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latad_books 's review for:
The Red Palace
by June Hur
4.5 stars.
Hyeon, a young palace nurse, is shocked to hear of the murder of three other palace nurses. The police apprehend an experienced nurse, who is also Hyeon’s beloved mentor, on flimsy to no evidence. The woman is tortured to extract a confession, though Hyeon is convinced her mentor is innocent. Hyeon decides to find the truth, and ends up working with a young and unconventional police inspector, Eojin, to find the real culprit.
Hyeon is the illegitimate daughter of an official, and is disrespected by her father, and is also uncertain her mother actually cares for her. This feeds into how she approaches behaves throughout this book, and is also something she works to get past. Hyeon has also worked incredibly hard to achieve her position as a palace nurse, which becomes imperilled as she uncovers clues, evidence, and also corruption and coverups as the Crown Prince is implicated in the women’s murders.
Hyeon, whose determination to investigate, despite threats to her hard-won livelihood, her home, and her life make her riveting to watch. Her experiences leave her changed, affecting her understanding of her family and herself.
I also like the way June Hur delicately develops Hyeon’s and Eojin’s feelings for each other. It’s a gentle, careful relationship with respect on both sides, contrasted terrifically with her own parents’ relationship.
June Hur does it again with “The Red Palace”: her fascination with the history of Korea, as well as well creating well-defined characters and absorbing mysteries makes for another compelling book.
I read most of this book in one day, not wanting to put it down. I await June Hur’s next work eagerly.
Hyeon, a young palace nurse, is shocked to hear of the murder of three other palace nurses. The police apprehend an experienced nurse, who is also Hyeon’s beloved mentor, on flimsy to no evidence. The woman is tortured to extract a confession, though Hyeon is convinced her mentor is innocent. Hyeon decides to find the truth, and ends up working with a young and unconventional police inspector, Eojin, to find the real culprit.
Hyeon is the illegitimate daughter of an official, and is disrespected by her father, and is also uncertain her mother actually cares for her. This feeds into how she approaches behaves throughout this book, and is also something she works to get past. Hyeon has also worked incredibly hard to achieve her position as a palace nurse, which becomes imperilled as she uncovers clues, evidence, and also corruption and coverups as the Crown Prince is implicated in the women’s murders.
Hyeon, whose determination to investigate, despite threats to her hard-won livelihood, her home, and her life make her riveting to watch. Her experiences leave her changed, affecting her understanding of her family and herself.
I also like the way June Hur delicately develops Hyeon’s and Eojin’s feelings for each other. It’s a gentle, careful relationship with respect on both sides, contrasted terrifically with her own parents’ relationship.
June Hur does it again with “The Red Palace”: her fascination with the history of Korea, as well as well creating well-defined characters and absorbing mysteries makes for another compelling book.
I read most of this book in one day, not wanting to put it down. I await June Hur’s next work eagerly.