Order of Robert Van Gulik Books

Robert Van Gulik (1910-1967) was a Dutch writer known for his historical mystery novels and short stories, particularly the Judge Dee Mysteries series. Born in the Netherlands, he spent his early years in Jakarta, Indonesia, where he became proficient in several languages. He obtained his PhD from Leiden University in 1935 and subsequently worked as a linguist for the Dutch Foreign Service. When World War II began, he was in Tokyo, but he was evacuated to China, where he got married. Van Gulik's life involved extensive travel around the globe, ultimately leading to his death in The Hague, Netherlands, where he served as the Dutch ambassador to Japan at the time. He published his first work in 1948 with the translation of Celebrated Cases of Judge Dee, followed by his original novel The Chinese Maze Murders. His last book, Murder in Canton, was released in 1966. Below is a list of Robert Van Gulik’s books in the order of their original publication.