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paul_cornelius's review
4.0
Despite faltering into yet another case of overly plotted conversations about two thirds of the way through, Poets and Murder pulls things together for a disturbing finale. More and more as he's gone along in these Judge Dee mysteries, Van Gulik has turned to towards psychological explorations of demented and psychotic characters. And this was the very last Judge Dee novel published, coming out in 1968, following his death in 1967. So it stands to reason, I guess, that this story would reveal people at their most wicked and depraved. Sadism intermixes with narcissistic rage, all taking place among the highest echelon of respected society. Meanwhile, it's the peasantry or would-be artisan class and shopkeepers who maintain a sense of decency. Yet they are located only on the periphery of the society in which these murders take place. Yes, the ending in this case is a bit of surprise. Judge Dee himself is even surprised at the outcome. And the final image of Judge Dee, a character Van Gulick's pen would never address again? He's a forlorn man looking out over a mountain range at night, as the moon festival emerges seemingly to celebrate his melancholy career chasing after twisted souls and broken spirits.
cspiwak's review against another edition
4.0
Interesting, enjoyed the fox lore though I missed the judges usual assistants
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