Klaus Schomburg Book order (chronological)

Judge Dee presided over his Imperial Chinese court with a brand of Confucian justice. A near-mythic figure in China, he distinguished himself as a tribunal magistrate, inquisitor, and public avenger. This book contains eight short stories which cover a decade during which the judge served in four different provinces of the Tang Empire.

This is one of a series of five detective stories set in 7th century China when the judge was also the detective. Judge Dee has three murders to solve and there is an obvious suspect who everyone wants to put on trial, but Judge Dee is suspicious and manages to track down the real murderer.