Download Your Two Free Qing Dynasty Mysteries Below
Before Murder in the Forbidden City, there was a mirror... and a widow who refused to be forgotten.
In this prequel novella to the acclaimed Qing Dynasty Mystery Series, Lady Li—recently widowed and quietly fading from court memory—is summoned to help a family of status recover a stolen heirloom: a jade mirror once gifted by the Qianlong Emperor. As she navigates silk-draped tea ceremonies, veiled rivalries, and the unspoken codes of the inner court, Lady Li must use her intellect—and restraint—to uncover a truth meant to stay hidden.
Rich with intrigue and historical texture, The Jade Mirror is a standalone mystery that offers a rare glimpse into the rituals, rivalries, and quiet rebellions of elite Qing women.
Includes a bonus section on the history and symbolism of tea in imperial China, plus Lady Li’s favorite recipes from her household tea table.
On the streets of Peking, Inspector Gong’s investigation of a workshop fire reveals murder, conspiracy, and the dangerous price of truth in a dying dynasty.
When a lantern workshop burns during the Mid-Autumn Festival, Inspector Gong discovers the victim was murdered before the flames took hold. The dead man is a former court eunuch carrying seditious writings, and the missing shop owner is a failed scholar whose beautiful lanterns hide treasonous poetry.
Following a trail of coded messages through Peking’s shadows—from abandoned teahouses to ruined monasteries—Gong uncovers a web of frustrated intellectuals nursing dangerous grievances against the empire. In an underground world where brilliance is crushed by an ossified system, even a lantern-maker's workshop can become the stage for deadly secrets.
Includes an essay on Late Qing Intellectual Dissent, exploring the historical context that inspired this fictional tale.
