Set in the world of the original Dream of the Red Chamber, the masterwork of eighteenth-century Chinese fiction by Cao Xueqin, this murder mystery plays out Peking during the late Qing dynasty. The author is famed in Japan for not only his tight plotting and brilliant characterizations, but also his skill in adapting famous fictional locales and characters for new works. The tale opens with the visitation of Jia Yuan-chun, esteemed daughter of the prosperous Jia family and newly instated concubine to the emperor. In preparation for her arrival, the Jias have constructed a magnificent homage...