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Le Temple de la Grue ecarlate,
Editions Philippe Picquier, 1999
The Temple of the
Scarlet Crane
Shortly
after succeeding in the imperial exams, Mandarin Tan takes charge of a
small province where he realises he is fresh bait for
local families wishing to marry off their pubescent daughters. Sailing
from banquet to banquet, he is however promptly caught up in a series
of unusual deaths striking a group of young outcasts from the Temple of
the Scarlet
Crane, whose monks are more versed in martial arts than in the Holy
Scriptures. How are these cases connected and why do the Buddhist monks
try so hard to impede the mandarin’s investigation? As he struggles to
discover
the truth, the young magistrate must confront yet another challenge:
that of asserting his position as the representative of the law,
notwithstanding overt hostility on the part of an rogue military
mandarin.
This first investigation, in which the mandarin
comes to grasp
with the power of ambitions and the ambiguity of justice, delves into
the
Confucian society with its traditions and cruelties.
Kindle edition
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L'Ombre du prince, Editions Philippe
Picquier, 2000
The Prince's Shadow
Mandarin
Tan and his friend Scholar Dinh travel to Thang Long, the empire’s
capital, in search of books for their province. But instead
of literary works they stumble on a string of delicately mutilated
bodies, presenting no apparent logical link. These murders, taunting
the authorities, cannot remain unpunished at a time when peasant
insurrection threatens
to overthrow the local prince. What message is the murderer trying to
get through in the midst of political turbulence and social disruption?
Meanwhile, totally unmindful of the investigation, Doctor Pork wreaks
havoc at the
ongoing medical congress, causing Taoist acupuncture masters to come to
blows with traditional herbalists. Things get slightly out of hand as a
famished leper ransacks a restaurant and an old eunuch is shamelessly
robbed of
his dignity.
For
Mandarin Tan, this trip to the capital turns out to be a trip down
memory lane as ghosts from his past come back to greet him, reviving
scenes meant for oblivion. Elephants, tigers, a hunting party in the
jungle: the fierceness of human nature finds its full-blown expression
in the land of dark mountain people.
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La Poudre noire de Maitre Hou, Editions Philippe
Picquier, 2001
Master Hu's Black Powder
Unusual
events take place in the shadow of the mythical dragon lurking in Ha
Long Bay, as a strange shipwreck brings back to life heroes
of past battles and cemeteries are repeatedly desecrated. Confronted
with the mysterious deeds of an evanescent army of the dead, Mandarin
Tan and Scholar Dinh must attempt to connect foregone feats with
history in the making.
How will the arrival of European Jesuits and Portuguese merchants
affect the destiny of the empire? While the country stands on the
threshold of profound mutations, the inexplicable murder of a
libidinous count serves as a
reminder of the deep Taoist currents flowing through ancient
traditions. Not surprisingly the young magistrate falls under the spell
of two women wielding with equal maestria magic elixirs and cracking
whips, and is therefore
compelled to recover all his wits in order to solve these enigmas.
Kindle edition (approx 374 pages)
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L'Aile d'airain, Editions Philippe
Picquier, 2003
The Bronze Wing
In
the south where ghosts and ghouls tread side by side, dead souls claim
vengeance for their unjust demise. Deep in the heart of the
jungle, a breathtakingly beautiful female demon assaults unwitting men
and gives them a taste of pleasure and pain. Along with his friend
Dinh, Mandarin Tan makes one last trip to his village, only to confront
his own demons
as an atrocious death sets him on the tracks of a man he has been
seeking since his childhood—his father. Lost friends and stories of old
resurface, stirring buried memories. As treasons of the past and
unpunished crimes
slowly unravel, the magistrate comes to terms with the painfully murky
areas of his life. On the lands of Lord Nguyen, a traitor to the
empire, Mandarin Tan realises that dark forces are gathering far from
the capital and
fathoms the vulnerability of his country in the face of internal
sedition.
Kindle edition (approx 355 pages)
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| |  read an excerpt translated by William Rodarmor
read an excerpt (French)
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L'Esprit de la renarde, Editions Philippe
Picquier, 2005
Spirit of the
Vixen
At
the Monastery of the Black Turtle the door between the dead and the
living cracks open, as the feast of the Wandering Souls is about
to begin. But ravenous spirits are not the only ones prepared to feed,
for a gourmet cannibal lays claim to a chain of mysterious
disappearances, mocking local authorities with macabre parcels. In the
bustling port of Faifo
(present-day Hoi An) Japanese traders, Chinese merchants and European
seafarers engage in covert transactions by the glow of colourful
lanterns. Like a moth attracted to a warm glimmer, Scholar Dinh walks
straight into a death
trap. While Mandarin Tan attempts to save his friend from certain
execution, he falls under the charm of a woman who roams the woods by
moonlight. Only his well-honed logic will enable him to solve this case
riddled with invisible
ramifications.
Kindle edition (approx 375 pages)
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| | * read the opening chapter translated by Jean Anderson
* read another chapter translated by Jean Anderson
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Les Travers du docteur Porc, Editions Philippe
Picquier, 2007
Doctor Pork hogs
the limelight
When Doctor Pork accepts to take charge
of the court of justice in Mandarin Tan's absence, little does
he know that it is a pig in a poke. After several days
of living high off the hog, the portly doctor is suddenly
confronted with a mysterious death that compels him to stick his nose
into an old case. But things are not as easy as they seem, thus
requiring him to trot from one autopsy to another, in a town where
lecherous old swine rub shoulders with pretty young things. Pressed for
time to wrap up the investigation, lest he get the chop upon Mandarin
Tan's return, Doctor Pork vows to sniff out the culprits by fair means
or foul.
Fortunately,
he is a man of many talents: not only is he a cutting-edge plastic
surgeon and a sharp acupuncturist, but he also proves to be a
keen interrogator who does not shrink from grilling
uncooperative suspects. Not surprisingly, under Doctor Pork's
examination felons tend to squeal like a stuck pig before spilling the
beans.
Kindle edition (approx 299 pages)
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| | read an excerpt translated by William Rodarmor |
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Le Banquet de la Licorne, Editions Philippe
Picquier, 2009
The Chimera Banquet
On
a rainy night, Mandarin Tan entertains his guests with a sumptuous
feast. Roasted birds and fragrant soups are brought in by lithe
servants as musicians pluck their zithers. Surrounded by the glow of
lanterns, a tailor, a poetess, a tax-collector, a couple of
apothecaries and a prison warden recount unsolved mysteries of their
past, while Scholar Dinh
and Doctor Pork share an intimate moment of their youth. Amidst celadon
bowls and etched silver plates, hidden murders, long-ago thefts and
trickeries are revealed after years of oblivion, much to the delight of
the guests. It
is the golden hour of storytellers, who stir the past and awaken old
heroes, singing one last time of forsaken love and long-gone feats, as
shadows gather outside, in a crumbling world.
Kindle edition (approx 301 pages)
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| | read an excerpt edited and translated by William Rodarmor |
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| Les Corbeaux de la Mi-automne, Editions Philippe
Picquier, 2011
The Crows of Mid-Autumn
Under
the full Mid-Autumn moon strange shadows steal across the fields. As
soon as the last lanterns die out, Taoist priests and Buddhist
monks flock into town to complain about vicious damages inflicted upon
their temples. A heinous crime is committed in the river where spirits
dwell. Meanwhile, a wanton woman wreaks chaos amongst the population,
impeding Mandarin
Tan’s investigation.
Times
are grim as spies and felons rove the streets, rekindling tensions
between Dai-Viet and its powerful neighbour, China. With the
threat of an imminent civil war, crucial alliances are in the making.
Summoned to choose between the corrupt master of the North and the
treacherous lord of the South, Mandarin Tan finally makes his stand.
Kindle edition (approx 307 pages) - download free Reading Apps for PC, Mac, iPad, Android... if you don't own a Kindle
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