Van Gulik's Judge Dee Books in Order
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The Judge Dee series by Robert van Gulik, published between 1957 and 1971, consists of historical mystery novels set in Imperial China and based on the real Tang dynasty magistrate and statesman Dee Jen. Each book features Judge Dee solving complex crimes while navigating the political and social landscape of his time. The series draws from traditional Chinese gong'an detective stories, blending historical elements with fictional investigations.
Publication order
In the order the books were originally released.
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1957 · Robert van Gulik
The Chinese Maze Murders is a gong'an historical mystery novel written by Robert van Gulik and set in Imperial China, published in 1951. It is…
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1958 · Robert van Gulik
The Chinese Bell Murders is a 1958 gong'an historical mystery novel written by Robert van Gulik and set in Imperial China. It is fiction based on the…
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Buy on Amazon1959 · Robert van Gulik
Soon after taking up his first magisterial post in the godforsaken district of Peng-lai, Judge Dee must investigate the murder of his predecessor. A…
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1960 · Robert van Gulik
The Chinese Lake Murders is a historical mystery novel written by Robert van Gulik in 1960. It is part of a series featuring Judge Dee, a magistrate…
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1961 · Robert van Gulik
The Chinese Nail Murders is a gong'an detective novel written by Robert van Gulik and set in Imperial China, published in 1961. It is a fiction based…
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1961 · Robert van Gulik
The Haunted Monastery is a gong'an detective novel written by Robert van Gulik and set in Imperial China. Published in 1961, it is fiction based on…
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1961 · Robert van Gulik
The Red Pavilion is a gong'an detective novel written by Robert van Gulik. It is set in Imperial China and features Judge Dee, a magistrate and…
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1962 · Robert van Gulik
The Lacquer Screen is a gong'an detective novel written by Robert van Gulik and set in Imperial China. Published in 1962, it is a work of fiction…
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1963 · Robert van Gulik
The Emperor's Pearl is a gong'an detective novel written by Robert van Gulik. It is set in Imperial China and features Judge Dee, a magistrate and…
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1964 · Robert van Gulik
The Morning of the Monkey is a 1964 story by Robert van Gulik, part of The Monkey and the Tiger, a book pairing two unrelated short gong'an detective…
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1965 · Robert van Gulik
The Monkey and the Tiger pairs two unrelated short gong'an detective novels written by Robert van Gulik and set in Imperial China. Both stories are…
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Buy on Amazon1966 · Robert van Gulik
A 1966 novel by Robert van Gulik in which Judge Dee investigates three perplexing murders. In the course of solving them, he uncovers a plot aimed at…
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1966 · Robert van Gulik
The Phantom of the Temple is a 1966 gong'an detective novel written by Robert van Gulik, set in Imperial China. It is a work of fiction based on the…
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1967 · Robert van Gulik
Judge Dee at Work is a 1967 collection of 8 gong'an detective short stories written by Robert van Gulik and set in Imperial China. It is fiction…
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Buy on Amazon1967 · Robert van Gulik
Necklace and Calabash is a gong'an detective novel written by Robert van Gulik and set in Imperial China. It is fiction based on the real character…
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Buy on AmazonYear unknown · Robert van Gulik
Poets and Murder is a 1968 novel by Robert van Gulik in which master detective Judge Dee investigates a puzzling double murder, uncovering…
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Frequently asked questions
What order should I read the Van Gulik's Judge Dee series books in?
Read them in publication order, starting with “The Chinese Maze Murders”. Start with “The Chinese Maze Murders.”
How many books are in the Van Gulik's Judge Dee series series?
We list 16 books by Robert van Gulik , published between 1957–1967.
Where can I buy the Van Gulik's Judge Dee series books?
Each title above links to Amazon. See our affiliate disclosure.
More series like Van Gulik's Judge Dee series
Reading order compiled from author/publisher guidance and verified bibliographic data. Spotted a wrong order, a missing book, or any other mistake? and we'll correct it.