The Red Palace by June Hur

About

The Red Palace is a brilliant murder mystery that was such a delight to read. It wasn’t a bingeable book until the end, but that’s because the prose was so enjoyable and I wanted to savor it.

There is a beautiful sideplot of romance, along with familial relationships and justice vs. revenge. I would absolutely recommend this one.

Thoughts

Joseon (Korea), 1758. There are few options available to illegitimate daughters in the capital city, but through hard work and study, eighteen-year-old Hyeon has earned a position as a palace nurse. All she wants is to keep her head down, do a good job, and perhaps finally win her estranged father's approval.

But Hyeon is suddenly thrust into the dark and dangerous world of court politics when someone murders four women in a single night, and the prime suspect is Hyeon's closest friend and mentor. Determined to prove her beloved teacher's innocence, Hyeon launches her own secret investigation.

In her hunt for the truth, she encounters Eojin, a young police inspector also searching for the killer. When evidence begins to point to the Crown Prince himself as the murderer, Hyeon and Eojin must work together to search the darkest corners of the palace to uncover the deadly secrets behind the bloodshed.

Content

Swearing

• Slightly gruesome descriptions

• “bastard” (used in the literal sense four times)

• “oh gods” (used three times)

• “damnation” (used twice)

Violence/gore

Romance

• Undetailed kiss

Other

• Talk of concubines/having multiple wives/being illegitimate throughout the story, along with the emotions that might go along with that