"Taken together, the Judge Dee series gives a unique and entertaining look at China in the age when Buddhism was first taking root. Those interested in ordinary--and sometimes extraordinary--life in the Tang dynasty, and anyone who just loves a good mystery, will find much here to enjoy."
— Dan Zigmond, Tricycle
"When you're ready to cuddle up with a good book over the holidays, you will find no better companion than Dee. . . .A historical figure from seventh century Tang dynasty China, he comes to your living room or airplane seat courtesy of one Robert van Gulik . . . who penned a series of novels fictionalizing the exploits of what you might well think of as a Chinese Sherlock Holmes. . . . If you have an interest in ancient China or simply wish to better understand that country today, van Gulik's Judge Dee novels are especially attractive, but even without that dimension, they are truly addicting. As with any truly great crime fiction, the fifteen-odd novels and additional short stories reveal the great and true of the human condition along with the loathsome and the petty."
— Arthur Rosenfeld, Huffington Post