed as Imperial Circuit Supervisor by Empress Wu and is setting out to assume his new post.  He is contacted by a representative from Internal Minister Wu—the nephew of the Empress—about investigating a recent shocking murder.  A renowned poet/courtesan, Xuanji, brutally murdered her maid and buried her body in the courtyard of a Daoist nunnery.  She has been arrested and has confessed, but her confession seems suspect.  Dee agrees to stop a day or so and investigate the matter.

Dee knows from the start that there is something very odd about the matter—not just the murder, but the request for him to investigate.  There are obviously some political machinations going on, and the confession is unbelievable, but the broader picture remains murky. Dee is going to have to be very careful, lest he fall into someone’s trap.

I had read the van Gulik books years ago and was fascinated by them, so I was eager to pick this one up.  I am pleased to report that I enjoyed it very much.  The politics of the Tang Dynasty were more prominent in this one than I recall from van Gulik’s work, and I felt I had a bit more insight into the culture.  Poetry is enormously important in this era, and Qiu includes some of Xuanji’s poetry;  the murder in the book is indeed based on a true story, although the real case occurred long after Judge Dee’s time.  The ending was satisfying, though I’m not sure others would agree. I see it as a reflection of the time, and remain intrigued by some of the characters.

I would certainly read another Dee book by this author, and now I want to go back and read some of van Gulik’s as well.