What order should I read Robert van Gulik's books in?

Read each series in its own order: start Van Gulik's Judge Dee with The Chinese Maze Murders. The other books stand alone and can be read in any order.

What is Robert van Gulik's most famous book?

The Haunted Monastery (1961) is Robert van Gulik's most widely read book.

Are Robert van Gulik's books connected?

15 books belong to 1 series (Van Gulik's Judge Dee); the other 7 books stand alone.

Robert van Gulik books in order

Dutch orientalist, diplomat and writer

Lived: 1910–1967
Country: Netherlands
Books: 22
Series: 1

Robert van Gulik published 19 novels, 1 short story collection and 2 non-fiction books, beginning with The Haunted Monastery (1961). The series is Van Gulik's Judge Dee (15 books, starting with The Chinese Maze Murders).

Updated September 2026

Van Gulik's Judge Dee books in order (15)Series page

Reading order: 1 The Chinese Maze Murders (1951) · 2 The Chinese Bell Murders (1958) · 3 The Chinese Gold Murders (1959) · 4 The Chinese Lake Murders (1960) · 5 The Chinese Nail Murders (1961) · 6 The Haunted Monastery (1961) · 7 The Red Pavilion (1961) · 8 The Lacquer Screen (1962) · 9 The Emperor's Pearl (1963) · 10 The Monkey and the Tiger (1965) · … all 15 below

1.
The Chinese Maze Murders (1951)
321 pages
Buy
2.
The Chinese Bell Murders (1958)
287 pages
Buy
3.
The Chinese Gold Murders (1959)
221 pages
Buy
4.
The Chinese Lake Murders (1960)
213 pages
Buy
5.
The Chinese Nail Murders (1961)
218 pages
Buy
6.
The Haunted Monastery (1961)
175 pages
Buy
7.
The Red Pavilion (1961)
173 pages
Buy
8.
The Lacquer Screen (1962)
180 pages
Buy
9.
The Emperor's Pearl (1963)
184 pages
Buy
10.
The Monkey and the Tiger (1965)
143 pages
Buy
11.
Murder in Canton (1966)
207 pages
Buy
12.
The Phantom of the Temple (1966)
205 pages
Buy
13.
Judge Dee at Work (1967)
174 pages
Buy
14.
Necklace and Calabash (1967)
160 pages
Buy
15.
Poets and Murder (1968)
173 pages
Buy

Where to start with Robert van Gulik

Start here
The Chinese Maze Murders
Book 1 of Van Gulik's Judge Dee, the series that includes The Haunted Monastery, Robert van Gulik's most-read book.

Standalone novels in order

Siddham (1956)
237 pages
Buy
Chinese Pictorial Art as Viewed by the Connoisseur (1958)
537 pages
Buy
The Willow Pattern (1965)
183 pages
Buy
Celebrated Cases of Judge Dee = Dee Goong an (1976)
237 pages
Buy
Erotic Colour Prints of the Ming Period (1989)
357 pages
Buy

Non-fiction in order

Hsi K'ang and His Poetical Essay on the Lute (1941)
112 pages
Buy
Sexual Life in Ancient China (1961)
458 pages
Buy

About Robert van Gulik

Robert Hans van Gulik was a Dutch orientalist, diplomat, musician, and writer, best known for the Judge Dee historical mysteries, the protagonist of which he borrowed from the 18th-century Chinese detective novel Dee Goong An.

Biography from Wikipedia, CC BY-SA 4.0. Photo via Wikimedia Commons.

Robert van Gulik FAQ

How many books has Robert van Gulik written?: Robert van Gulik published 19 novels, 1 short story collection and 2 non-fiction books that we list, as of September 2026.
What order should I read Robert van Gulik's books in?: Read each series in its own order: start Van Gulik's Judge Dee with The Chinese Maze Murders. The other books stand alone and can be read in any order.
What is Robert van Gulik's last book?: Poets and Murder (1968).
What is Robert van Gulik's most famous book?: The Haunted Monastery (1961) is Robert van Gulik's most widely read book.
Are Robert van Gulik's books connected?: 15 books belong to 1 series (Van Gulik's Judge Dee); the other 7 books stand alone.