The Silence of Bones

Historical murder mystery set in 1800 Joseon. It leans more towards police procedural with political intrigue going on in the background, but I enjoyed it a lot. Very atmospheric, can be quite dark at times, and a bit slow at the beginning but picks up about halfway through the book. It definitely has that unique beauty in subtlety that only Asian fiction or authors have, even during the most dramatic parts.

As far as main characters go, this is an excellent example that a strong female main character doesn't have to be literally physically strong with a strong (read: rude) attitude and without any flaws whatsoever. Seol's interactions with Inspector Han were so good even if in a not-exactly-wholesome way, and the nature of their relationship makes the ending terribly bittersweet.

Also, no romance here. Just family drama. A lot of it.