The Red Palace- Book Review

Quick Review– a fast paced and pager turning thriller that will make you feel like you are on the edge and if you are fan of a good Korean historical drama, this book will be one for you

Rating:- 5 stars

– Blood and gore

-Torture of prisoners

-caste system

From the New York Times bestselling author of A Crane Among Wolves, The Red Palace is an atmospheric historical mystery perfect for fans of Courtney Summers and Kerri Maniscalco – WITH A BONUS EPILOGUE!

To enter the palace means to walk a path stained in blood…

1758, Joseon. Four women are murdered in a single night and palace nurse Hyeon suddenly finds herself thrust into the dark and dangerous world of court politics, when all she wanted to do was keep her head down.

The prime suspect is none other than, Nurse Jeongsu, Hyeon’s closest friend and mentor. Determined to prove her beloved teacher’s innocence, Hyeon launches her own secret investigation which runs her into the path of Eojin, the young police inspector who has been assigned to the case.

As evidence begins to point to the Crown Prince himself as the murderer, will Hyeon and Eojin be able to reconcile their differences and face the truth?

Set in Joseon 1758, Nurse Hyeon is a palace nurse, one of the highest positions offered to nurses at the time. She is the illegitimate daughter of a powerful lord as well. Nurse Hyeon was one night asked to come into what is Crown Prince’s chamber, only to find that the Crown Prince wasn’t in his chambers and Crown Princess asking Nurse Hyeon and the others to not let anyone know that Crown Prince wasn’t there. As Nurse Hyeon was returning back, she finds out that a massacre had occurred at a local hospital, which involved the murders of four women, one of the victims, a palace court lady. Nurse Hyeon’s mentor became the main suspect in the massacre. Determined to prove her mentor’s innocence and rumors circulating that the Crown Prince might be involved in the massacre, Nurse Hyeon along with a ranking inspector Eojin is determined to investigate the case privately and is immediately thrown into the world of corruption and blood politics.

This book felt like I was watching a Korean historical drama while reading it. The book was told in the POV of Nurse Hyeon and from the beginning of the chapter till the end, I was immersed into the book. The book was fast paced, and a page turner and you actually feel like you are living in the 18th century Joseon when reading this book. Most of the characters–the members of the royal family are real although the story itself is fictional. The book though it’s a work of fiction explores more about living a life as an illegitimate child of a high ranking officer in Joseon period and the hardships some of the characters face through making the whole book realistic.

This is the second book I have read from this author and I personally think this book is one of her best–better than Silence of the Bones, the first book I have read from the author. I am looking forward to read more books from this author.

Worth five stars.

Amazon