Judge Bao and the Jade Phoenix

First published in France, Judge Bao is China's answer to Sherlock Holmes! To combat the scourge that goes along with great prosperity, Chinese Emperor Ren Zong gives broad magistrate powers to Judge Bao. But, his aversion to corruption and dedication to justice make him a popular hero, with many enemies. Accompanied by his bodyguard Zhan Zhao, his page Bao Xing, and his assistant and coroner Gongsun, he travels the length and breadth of the Middle Kingdom, crusading against corruption and all forms of injustice. In the first volume, Judge Bao and the Jade Phoenix, Bao finds himself in a small village where a mother mourns her son, languishing in prison, caught in a complicated love triangle and accused of a murder he says he did not commit. Will Judge Bao find the real murderer?