The Awkward Detective (Complete 2 Volumes)
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Summary
A pampered young master fallen on hard times, brilliant but forced onto the path of investigation when his family is caught in a monstrous conspiracy; a descendant of a distinguished house steeped in arcane learning, who knows the *Collected Cases of Injustice Rectified* by heart yet, with his family ruined, ends up a butcher in a market; and her, the daughter of the police commissioner himself, whose name is dragged through the mud when she is caught up in a bizarre murder. By chance these three young people come together, help one another, crack case after baffling case, and finally uncover a secret of enormous proportions.
Editor's review
This two-volume mystery series brings together three young people from very different backgrounds: a fallen but brilliant eldest son of a wealthy family; a descendant of a distinguished lineage who has read the Song dynasty forensic manual Collected Cases of Injustice Rectified yet ends up a butcher; and the controversial daughter of a police chief, caught up in a murder case. The character setup carries built-in contrast and tension—one handles deduction, one brings traditional knowledge of autopsy and crime-scene examination, and one provides police connections and status conflict—making for an entertaining mix of classical Chinese court-case fiction and modern detective storytelling. The book follows a string of puzzling cases solved one after another, gradually drawing out a larger conspiracy behind them, and will suit readers who enjoy episodic cases tied together by an overarching mystery. The cases advance through the trio's complementary skills and a fair amount of coincidence; the reading is smooth, though it should not be judged by the standards of hardcore fair-play detective fiction. Reading both volumes in sequence gives a fuller sense of how the foreshadowing pays off and the secret is revealed.
Who it's for
A good fit for
- Readers who enjoy team-based sleuthing and episodic cases building toward a main plotline
- Mystery fans interested in Republican-era settings or classical Chinese court-case elements
- Readers who like characters with contrasting backgrounds and lively partner dynamics
- Those looking for a brisk, case-dense light read
Not a good fit for
- Hardcore detective fans who demand rigorous fair-play plotting and clued evidence
- Readers sensitive to coincidence-driven plots and protagonist plot armor
- Readers who prefer a single viewpoint with deep psychological portrayal
Reading tips
- Read the two volumes in order; the main conspiracy's foreshadowing spans both books, and skipping around can cause you to miss key information.
- With each episodic case, first sort out the character relationships and timeline yourself, then compare with the trio's deductions.
- Pay attention to the butcher character's forensic reasoning drawn from Collected Cases of Injustice Rectified—this is what sets the book apart from ordinary detective stories.
Contents
- 版权信息
- 囧探（上）
- 第一卷 学堂疑案
- 第一章 大火
- 第二章 回忆（一）
- 第三章 回忆（二）
- 第四章 金凤凰（一）
- 第五章 金凤凰（二）
- 第六章 金凤凰（三）
- 第七章 金凤凰（四）
- 第八章 跑路
- 第九章 终于来了
- 第十章 多管闲事
- 第十一章 误会
- 第十二章 一路狂奔
- 第十三章 刘一刀
- 第十四章 小哥的志愿
- 第十五章 真人不露相
- 第十六章 讨生活
- 第十七章 联手（一）
- 第十八章 联手（二）
- 第十九章 省女子学堂（一）
- 第二十章 省女子学堂（二）
- 第二十一章 拜见厅长大人（一）
- 第二十二章 拜见厅长大人（二）
- 第二十三章 又见面了
- 第二十四章 夜探停尸房（一）
- 第二十五章 夜探停尸房（二）
- 第二十六章 夜探停尸房（三）
- 第二十七章 夜探停尸房（四）
- 第二十八章 重大发现
- 第二十九章 谁是真凶（一）
- 第三十章 谁是真凶（二）
- 第二卷 恐怖的烟花巷
- 第一章 出乎意料
- 第二章 冤家路窄（一）
- 第三章 冤家路窄（二）
- 第四章 接二连三
- 第五章 一只木箱
- 第六章 陷阱
- 第七章 开始调查（一）
- 第八章 开始调查（二）
- 第九章 开始调查（三）
- 第十章 开始调查（四）
- 第十一章 找到目标（一）
- 第十二章 找到目标（二）
- 第十三章 难道不是他
- 第十四章 归来的小哥（一）
- 第十五章 归来的小哥（二）
- 第十六章 难道是她（一）
- 第十七章 难道是她（二）
- 第十八章 果然是她
- 第三卷 古镇迷云
- 第一章 庆功宴
- 第二章 不速之客
- 第三章 极不情愿
- 第四章 初到乌墩镇
- 第五章 巨大的银杏树
- 第六章 难道是邪术
- 第七章 难解的谜团
- 第八章 古镇客栈
- 第九章 恐怖的夜
- 第十章 迷局，全是迷局
- 第十一章 书生羊肉面
- 第十二章 匪夷所思（一）
- 第十三章 匪夷所思（二）
- 第十四章 二去陈家
- 第十五章 回马枪
- 第十六章 冒名顶替
- 第十七章 小哥的手段（一）
- 第十八章 小哥的手段（二）
- 第十九章 密函
- 第二十章 将计就计（一）
- 囧探（下）
- 第二十一章 将计就计（二）
- 第二十二章 人皮密图（一）
- 第二十三章 人皮密图（二）
- 第二十四章 人皮密图（三）
- 第四卷 黑骷髅
- 第一章 人不可貌相
- 第二章 意外情况
- 第三章 佛头（一）
- 第四章 佛头（二）
- 第五章 失踪的赵铁鹰（一）
- 第六章 失踪的赵铁鹰（二）
- 第七章 迷局（一）
- 第八章 迷局（二）
- 第九章 迷局（三）
- 第十章 迷局（四）
- 第十一章 迷局（五）
- 第十二章 迷局（六）
- 第十三章 迷局（七）
- 第十四章 迷局（八）
- 第十五章 迷局（九）
- 第十六章 人皮面具（一）
- 第十七章 人皮面具（二）
- 第十八章 庐山面目
- 第十九章 究竟何意
- 第二十章 大跌眼镜
- 第二十一章 背后黑手（一）
- 第二十二章 幕后黑手（二）
- 第二十三章 螳螂捕蝉黄雀在后（一）
- 第二十四章 螳螂捕蝉黄雀在后（二）
- 第二十五章 螳螂捕蝉黄雀在后（三）
- 第二十六章 螳螂捕蝉黄雀在后（四）
- 第二十七章 螳螂捕蝉黄雀在后（五）
- 第二十八章 螳螂捕蝉黄雀在后（六）
FAQ
I have no experience reading detective fiction. Can I still follow this series?
Yes. The book links episodic cases to a main plotline, the clues are laid out fairly plainly, and the deduction unfolds alongside the three protagonists; no specialist knowledge is required. Readers familiar with Collected Cases of Injustice Rectified will get an extra layer of enjoyment, but not knowing it will not hinder understanding.
Are the two volumes continuous or standalone stories?
The overall structure is continuous: each volume contains relatively self-contained mysteries while also carrying a main plotline involving a family conspiracy and a major secret. Only by reading both volumes can you see the main plotline fully revealed; reading only the first volume will leave unresolved悬念.
What is the relationship between the three protagonists? Is there a romance line?
The synopsis presents the three as partners brought together by circumstance who help one another solve a series of puzzling cases, with the police chief's daughter as one of them. The material does not specify where any romance line leads, so readers can focus on the partnership and the unfolding cases.
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About the author
垚辉
Author
Yao Hui is a Chinese author of suspense and mystery fiction. Public information about the author is limited: their English name, nationality, dates of birth and death, and other personal background remain unknown. Three of the author's works are currently held in the collection: Jiong Tan (Part One), Jiong Tan (Part Two), and Jiong Tan (Complete Two-Volume Set). Judging from the titles and their common classification, the author's writing centers on suspense and detective fiction, with stories built around investigation and detection and leavened by a light, humorous, "awkward-comedy" flavor suggested by the word jiong. The two-part publication indicates a story of considerable length and continuity, suited to readers who enjoy serial detective tales. Because biographical materials and the author's own remarks on writing are unavailable, the specific influences behind the style and its literary impact cannot yet be described in detail; the present sketch rests solely on the existing bibliographic information.
