LR: Hyeon tells the story of the Red Palace, but Eojin definitely takes up space as a main character. Or, or the library but, you know, even the library has online resources, so yeah, it wasn’t too affected.

Besides the super marginalized history, you can access almost anything through the Internet these days. So, the pandemic didn’t really affect my experience too much. I was able to draw from all the things that I learned from researching my first book, like in-person in Korea. That period was very different politically, but it’s also very similar, and so I was just able to build on my knowledge there. And The Red Palace was set in the 1750s or something like that. But in the English speaking world, is the primary source to go to, so having that was really, really helpful.Īnother thing was because my story was set in mainland Korea, I already had knowledge built up from writing The Silence of Bones, which is set in 1801.

There’s so many primary documents that inform us about Prince Sado. There’s a lot of what we know about Prince Jangheon, based on the memoir left behind by his wife, The Memoirs of Lady Hyegyong. JH: Fortunately, I had an entire book to work with. LR: Since you write historical fiction, did your research process have to change because of the Covid-19 pandemic? June Hur: Thrilling, tragic, and slow burn. Lyrical Reads: How would you describe The Red Palace in three words? *This interview took place in November 2021 and has been edited for length and clarity. 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. 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. In her hunt for the truth, she encounters Eojin, a young police inspector also searching for the killer.

Determined to prove her beloved teacher’s innocence, Hyeon launches her own secret investigation. All she wants is to keep her head down, do a good job, and perhaps finally win her estranged father’s approval.īut 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.

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.

The red palace book review