The Lacquer Screen by Robert van Gulik
Another exceptional novel in the Judge Dee series. Very interestingly, even though we are early into the series, van Gulik decides to break the mold and sets this mystery not in the city Judge Dee is a magistrate of, but in another city where he is incognito (although he does go to introduce himself to the local magistrate). This change of perspective and pace, as well as the relative simplicity of the cast (it's only Judge Dee and Chiao Tai) make the Lacquer Screen compelling and different. Again, we have multiple mysteries solved in parallel here, but we also have a deep dive into the criminal underworld since Dee and Chiao Tai find refuge of sorts with a gang of cutpurses. As often, van Gulik manages to offer an unexpected resolution as well as a thrilling tale. Excellent.
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