Murder in Canton

1966 novel by Robert van Gulik

Murder in Canton

First edition (UK)

Author| Robert van Gulik
Series| Judge Dee
Genre| Gong'an fiction, Mystery, Detective novel, Crime
Publisher| Heinemann

Publication date

| 1966
Media type| Print (paperback)
Pages| 207
OCLC| 28292445

Dewey Decimal

| 823/.914 20
LC Class| PR9130.G8 M87 1993
Preceded by| The Willow Pattern
Followed by| The Phantom of the Temple

Murder in Canton is a gong'an detective 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 contains twelve illustrations and a map of Canton by the author.

## Plot introduction

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Judge Dee is now the most senior judge in all of China and his authority is little less than that of the Emperor himself. Canton is the most important trading port in the country, filled with merchants from many other lands, some as far away as India and Baghdad. When one of the secretive but very powerful Imperial censors goes missing in Canton, Judge Dee must come to the city in disguise and investigate. He is aided by a beautiful blind girl who collects crickets.

This is the last story in the internal chronology of Judge Dee.

## Literary significance and criticism

[edit]

"Published in the year before his death, this tale by the distinguished Sinologist takes Judge Dee to a setting new for him and deals with crime in a style closer to that of his first good ones. The unraveling of the political intrigue and love affairs is as subtle as the plot is complex, and modernity and antiquity are beautifully blended. As in all the other stories, the illustrations are too much alike to add much interest".[1]

## References

[edit]

1. ^ Barzun, Jacques and Taylor, Wendell Hertig. A Catalogue of Crime. New York: Harper & Row. 1971, revised and enlarged edition 1989. ISBN 0-06-015796-8

## External links

[edit]

* Murder in Canton at Faded Page (Canada)

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Judge Dee

Books|

* Celebrated Cases of Judge Dee
* The Chinese Maze Murders
* The Chinese Bell Murders
* The Chinese Gold Murders
* The Chinese Lake Murders
* The Chinese Nail Murders
* The Haunted Monastery
* The Red Pavilion
* The Lacquer Screen
* The Emperor's Pearl
* The Willow Pattern
* Murder in Canton
* The Phantom of the Temple
* Judge Dee at Work
* Necklace and Calabash
* Poets and Murder

Films|

* Detective Dee and the Mystery of the Phantom Flame (2010)
* Young Detective Dee: Rise of the Sea Dragon (2013)
* Detective Dee: The Four Heavenly Kings (2018)

TV series|

* Amazing Detective Di Renjie (2004)
* Amazing Detective Di Renjie 2 (2006)
* Amazing Detective Di Renjie 3 (2008)
* Mad Detective Di Renjie (2010)
* Young Sherlock (2014)
* Judge Dee's Mystery (2024)

Video Games|

* Detective Di: The Silk Rose Murders (2019)

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*[LC Class]: Library of Congress Classification
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