"The magistrate of Poo-yang belongs in the select group of fictional detectives headed by the renowned Sherlock Holmes." —Robert Kirsch, Los Angeles Times

Judge Dee and his entourage, seeking refuge from a mountain storm, become trapped in a Taoist monastery, where the Abbott Jade mysteriously dies after delivering an ecstatic sermon. The monks call it a supernatural experience, but the judge calls it murder.

Recalling the allegedly accidental deaths of three young women in the same monastery, Judge Dee seeks clues in the eyes of a cat to solve cases of impersonation and murder. A painting by one of the victims reveals the truth about the killings, propelling the judge on a quest for justice and revenge.

"The China of old, in Mr. van Gulik's skilled hands, comes vividly alive again." —Allen J. Hubin, The New York Times Book Review

"Entertaining, instructive, and impressive." — Times Literary Supplement