{"product_id":"2026200011327-secondhand-the-willow-pattern-a-chinese-detective-story","title":"The Willow Pattern: A Chinese Detective Story","description":"\u003cp\u003eEdition: First Edition Thus\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eCondition remarks:\u003c\/b\u003e\u003cbr\u003eBook: Good\u003cbr\u003eJacket: Worn\/faded, no tears\u003cbr\u003ePages: Tanning and foxing\u003cbr\u003eCondition remarks: Edges scuffed from age war, foxed fore-edge and FEP. \u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eSet against the richly layered backdrop of Tang Dynasty China, The Willow Pattern plunges readers into the fog-laden streets and opulent courtyards of the ancient city of Poo-yang, where the indefatigable Judge Dee — magistrate, detective, and moral compass — must unravel a trio of sinister crimes as intricate and interlocking as the famous blue-and-white porcelain pattern that gives the novel its name. Robert van Gulik, a Dutch diplomat and Sinologist of formidable erudition, constructs a labyrinthine mystery that weaves themes of greed, forbidden love, and corruption through a meticulously researched portrait of imperial Chinese society, capturing its rituals, hierarchies, and hidden vices with startling authenticity. Van Gulik's prose is precise and atmospheric, balancing scholarly rigour with the page-turning momentum of a master storyteller, and his Judge Dee — inspired by the real historical figure Di Renjie — stands as one of literature's most compelling detective archetypes. For those who have yet to encounter the judge's world, The Willow Pattern is both an irresistible entry point and a tantalising reminder that justice, in any era, is never quite as simple as it appears.\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"Secondhand Stock","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":49161037643995,"sku":"2026200011327-SECONDHAND","price":90.0,"currency_code":"AUD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0523\/7646\/9701\/files\/caa31131-081d-49ca-950d-36368ce5f9c9.png?v=1787189543","url":"https:\/\/bookgrocer.com\/products\/2026200011327-secondhand-the-willow-pattern-a-chinese-detective-story","provider":"Book Grocer","version":"1.0","type":"link"}