Alphabet in Historical Crime Fiction - V / disappointments

~ V ~

Robert van Gulik
Judge Dee, magistrate in China during the Tang Dynasty (600s)

• The Chinese Maze Murders (1952)


• The Chinese Bell Murders (1958)


• The Chinese Gold Murders (1959)


• The Chinese Lake Murders (1960)


• The Haunted Monastery (1961)


• The Chinese Nail Murders (1961)


• The Lacquer Screen (1962)


• The Emperor's Pearl (1963)


• The Red Pavilion (1964)


• The Willow Pattern (1965)


• The Monkey and the Tiger (1965) [novelettes]


• Murder in Canton (1966) Finalist 1966 Gold Dagger Award


• The Phantom of the Temple (1966)


• Necklace and Calabash (1967)


• Judge Dee at Work (1967) [SS]


• Poets and Murder (1968)

Disappointments:

I watched the premiere of season 4 of The Tudors yesterday. I'm hugely disappointed. Yes, it's tv and yes actors have egos -- and those things took precedent over historical accuracy. Of course I'm not surprised, just disappointed. Henry VIII by this time in history (in this episode he is married to Catherine Howard, wife number 5), he is supposed to be in his 50s and weighing over 300 pounds with an ulcerated leg that was disgusting and smelly. Historically. This contributes to why Catherine had affairs. On tv? No, not even close. Bah. I won't wash my hands of it but still. They had played with historical accuracy in the past but this is such a intregal thing.

Last night, I finished THE SHADOWS IN THE STREET by Susan Hill. The writing is always good but the crime wasn't really solved; the cops caught the bad guy because of a call to 911 and a save in the nick of time.

Much love,

PK the Bookeemonster