If we were to divide folklore-based works into two classes, beginner and advanced, this book – a detective novel wrapped in the raiments of folklore – would belong to the advanced class. The author has already explored this terrain with The Spirit Medium Detective, but this time he expands the scope, and deepens the integration of local history as a battle heats up between two gods vying for the title of Prince. Relatively speaking, the reading difficulty is also taken up a notch. After conducting extensive field research, author Chang Kuo-Li, a novelist with decades of experience, infused his smooth and direct prose with the literary stylings of myths and legends, making the folkloric content more accessible to readers.
In fact, it wouldn’t be impossible to use the novel as a travel guide of sorts. To crack the case, the three investigators travel Taiwan from north to south, traversing many a mountain (though also shortchanging the sea). Train aficionados could also put the book to good use.