Judge Dee is again in relentless pursuit of evil in one of van Gulik's most strange, atmospheric and ingenious murder mysteries. Set in a remote, freezing part of China, the novel twists together a girl's disappearance, the theft of some jewels and a horrifying beheading. And, just to make things worse, there seems to be some link with these events and a 'Seven Board', a popular game in the region.

There are so many pleasures in the Judge Dee stories. Van Gulik was a great connoisseur of Tang Dynasty China and he brings this expertise to bear brilliantly in The Chinese Nail Murders.