A young nurse investigates murders in 18th century Korea in 'The Red Palace'
January 27, 20225:01 AM ET
By Caitlyn Paxson A nurse becomes a detective in this gripping YA mystery set in 18th century Korea's royal court.Hyeon has worked very hard to become a palace nurse, tasked with tending to the medical needs of the ladies of the court. Born the unwanted daughter of a concubine, she longs to make something of herself and prove her worth to her dismissive courtier father.One night, she is summoned for an unprecedented task: to tend to the Crown Prince himself. But it soon becomes clear that she isn't there to nurse the Crown Prince at all, but rather to be an alibi for his illicit absence from the palace. For the Crown Prince and his father are often at odds, and scheming courtiers are always poised to fan the flames of conflict within the royal family.Then, later that same night, Hyeon discovers that four women have been murdered at the facility where she received her medical training – and her beloved mentor has been accused and imprisoned. Desperate to prove that her mentor is innocent and prevent her from being tortured by the police, Hyeon decides to track down the real killer.
Her covert investigation soon draws the attention of the new police inspector, Eojin. Eojin is young, dangerously unconcerned with social class, and just as eager to uncover the true killer as Hyeon. Forced to respect each other's abilities, they form an uneasy partnership to solve the murders together.The more they attempt to unravel the events that led to the death of the four women, the more it seems as though the Crown Prince and his absence from the palace that night are at the center of a conspiracy. It soon becomes clear that the mystery runs far deeper than they could have anticipated, and in solving it, they may destroy the fragile balance that holds a royal dynasty in power.The device of a police officer and a civilian joining forces to solve a complicated mystery is one of the most common tropes of the genre, and yet, The Red Palace's setting and specificity make it feel unique. The true story of Crown Prince Sado, who was a real and very tragic figure, was the inspiration behind this whodunnit, and the historical detail that threads throughout is both brutal and intriguing. It's a prime example of historical fiction where some of the most outrageous events that take place are the ones that most closely cleave to historical fact. What really grounds the twisting narrative of The Red Palace is the characters' inner struggles – in particular, the ongoing themes of honoring and gaining approval from one's parents. I can't speak to the significance of this theme from a cultural standpoint, but in terms of a psychological conflict, it's very effective. Almost every character is acting either directly for or against the interests of their parents, and Hyeon's difficult relationships with her mother and father motivate her at every turn and are mirrored back to her via the people she encounters. The place where she ends up internally with these struggles feels very modern in its nuance.It's possible that some readers might find Hyeon's thoughts and emotions too modern for a young woman of her time and place, but if there's one thing that I've learned from reading letters and journals written by our forebearers, it's that people's inner worlds have long been surprisingly similar to our own, despite the changes in culture and manner. Interestingly, much of what is known about the life of Crown Prince Sado is drawn from the writings of his wife, who is a minor character in The Red Palace. She was herself a tragic figure, caught up in the whims and machinations of the men who wielded power over her life. Knowing that truth at the core of this story, it feels right that Hyeon is set on pushing back against the constraints that try to bind her to tragedy and forging her own path to justice.The Red Palace is an expertly choreographed mystery with a touch of romance and an emotionally satisfying conclusion that beautifully binds fiction to fact. It's the perfect book to curl up with for a cozy winter afternoon of murder and intrigue.
Summary: Young palace nurse Hyeon is drawn into the investigation of the murder of four women when her mentor becomes the prime suspect. Her private investigations catch the attention of the police inspector Eojin and they agree to work together to solve the murders, even as it becomes clear that doing so is putting them both in danger.
Quote: “There is a saying among us who work there: Palace secrets must never get out, or else inevitably there will be blood.”
My rating: 4.0/5.0 Goodreads: 4.13/5.0
Review: A clearly-written, faced-paced, and intriguing historical mystery. Hyeon is a great narrator, pragmatic and determined. Her romance with the equally determined police detective is sweetly earnest and convincing and provided a nice counterpoint to the truly horrific elements of the murder mystery. The plot is based on historical events, but not beholden to them. Hur chooses to construct a psychologically true story over telling a factually true one.
1800, Joseon (Korea). Homesick and orphaned sixteen-year-old Seol is living out the ancient curse: “May you live in interesting times.” Indentured to the police bureau, she’s been tasked with assisting a well-respected young inspector with the investigation into the politically charged murder of a noblewoman.
As they delve deeper into the dead woman's secrets, Seol forms an unlikely bond of friendship with the inspector. But her loyalty is tested when he becomes the prime suspect, and Seol may be the only one capable of discovering what truly happened on the night of the murder.
But in a land where silence and obedience are valued above all else, curiosity can be deadly.
Would I recommend it to anyone? Yes, just like The Red Palace, but I'd advise to read this one first.
Level of (dis)satisfaction based on the summary and my expectations? I wanted something along the same lines of The Red Palace so I thought "what better than June Hur's other novels?". So I picked up her debut novel first, before her second one, because I thought the more we write the better we get so the second one will be better than the first one, even if they might both be slightly less good than the third one (I know, my brain is weird). Do my expectations weren't as high as they could have been, I just wanted to enjoy the universe (Joseon, mystery...) and still have that thing that made me love The Red Palace. So, not disappointed since I has lowered my expectations.
My thoughts on it? This book was indeed less good than The Red Palace (as I expected) but it was still a very good book. I don't know if it's just because I was tired but I was a bit more confused about the plot and other stuff. Some of the plot twists were quite obvious? Or maybe it's just that my brain likes coming up with weird theories that turn out to be true. Anyways, the writing was not as refined as in The Red Palace but it was still good.
I also really appreciated that there was no romance sub plot. It would have been too much and it's refreshing for once.
Once again, the story is inspired by real historical events and people who actually existed, which I love. This way you can learn a bit more about Korean history while still being in fiction.
I didn't like Seol's character as much because she's more... passive than Hyeon for example, but that's part of her character arc I guess.
French version under the cut
1800, Joseon (Corée). Seol, seize ans, est une orpheline loin de chez elle qui vit l'ancienne malédiction : "Puissiez-vous vivre à une époque intéressante." Servante au bureau de police, elle doit assister un jeune inspecteur très respecté dans son enquête aux enjeux politiques importants suite au meurtre d'une aristocrate.
Alors qu'ils découvrent les secrets les plus profonds de la victime, Seol forme avec l'inspecteur une amitié surprenante. Seulement, sa loyauté est testée lorsqu'il devient le suspect principal, et Seol pourrait bien être la seule personne capable de découvrir ce qu'il s'est réellement passé la nuit du meurtre.
Cependant, dans un pays où le silence et l'obéissance passent avant tout, la curiosité peut être mortelle.
Est-ce que tu le conseillerais à quelqu’un ? Oui, comme The Red Palace, mais je conseillerais de le lire en premier.
Niveau de déception/satisfaction par rapport au résumé et tes attentes ? Je voulais lire quelque chose dans la même veine que The Red Palace donc je me suis dit “quoi de mieux que les autres romans de June Hur ?”. Du coup j’ai fait exprès de lire son premier roman avant de lire celui qui est sorti en deuxième parce que je me suis dit qu’au plus on écrit au plus on s’améliore donc le deuxième sera forcément mieux que le premier même s’ils seront peut-être tous les deux moins bien que le troisième (je sais, mon cerveau est bizarre). Donc mes attentes étaient pas au plus haut, je voulais juste apprécier l’univers (Joseon, enquête…) et retrouver ce qui m’a fait aimer The Red Palace. Donc pas déçue, vu que j’avais revu mes attentes à la baisse.
Avis sans spoiler ? Ce livre était effectivement moins bien que The Red Palace (je m’y attendais comme j’ai dit) mais c’était quand même un très bon livre. Je sais pas si j’étais juste fatiguée mais j’étais un peu plus confuse par rapport à l’intrigue etc. Certains des plot twist étaient assez évidents ? Ou c’est juste mon cerveau qui aime faire des théories cheloues qui sont vraies au final. Bref, l’écriture était légèrement moins raffinée que The Red Palace mais c’était quand même bien.
J’ai aussi beaucoup apprécié l’absence de sub-plot romantique. Ça aurait vraiment fait trop, puis pour une fois ça fait du bien.
Encore une fois, l’histoire est inspirée par des faits réels et des personnes qui ont vraiment existé, ce que j’adore. Ca permet d’en apprendre un peu plus sur l’histoire de la Corée tout en restant dans de la fiction.
J’ai un peu moins aimé le personnage de Seol parce qu’elle était un peu plus… passive que Hyeon par exemple, mais ça fait un peu partie de l’évolution de son personnage.
