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Judge Dee #5
Judge Dee and the Mystery of the Missing Manuscript
Judge Dee must himself stand trial before his fellow vampires for the loss of a valuable manuscript, even as those vampires are murdered, one by one, by an unknown hand.
39 pages, ebook
First published November 9, 2022
5 people are currently reading
137 people want to read
About the author
Lavie Tidhar
398 books729 followersLavie Tidhar was raised on a kibbutz in Israel. He has travelled extensively since he was a teenager, living in South Africa, the UK, Laos, and the small island nation of Vanuatu.
Tidhar began publishing with a poetry collection in Hebrew in 1998, but soon moved to fiction, becoming a prolific author of short stories early in the 21st century.
Temporal Spiders, Spatial Webs won the 2003 Clarke-Bradbury competition, sponsored by the European Space Agency, while The Night Train (2010) was a Sturgeon Award finalist.
Linked story collection HebrewPunk (2007) contains stories of Jewish pulp fantasy.
He co-wrote dark fantasy novel The Tel Aviv Dossier (2009) with Nir Yaniv. The Bookman Histories series, combining literary and historical characters with steampunk elements, includes The Bookman (2010), Camera Obscura (2011), and The Great Game (2012).
Standalone novel Osama (2011) combines pulp adventure with a sophisticated look at the impact of terrorism. It won the 2012 World Fantasy Award, and was a finalist for the Campbell Memorial Award, British Science Fiction Award, and a Kitschie.
His latest novels are Martian Sands and The Violent Century.
Much of Tidhar’s best work is done at novella length, including An Occupation of Angels (2005), Cloud Permutations (2010), British Fantasy Award winner Gorel and the Pot-Bellied God (2011), and Jesus & the Eightfold Path (2011).
Tidhar advocates bringing international SF to a wider audience, and has edited The Apex Book of World SF (2009) and The Apex Book of World SF 2 (2012).
He is also editor-in-chief of the World SF Blog , and in 2011 was a finalist for a World Fantasy Award for his work there.
He also edited A Dick and Jane Primer for Adults (2008); wrote Michael Marshall Smith: The Annotated Bibliography (2004); wrote weird picture book Going to The Moon (2012, with artist Paul McCaffery); and scripted one-shot comic Adolf Hitler’s I Dream of Ants! (2012, with artist Neil Struthers).
Tidhar lives with his wife in London.
Tidhar began publishing with a poetry collection in Hebrew in 1998, but soon moved to fiction, becoming a prolific author of short stories early in the 21st century.
Temporal Spiders, Spatial Webs won the 2003 Clarke-Bradbury competition, sponsored by the European Space Agency, while The Night Train (2010) was a Sturgeon Award finalist.
Linked story collection HebrewPunk (2007) contains stories of Jewish pulp fantasy.
He co-wrote dark fantasy novel The Tel Aviv Dossier (2009) with Nir Yaniv. The Bookman Histories series, combining literary and historical characters with steampunk elements, includes The Bookman (2010), Camera Obscura (2011), and The Great Game (2012).
Standalone novel Osama (2011) combines pulp adventure with a sophisticated look at the impact of terrorism. It won the 2012 World Fantasy Award, and was a finalist for the Campbell Memorial Award, British Science Fiction Award, and a Kitschie.
His latest novels are Martian Sands and The Violent Century.
Much of Tidhar’s best work is done at novella length, including An Occupation of Angels (2005), Cloud Permutations (2010), British Fantasy Award winner Gorel and the Pot-Bellied God (2011), and Jesus & the Eightfold Path (2011).
Tidhar advocates bringing international SF to a wider audience, and has edited The Apex Book of World SF (2009) and The Apex Book of World SF 2 (2012).
He is also editor-in-chief of the World SF Blog , and in 2011 was a finalist for a World Fantasy Award for his work there.
He also edited A Dick and Jane Primer for Adults (2008); wrote Michael Marshall Smith: The Annotated Bibliography (2004); wrote weird picture book Going to The Moon (2012, with artist Paul McCaffery); and scripted one-shot comic Adolf Hitler’s I Dream of Ants! (2012, with artist Neil Struthers).
Tidhar lives with his wife in London.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 46 reviews
February 16, 2024
A Pleasant Distraction.
Once again Judge Dee, a vampire judge, is out to disentangle the law. With his assistant, Jonathan in tow, Judge Dee is dismally visiting a monastery.
The monastery contains a large library, which has a large collection of books. The books are ancient and Judge Dee has to answer for the book he has borrowed, but not returned in seven hundred years.
Fortunately for the judge, everyone is distracted by a murder.
Another Judge Dee mystery, which has a very interesting cast of supporting characters, including the delightful, colorful Jonathan.
Five stars. 💫💫💫💫💫
Once again Judge Dee, a vampire judge, is out to disentangle the law. With his assistant, Jonathan in tow, Judge Dee is dismally visiting a monastery.
The monastery contains a large library, which has a large collection of books. The books are ancient and Judge Dee has to answer for the book he has borrowed, but not returned in seven hundred years.
Fortunately for the judge, everyone is distracted by a murder.
Another Judge Dee mystery, which has a very interesting cast of supporting characters, including the delightful, colorful Jonathan.
Five stars. 💫💫💫💫💫
December 14, 2022
WELCOME TO DECEMBER PROJECT!
this explanation/intro will be posted before each day’s short story. scroll down to get to the story-review.
this is the SEVENTH year of me doing a short story advent calendar as my december project. for those of you new to me or this endeavor, here’s the skinny: every day in december, i will be reading a short story that is 1) available free somewhere on internet, and 2) listed on goodreads as its own discrete entity. there will be links provided for those of you who like to read (or listen to) short stories for free, and also for those of you who have wildly overestimated how many books you can read in a year and are freaking out about not meeting your annual reading-challenge goals. i have been gathering links all year when tasty little tales have popped into my feed, but i will also accept additional suggestions, as long as they meet my aforementioned 1), 2) standards.
GR has deleted the pages for several of the stories i've read in previous years without warning, leaving me with a bunch of missing reviews and broken links, which makes me feel shitty. i have tried to restore the ones i could, but my to-do list is already a ball of nightmares, so that's still a work-in-progress. however, because i don't have a lot of time to waste, and because my brain has felt scraped clean ever since my bout with covid, i'm not going to bother writing much in the way of reviews for these, in case GR decides to scrap 'em again.
i am doing my best.
merry merry.
DECEMBER 3
five stars for a fifth JUDGE DEE story! seeing a red nose studio illustration thumbnailed on tor's free fiction page always makes the heart glad, and when it's attached to one of these undead-justice stories, it's doubleplusglad. i have missed reading these stories every week, but being away so long means it is now a tor-easure trove of unread goodies for me. my stocking is stuffed, my heart will go on, my edible will kick in.
read it for yourself here:
https://www.tor.com/2022/11/09/judge-...
2022:
DECEMBER 1: PORGEE'S BOAR - JONATHAN CARROLL
DECEMBER 2: SKELETON SONG - SEANAN MCGUIRE
FROM THE BEFORETIMES:
2016 short story advent calendar
2017 short story advent calendar
2018 short story advent calendar
2019 short story advent calendar
2020 short story advent calendar
2021 short story advent calendar
this explanation/intro will be posted before each day’s short story. scroll down to get to the story-review.
this is the SEVENTH year of me doing a short story advent calendar as my december project. for those of you new to me or this endeavor, here’s the skinny: every day in december, i will be reading a short story that is 1) available free somewhere on internet, and 2) listed on goodreads as its own discrete entity. there will be links provided for those of you who like to read (or listen to) short stories for free, and also for those of you who have wildly overestimated how many books you can read in a year and are freaking out about not meeting your annual reading-challenge goals. i have been gathering links all year when tasty little tales have popped into my feed, but i will also accept additional suggestions, as long as they meet my aforementioned 1), 2) standards.
GR has deleted the pages for several of the stories i've read in previous years without warning, leaving me with a bunch of missing reviews and broken links, which makes me feel shitty. i have tried to restore the ones i could, but my to-do list is already a ball of nightmares, so that's still a work-in-progress. however, because i don't have a lot of time to waste, and because my brain has felt scraped clean ever since my bout with covid, i'm not going to bother writing much in the way of reviews for these, in case GR decides to scrap 'em again.
i am doing my best.
merry merry.
DECEMBER 3
five stars for a fifth JUDGE DEE story! seeing a red nose studio illustration thumbnailed on tor's free fiction page always makes the heart glad, and when it's attached to one of these undead-justice stories, it's doubleplusglad. i have missed reading these stories every week, but being away so long means it is now a tor-easure trove of unread goodies for me. my stocking is stuffed, my heart will go on, my edible will kick in.
read it for yourself here:
https://www.tor.com/2022/11/09/judge-...
2022:
DECEMBER 1: PORGEE'S BOAR - JONATHAN CARROLL
DECEMBER 2: SKELETON SONG - SEANAN MCGUIRE
FROM THE BEFORETIMES:
2016 short story advent calendar
2017 short story advent calendar
2018 short story advent calendar
2019 short story advent calendar
2020 short story advent calendar
2021 short story advent calendar
November 12, 2022
‘It was on the first day of spring,’ he said, ‘the year of the fall of the Western Roman Empire. You had come to these archives seeking the Code of Hammurabi! That manuscript was granted to you! You begged to borrow it for a short time only! This was agreed and recorded in the book of records! Is this your signature?’
Judge Dee looked at the book.
‘It is,’ he said gravely.
‘You are seven hundred years in arrears, Judge Dee!’
‘Time ran away from me,’ the judge said.
The monks hissed in disapproval.
This series is great - the fun you get when you poke at something normally as serious as vampires is great, and the added bonus of the travelling investigative detective pushes it over the top. Then Lavie Tidhar set this one in a vampire library! Loved it.
Find it on Tor here: https://www.tor.com/2022/11/09/judge-...
Judge Dee looked at the book.
‘It is,’ he said gravely.
‘You are seven hundred years in arrears, Judge Dee!’
‘Time ran away from me,’ the judge said.
The monks hissed in disapproval.
This series is great - the fun you get when you poke at something normally as serious as vampires is great, and the added bonus of the travelling investigative detective pushes it over the top. Then Lavie Tidhar set this one in a vampire library! Loved it.
Find it on Tor here: https://www.tor.com/2022/11/09/judge-...
November 12, 2022
Like previous entries this proved a fairly amusing murder mystery, featuring a colorful cast of vampires. As always, Jonathan, the judge's perennially hungry, tired and scared assistant, steals the spotlight, and actually gets more attention than Judge Dee himself, which is a good thing since the judge in fact is usually the least interesting of the characters in these stories.
December 17, 2024
Stars: 3 out of 5
This was an okay short story about Judge Dee and his erstwhile manservant Johnathan. A cute little murder mystery. Though I admit that the other vampires were a little bit over the top, which was getting rather tiresome.
This was an okay short story about Judge Dee and his erstwhile manservant Johnathan. A cute little murder mystery. Though I admit that the other vampires were a little bit over the top, which was getting rather tiresome.
December 8, 2022
The Vampire Library has few rules, but those they have they take deadly serious. Unfortunately, Judge Dee is late returning his book - seven hundred years late.
“Death!” the monks chanted. “Death to the unlawful borrower of books! Death to the late returner!”
“That seems a bit excessive,” Drago of Carpathia said. “He did bring it back!”
The monks hissed at him…
“Seven hundred years of torture, then!”
It was funny to see Judge Dee in the hot seat, to see him penitent yet, as always, clever.
And yes, there was also a murder mystery. And again, the ending needed another sentence or two to grab another star.
Read it for yourself: https://www.tor.com/2022/11/09/judge-...
“Death!” the monks chanted. “Death to the unlawful borrower of books! Death to the late returner!”
“That seems a bit excessive,” Drago of Carpathia said. “He did bring it back!”
The monks hissed at him…
“Seven hundred years of torture, then!”
It was funny to see Judge Dee in the hot seat, to see him penitent yet, as always, clever.
And yes, there was also a murder mystery. And again, the ending needed another sentence or two to grab another star.
Read it for yourself: https://www.tor.com/2022/11/09/judge-...
August 15, 2025
Take an ancient deadly vampire, get his Guillermo aka Jonathan and find a hidden monastery library of untold wonders at the top of an ungodly mountain and you have the makings of a good full lenth novel.
Alas, it's my fave - Judge Dee in small doses to keep us coming back.
Somehow Judge Dee committing the crime of an overdue library book is just so on brand - and relatable. Love the weirdass librarian monks who look like ancient hell.
I really thought the little rat-catching vampire was an elder.
this was so good
Alas, it's my fave - Judge Dee in small doses to keep us coming back.
Somehow Judge Dee committing the crime of an overdue library book is just so on brand - and relatable. Love the weirdass librarian monks who look like ancient hell.
I really thought the little rat-catching vampire was an elder.
this was so good
December 15, 2022
A funny Vampire story. This was great.
November 11, 2022
The covers to these Judge Dee short stories are the best. Even if I hated them, I would probably keep reading just for that. Luckily, I do not hate them. Like most of the series, this is a quick entertaining read. The story is split into two parts, one that features Judge Dee being in the hot seat and the other being the standard type of tale expected from previous entries. Jonathan continues to be the best character. These stories continue to seem like they think they are more clever than they are. In the end, still enjoyable.
May 2, 2023
ooo this was so fun!
i don't typically read murder mysteries (i think this was actually the second one i've ever read?) but this novella really charmed me.
the writing was very easy and super nice and flowy, entwined with some witty shots of humor here and there, which i really enjoyed.
the characters are all very distinct and i had a clear picture of each and every one of them in my mind while i was reading. judge dee is an awesome protagonist and i loved his witticism. his assistant jonathan was so cute, as well, with his love of cheese. drago and the cutter were extremely fun to read about, and i think my favorite character from the entire cast has to be baphomet, what with her obsession with blood and legacy.
the mystery itself was solid. it didn't have the most shocking and unexpected plot twist of all time, but it was by all means good enough and i have no complaints about it. i really enjoyed seeing it unfurl against the backdrop of a monastery-esque library.
overall, a very charming novella. i am glad i read this and i will defenitely be reading the other installments in this series. i can't wait to see what other situations judge dee and jonathan have gotten themselves into!
i don't typically read murder mysteries (i think this was actually the second one i've ever read?) but this novella really charmed me.
the writing was very easy and super nice and flowy, entwined with some witty shots of humor here and there, which i really enjoyed.
the characters are all very distinct and i had a clear picture of each and every one of them in my mind while i was reading. judge dee is an awesome protagonist and i loved his witticism. his assistant jonathan was so cute, as well, with his love of cheese. drago and the cutter were extremely fun to read about, and i think my favorite character from the entire cast has to be baphomet, what with her obsession with blood and legacy.
the mystery itself was solid. it didn't have the most shocking and unexpected plot twist of all time, but it was by all means good enough and i have no complaints about it. i really enjoyed seeing it unfurl against the backdrop of a monastery-esque library.
overall, a very charming novella. i am glad i read this and i will defenitely be reading the other installments in this series. i can't wait to see what other situations judge dee and jonathan have gotten themselves into!
January 24, 2024
The Name of the Rose by Umberto Eco with vampires and more comedy, but in 32 pages.
It can be read at Reactormag.com formally tor.com here:
https://reactormag.com/judge-dee-and-...
It can be read at Reactormag.com formally tor.com here:
https://reactormag.com/judge-dee-and-...
November 24, 2022
Another amusing instalment of Judge Dee and Jonathan. More humour for us and cheese for Jonathan!
December 1, 2022
Next in the series of stories about the Vampire Judge Dee and his human assistant, Jonathan, this one starts with Judge Dee being judged by a monastery of vampires with arrears over an item he had earlier borrowed, before getting into the murders, which may be over the contents of a book rumoured to be about the dead.
Compared to previous stories, there is not much detective work in this one, which has an obvious suspect and a 'MacGuffin' vampire, who just happens to know how to deal with the protections surrounding the rumoured book. In the end, the story is more about the author's world of vampires than a real mystery.
Compared to previous stories, there is not much detective work in this one, which has an obvious suspect and a 'MacGuffin' vampire, who just happens to know how to deal with the protections surrounding the rumoured book. In the end, the story is more about the author's world of vampires than a real mystery.
August 25, 2024
A murder in a library. What was precious about the book?
Echoes of 'The Name of the Rose' and despite its setting unlike 'The Body in the Library', featuring a Carpathian vampire of future infamy, this short story is a fun mystery with lots of little Easter eggs.
Echoes of 'The Name of the Rose' and despite its setting unlike 'The Body in the Library', featuring a Carpathian vampire of future infamy, this short story is a fun mystery with lots of little Easter eggs.
Read
November 11, 2022Vampire Judge Dee is sentenced to death for an overdue book, and is then called upon to solve a series of murders in the library.
...I'm charmed and delighted by every Judge Dee story I read.
...I'm charmed and delighted by every Judge Dee story I read.
August 17, 2023
I quite liked this lol I love the cover for this omg it's so rare you see such artistici style on a cover
link: https://www.tor.com/2022/11/09/judge-...
link: https://www.tor.com/2022/11/09/judge-...
November 9, 2022
I enjoyed the Drac cameo, especially right after this year's Dracula Daily ended. Another solid entry into the Judge Dee series.
February 17, 2023
Judge Dee and the Mystery of the Missing Manuscript (Địch Phán quan và Bí ẩn về cảo bản bị mất tích): Du hành đến một tu viện cổ, nơi tọa lạc một thư viện đồ sộ, Địch Phán quan phải ra hầu tòa vì một cuốn sách có giá trị. Cùng lúc đó, lần lượt từng ma cà rồng ở tu viện bị sát hại vì một cảo bản vô giá khác.
Mình đã cười sằng sặc khi bắt đầu đọc “Judge Dee and the Mystery of the Missing Manuscript”, vì cùng lúc đó mình đang đọc “Tên của đóa hồng”. Không khó để nhận ra ảnh hưởng của Umberto Eco lên truyện ngắn này, và Archivum Noctis là phiên bản ma cà rồng của tu viện Ý.
Truyện có thể chia làm hai nửa: phiên tòa xử Địch Phán quan và vụ án mạng liên hoàn. Cá nhân mình đánh giá cao nửa đầu hơn, nó mới lạ và thú vị, nhiều chỗ được viết theo lối giễu cợt khá vui. Tội ác ở nửa sau được viết hơi non, không phải nghi phạm nào cũng được khai thác tốt, cách giải quyết khá chóng vánh. Dù vậy, động cơ phạm tội và sự tồn tại của “facebook” cũng tương đối ổn.
Tóm lại, giống như hầu hết các tập khác trong series, “Judge Dee and the Mystery of the Missing Manuscript” không quá xuất sắc nhưng đọc giải trí tốt.
“Theo ý kiến của Jonathan, sách được đánh giá quá cao. Hầu như không có ai sử dụng chúng cả. Chỉ có đám học giả và tu sĩ. Nhiều quyển trong số chúng còn không có hình minh hoạ.
‘Lịch sử,’ phán quan nói, ‘đồng nghĩa với việc tìm tòi, Jonathan à. Một kiến thức đạt được bằng cách nghiên cứu. Không có chữ viết thì không có lịch sử, vì chính hành động viết lách đã tạo nên lịch sử. Sách là nền tảng của nền văn minh, là con đập chúng ta xây dựng để chống lại bóng tối...’ Ông rơi vào trầm tư. Jonathan không thích những lúc phán quan trầm tư chút nào.”
Mình đã cười sằng sặc khi bắt đầu đọc “Judge Dee and the Mystery of the Missing Manuscript”, vì cùng lúc đó mình đang đọc “Tên của đóa hồng”. Không khó để nhận ra ảnh hưởng của Umberto Eco lên truyện ngắn này, và Archivum Noctis là phiên bản ma cà rồng của tu viện Ý.
Truyện có thể chia làm hai nửa: phiên tòa xử Địch Phán quan và vụ án mạng liên hoàn. Cá nhân mình đánh giá cao nửa đầu hơn, nó mới lạ và thú vị, nhiều chỗ được viết theo lối giễu cợt khá vui. Tội ác ở nửa sau được viết hơi non, không phải nghi phạm nào cũng được khai thác tốt, cách giải quyết khá chóng vánh. Dù vậy, động cơ phạm tội và sự tồn tại của “facebook” cũng tương đối ổn.
Tóm lại, giống như hầu hết các tập khác trong series, “Judge Dee and the Mystery of the Missing Manuscript” không quá xuất sắc nhưng đọc giải trí tốt.
“Theo ý kiến của Jonathan, sách được đánh giá quá cao. Hầu như không có ai sử dụng chúng cả. Chỉ có đám học giả và tu sĩ. Nhiều quyển trong số chúng còn không có hình minh hoạ.
‘Lịch sử,’ phán quan nói, ‘đồng nghĩa với việc tìm tòi, Jonathan à. Một kiến thức đạt được bằng cách nghiên cứu. Không có chữ viết thì không có lịch sử, vì chính hành động viết lách đã tạo nên lịch sử. Sách là nền tảng của nền văn minh, là con đập chúng ta xây dựng để chống lại bóng tối...’ Ông rơi vào trầm tư. Jonathan không thích những lúc phán quan trầm tư chút nào.”
December 8, 2022
In Jonathan’s opinion, books were overrated. Hardly anyone used them, anyway. Only scholars and monks. There weren’t even pictures in most of them.
‘History,’ the judge said, ‘means inquiry, Jonathan. A knowledge acquired by investigation. Without writing there is no history, for it is in the act of writing that history is created. Books are the foundation stones of civilization, the dams we build against the dark. . .’ He brooded. Jonathan did not like it when the judge brooded.
And now we name the rose. This story, currently the ultimate of the series, is a story lover's story, filled with old friends. (And if you were among those who followed Dracula Daily this summer, it is even more exquisite.)
Read it for free at Tor: https://www.tor.com/2022/11/09/judge-...
12/01/22: Yiwu
12/02/22: With Her Eyes
12/05/22: Red as Blood and White as Bone
12/05/22: Cold Fires
12/05/22: Judge Dee and the Limits of the Law
12/08/22: Judge Dee and the Three Deaths of Count Werdenfels
12/08/22: Judge Dee and the Poisoner of Montmartre
12/08/22: Seven Vampires
(All right, so I'm objectively bad at getting these done daily right now. But there WILL be 24 stories!)
12/08/22: Judge Dee and the Mystery of the Missing Manuscript
(Here, have one early just to be different!)
‘History,’ the judge said, ‘means inquiry, Jonathan. A knowledge acquired by investigation. Without writing there is no history, for it is in the act of writing that history is created. Books are the foundation stones of civilization, the dams we build against the dark. . .’ He brooded. Jonathan did not like it when the judge brooded.
And now we name the rose. This story, currently the ultimate of the series, is a story lover's story, filled with old friends. (And if you were among those who followed Dracula Daily this summer, it is even more exquisite.)
Read it for free at Tor: https://www.tor.com/2022/11/09/judge-...
12/01/22: Yiwu
12/02/22: With Her Eyes
12/05/22: Red as Blood and White as Bone
12/05/22: Cold Fires
12/05/22: Judge Dee and the Limits of the Law
12/08/22: Judge Dee and the Three Deaths of Count Werdenfels
12/08/22: Judge Dee and the Poisoner of Montmartre
12/08/22: Seven Vampires
(All right, so I'm objectively bad at getting these done daily right now. But there WILL be 24 stories!)
12/08/22: Judge Dee and the Mystery of the Missing Manuscript
(Here, have one early just to be different!)
November 23, 2022
Judge Dee and the Mystery of the Missing Manuscript by author Lavie Tidhar is the fifth short story in the Judge Dee series you can read for free on the Tor.com site https://www.tor.com/2022/11/09/judge-...
Judge Dee must himself stand trial before his fellow vampires for the loss of a valuable manuscript, even as those vampires are murdered, one by one, by an unknown hand.
‘I find the thin air invigorating,’ the judge said.
‘Of course you do,’ Jonathan said. He tried not to be bitter. Judge Dee had saved his life, long ago in England. Why he kept him around Jonathan never knew. He took another bite of pecorino. There were still good things in the world, he thought. Beauty. Love. Cheese. He figured having one out of three wasn’t that bad.
It seems I have missed the 4th in this series of shorts, so after reading this one I must go back and catch up. I love Thidar’s incarnation of the Judge Dee series. They are much fun.
Themes: Archivum Noctis, Jonathan gets a chance to stuff his face, Baphomet is a hoot, 2 murders and a missing manuscript.
4 Stars
Judge Dee must himself stand trial before his fellow vampires for the loss of a valuable manuscript, even as those vampires are murdered, one by one, by an unknown hand.
‘I find the thin air invigorating,’ the judge said.
‘Of course you do,’ Jonathan said. He tried not to be bitter. Judge Dee had saved his life, long ago in England. Why he kept him around Jonathan never knew. He took another bite of pecorino. There were still good things in the world, he thought. Beauty. Love. Cheese. He figured having one out of three wasn’t that bad.
It seems I have missed the 4th in this series of shorts, so after reading this one I must go back and catch up. I love Thidar’s incarnation of the Judge Dee series. They are much fun.
Themes: Archivum Noctis, Jonathan gets a chance to stuff his face, Baphomet is a hoot, 2 murders and a missing manuscript.
4 Stars
February 3, 2023
"‘History,’ the judge said, ‘means inquiry, Jonathan. A knowledge acquired by investigation. Without writing there is no history, for it is in the act of writing that history is created. Books are the foundation stones of civilization, the dams we build against the dark. . .’ He brooded. Jonathan did not like it when the judge brooded."
This was by far my favorite of the Judge Dee series that are out so far. The pacing felt more fluid, the mystery interesting, and the tension between Dee and Cutter was a lot of fun. I also loved the setting of this ancient library secreted away in a remote mountain top as well as the idea that it's this Vampire council holding all of these rumored manuscripts from all of history, keeping them safe. Especially funny since through this whole Judge Dee series, it's hammered home how most of these vampires are essentially morons for the most part.
Overall, I hope to see more from this series in the future. They are perfect, bite-sized mysteries serving as a great adventure to cleanse the palette between larger reads!
This was by far my favorite of the Judge Dee series that are out so far. The pacing felt more fluid, the mystery interesting, and the tension between Dee and Cutter was a lot of fun. I also loved the setting of this ancient library secreted away in a remote mountain top as well as the idea that it's this Vampire council holding all of these rumored manuscripts from all of history, keeping them safe. Especially funny since through this whole Judge Dee series, it's hammered home how most of these vampires are essentially morons for the most part.
Overall, I hope to see more from this series in the future. They are perfect, bite-sized mysteries serving as a great adventure to cleanse the palette between larger reads!
November 15, 2022
At First, the Overdue Book…
The duo came upon the mysterious and ancient monastery of a library. Judge Dee came to return an overdue book borrowed from over a thousand years. Other vampire guests have shown up for other reasons other than overdue books. Judge Dee figured there’s a chamber of forbidden tomes after a scream was heard, and a dead monk was found. From there, the readers will have to find out for themselves what happens next. A very good story with humor. Recommended.
The duo came upon the mysterious and ancient monastery of a library. Judge Dee came to return an overdue book borrowed from over a thousand years. Other vampire guests have shown up for other reasons other than overdue books. Judge Dee figured there’s a chamber of forbidden tomes after a scream was heard, and a dead monk was found. From there, the readers will have to find out for themselves what happens next. A very good story with humor. Recommended.
November 19, 2022
Another of the judge Dee short stories, and these are a short delight.
While the story starts with a hesitant Judge returning to a library with a long overdue book, and it's always lovely to see librarians strike fear into people, it takes off when he arrives with a nasty case of murder.
with a cast of slightly unusual characters, and a large dose of humour, this is another fun addition to the Dee canon.
While the story starts with a hesitant Judge returning to a library with a long overdue book, and it's always lovely to see librarians strike fear into people, it takes off when he arrives with a nasty case of murder.
with a cast of slightly unusual characters, and a large dose of humour, this is another fun addition to the Dee canon.
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November 22, 2022A Name Of The Rose riff in which the first trial is for an overdue library book – albeit, admittedly, seven centuries overdue – and one of the suspects is a trainspotter hampered by living before the invention of the locomotive. In short, it would be hard to deny that Tidhar's series of vampire whodunnits are, at this point, getting quite silly. Still, at least poor Jonathan, the Judge's long-suffering mortal dogsbody, gets some decent grub and plenty of cheese in this one.
March 24, 2023
Rating between 3.5 & 4
I do like this short stories, the only downside to them is the length.
The author should expand them to a novella length in the future if they have a story idea which can be taken to that length.
A full novel length story of Jonathan might be too much although his eating habits were nicely sidelined in this story.
Definitely worth reading if you have read any of the a earlier stories
I do like this short stories, the only downside to them is the length.
The author should expand them to a novella length in the future if they have a story idea which can be taken to that length.
A full novel length story of Jonathan might be too much although his eating habits were nicely sidelined in this story.
Definitely worth reading if you have read any of the a earlier stories
June 25, 2024
‘History,’ the judge said, ‘means inquiry, Jonathan. A knowledge acquired by investigation. Without writing there is no history, for it is in the act of writing that history is created. Books are the foundation stones of civilization, the dams we build against the dark. . .’ He brooded. Jonathan did not like it when the judge brooded.
So good
So good
November 10, 2022
Judge Dee and Jonathan travel to a remote monastery to face trial for an overdue library book. A murder mystery ensues. Hilarious as always. It was great to see Judge Dee interact with peers instead of subordinates.
November 12, 2022
I always love me a good Judge Dee story. I wonder if Tidhar is going to write a full length novel set in this world, or is he just enjoying putting out these shorts, Sherlock Holmes style? Either way, I'll continue to enjoy the adventures of him and his perpetually hungry sidekick.
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