The Red Palace

About the Author
June Hur was born in South Korea and raised in Canada, except for the time when she moved back to Korea and attended high school there. She studied History and Literature at the University of Toronto. She began writing her debut novel after obsessing over books about Joseon Korea. When she's not writing, she can be found wandering through nature or journaling at a coffee shop. June is the bestselling author of The Silence of Bones, The Forest of Stolen Girls, and The Red Palace, and currently lives in Toronto with her husband and daughter.
June Hur, critically acclaimed author of The Silence of Bones and The Forest of Stolen Girls, returns with The Red Palace―a third evocative, atmospheric historical mystery perfect for fans of Courtney Summers and Kerri Maniscalco.
To enter the palace means to walk a path stained in blood...
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.
Praise for The Red Palace:
An ABA Indie Bestseller
A Junior Library Guild Selection
Forbes Most Anticipated Book of 2022 Selection
"A tense political thriller, a beautiful romance, and a coming of age all in one unique package." ―School Library Journal, starred review
"This atmospheric historical mystery will transport and captivate readers ... A beautifully written story full of historical and cultural details that will leave readers aching for a follow-up." ―Booklist, starred review
"An expertly choreographed mystery with a touch of romance and an emotionally satisfying conclusion ... The perfect book to curl up with for a cozy winter afternoon of murder and intrigue." ―NPR
From School Library Journal
Gr 8 Up-Eighteen-year-old Hyeon is a palace nurse, one of the only esteemed positions open to illegitimate daughters in 1758 Joseon Korea. It is also an incredibly dangerous one, as royals and courtiers move servants about the palace like pieces in their political games, with little concern for those who are sacrificed for power. When a massacre occurs at her old nursing school, the police fixate on Hyeon's friend and mentor to counter the anonymous handbills that have been plastered all over the capital accusing the Crown Prince. To clear her mentor's name, Hyeon teams up with 18-year-old Seo Eojin, a new inspector also determined to put truth before politics. Hyeon walks a knife's edge: She is the Crown Prince's alibi, but on the night of the massacre he was nowhere to be found. Hur's Joseon mysteries are groundbreaking, and this retelling of Prince Sado is no exception. She balances the romance and court politics with the terrible cruelties of police violence and societal caste systems. Her use of Korean words lends itself to meticulous worldbuilding and broadens her readers' understanding of the culture, context, and emotional resonance in her story. Perhaps most impressive is Hyeon's growth as she learns everyone has a life as complicated and complete as her own. The cast is Korean. VERDICT Hur set the bar high with her previous works and has cleared it with room to spare. A tense political thriller, a beautiful romance, and a coming of age all in one uniqu