The Judge Dee mysteries are in a class by themselves. Not only is the Chinese Judge of the T'ang Dynasty a unique sleuth, but the recreation of an ancient form, as a group of investigations are linked together, gives one a sense of exploring new facets of an old culture. This time his crime pursuit involves a murder of a girl found nude and headless; a kidnapping of a girl presumably on the edge of marriage; lost jewels, poison, and a motley array of characters. The flavor as before.