Li Du comes to Dayan days before the Emperor is due to arrive. The magistrate is busy with preparations for the festival honoring the Emperor and the eclipse that has been predicted.

Li Du is a disgraced librarian who travels around China earning just enough to allow him to continue his travels. The magistrate must approve his travel through the province and also happens to be a relative. Tulishen invites Li Du to stay in a guesthouse and to have dinner with his household that night.

When a Jesuit monk dies shortly after the dinner, Tulishen, convinced that the death was due to natural causes, hurries the burial so as not to interfere with the festival. Li Du departs Dayan but some anomalies cause him to return to Dayan to investigate the death.

As he investigates with the aid of a storyteller, Li Du faces an attempt on his life and exposes a plot to kill the Emperor.

Ms. Hart's first book, JADE DRAGON MOUNTAIN, is placed in 18th century China, a country that had resisted efforts by European countries to gain a foothold in the prosperous trade of the time. The story focuses on the culture of China and moves at a somewhat leisurely place. Her extensive research brings China to life. The mystery seems unsolvable as the reader navigates the culture of 18th century China and the political tensions of the time.

An innovative story which will drop the reader into another century and culture, JADE DRAGON MOUNTAIN is fascinating both for the backdrop of the story and the mystery itself. Historical mystery fans should seek out this book.