The Three Coffin Problem by Lavie Tidhar: review

4/5 stars on Goodreads

The Three Coffin Problem by Lavie Tidhar

This is a collection of short stories published separately before. They feature Jonathan, a human assistant to Judge Dee, an ancient vampire. Set in late medieval era, the pair wander from Italy through Europe to London, visiting vampires who are in need of a judge or judgement. They start light, and progress to longer and more detailed, with the titular story being last.

Each chapter tells a full story. Jonathan and Judge Dee arrive somewhere, face vampires who have summoned them or whom the vampire council—of which we never learn anything—has sent the judge to investigate. Death or murder itself isn’t a cause for alarm; they’re vampires after all. But sometimes a murder needs investigating, or more often, the judge has been summoned to witness the cleverness of a vampire as they orchestrate a change of some kind, maybe kill a spouse or a previous owner of a castle.

Each story is told in third person from Jonathan’s point of view. He’s a young man the judge has saved from the streets of London, though we never learn what from, and he feels honour-bound to follow the judge around as his assistant. He’s treated like food by other vampires, but Judge Dee, an ascetic, protects him, doesn’t drink his blood and occasionally even remembers to feed him. Things could be worse, as Jonathan often thinks. They usually are.

This was a delightful cozy fantasy. The stories are fast-paced and interesting, and form a whole, with some characters returning and some mentions of earlier events. Medieval Europe features as a rich backdrop, though the exact time is never clear, and the vampires are interesting and with unique abilities (they turn to wolf and mist too.) Jonathan’s life progressed steadily, and he even learns things about Judge Dee he never thought possible. Each case is unique and seldom end the way the reader expects. And in one occasion, it’s the judge himself being judged. Those vampire librarians are stern on overdue loans.

If you’re looking for a cozy read that’s a tiny bit gruesome, with fun whodunnits, this book is definitely for you.

I received a free copy from Edelweiss in exchange for an honest review.