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The Willow Pattern
Book 12 in the Judge Dee Mysteries series.
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Serving as emergency governor of the imperial capital during plague and drought, Judge Dee must maintain order as hunger and fear threaten an uprising. The death of an aristocrat in a deserted mansion appears accidental, but a shattered willow-pattern vase and the body of a bondmaid suggest a deliberate connection between elite households and people without power.
Dee’s assistants investigate across sharply divided social worlds, encountering a fighter who uses weighted sleeves and a courtesan rescued from drowning. The case tests whether the law can operate impartially during civic crisis, when wealthy families expect protection and the poor are already close to rebellion.
Historical periods
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