To Korean readers
Paradise of Lost Names
Historical background
Acknowledgements
Translator's Note

Korean-American author wins 2023 Edgar Award, America's most prestigious mystery novel award.
Heo Ju-eun's K-historical mystery novel, which first gained international attention for its most Korean narrative.

"The Paradise of Lost Names, a historical mystery novel brimming with compelling characters and folktales, immerses us in the majestic world of the late Joseon Dynasty, a world we never knew existed." - Kim Joo-hye (author of Beasts of a Small Land, 2024 Tolstoy Literature Prize winner)

★★★ American Library Association, Young Adult Library Association Recommended Books ★★★
★★★ Author of the "Best Books" list by the New York Public Library and Chicago Public Library ★★★
★★★ Forbes' Most Anticipated Authors of 2022 ★★★
★★★ 2020 Freeman Award Winner, ABA Indie Bestseller ★★★

The novel 『The Silence of Bones』 by Korean-American author Heo Ju-eun, winner of the Edgar Allan Poe Award (2023), has been published by Changbi Education.
The Edgar Awards are considered one of the highest honors in mystery, thriller, and crime fiction, and past winners include legendary mystery writers Stephen King, Raymond Chandler, and Gillian Flynn.
Heo Ju-eun has captivated both international critics and the public, having been a finalist for Canada's largest reading program, the White Pine Awards, and selected as a "Best Book" author by the New York Public Library and the Chicago Public Library, as well as having her works selected for the American Booksellers Association's Indie category bestseller list several times.
In addition, historical mystery novels introduced in Korea, such as 『The Forest of Lost Girls』 and 『The Red Palace』, became bestsellers and secured a solid fan base both domestically and internationally.

Set in the Joseon Dynasty, he has received enthusiastic support from readers both at home and abroad for his captivating plot that keeps readers glued to the page until the very last page, depicting characters struggling to overcome hardships and adversity amidst the turmoil of history, with elements of mystery added. In this book, "Paradise of Lost Names," he travels back in time to the 19th century.

“What do you think I am? A woman who knows how to hold a bow properly.”
The birth of Damo Seol, a sixteen-year-old female detective from the Joseon Dynasty, a unique character brimming with intelligence and spirit.

The story of "Paradise of Lost Names" unfolds in 1800, shortly after the death of King Jeongjo, during a time of national turmoil, with plots, betrayals, and murders raging.
The novel begins one early morning when the body of a woman is found brutally murdered in the middle of the street, turning Hanyang upside down and mobilizing Damo 'Seol' as a crime scene investigator.
'Seol' is a sixteen-year-old girl who has only recently arrived in Hanyang as a slave, but thanks to her overflowing curiosity, innate cunning, and sharp reasoning skills, she helps Han Do-hyeon, the best investigator at the Seoul Metropolitan Police Agency, solve a serial murder case.
But the investigation process is by no means easy for the young female slave, Seol.
With a stigma on one side of her face that means "servant," whenever she is ignored or scolded for carrying tea or sweeping the yard, "Seol" speaks forcefully and firmly.
“What do you think I am? A woman who knows how to hold a bow properly.
“Don’t blame me for not being able to hit the target.” (p. 119)

Seol, who is enraged by the cruel and ruthless marks the criminal left on the body and throws herself at the armed villains to uncover the truth behind the death, and who unexpectedly encounters a tiger while investigating the case and risks her life to save others, overcoming her fear, announces the birth of an unprecedented 'action-oriented' character.

“Be brave and go the right way.
“Create a paradise on this land of cold bones for the people who have lost their strength and are terrified.”
19th century Joseon, our hidden story unfolds in an exciting way!

"Paradise of Lost Names" is a mystery investigative drama about Damo "Seol" who pursues the real culprit of a serial murder case that stained Hanyang with blood. However, it is also a coming-of-age novel that contains the journey of the underdogs who, amidst political conspiracies and power struggles, discover their true inner voices and identities.
To get her beloved family back, to help her respected superior, to rescue a friend in danger, and to find the names of those whose lives were unjustly taken, Seol observes corpses, climbs rugged mountains, and runs through the streets at night.
Not only 'Seol', but also 'Oh So-jeo' who taught her servant how to read, saying that no one in the world was born a slave, 'Woo-rim' who willingly lends a hand after hearing her friend's plight, 'Madam Kang' who disguises herself as a man and takes risks to help others, saying that people should not give up on good deeds because of fear, etc. The voices of people who, even when trials shake their lives, hold onto their convictions about what is right and do what they can to the end, pierce through the story and touch the hearts of readers.

Above all, in 『Paradise of Lost Names』, real-life figures are used as motifs, such as Queen Jeongsun, who wielded enormous power as regent; Kang Wan-suk ('Madam Kang' in the work), who rebelled against gender roles under the patriarchal system and became the first female leader of the Catholic community; and Father Zhou Wenmo, a Chinese foreign missionary, which adds to the vividness of the story.
This time, Heo Ju-eun has once again brought to the surface the discrimination and oppressed minorities that were hidden like bookmarks in Korean history, and has unfolded them in a meticulously crafted story.
The various cultural conflicts and adjustments he had to experience as a foreigner after immigrating to the United States and Canada at a young age made us ponder deeply about how we should live in these chaotic times and what universal values ​​are embedded in Korean history.
The author said of this book, his first full-length novel, “It is a book that is like a home to my heart in a true sense.
“In some ways, this might be the bravest book I’ve ever written,” he says.
It's time to discover Heo Ju-eun's K-historical mystery novel, which addresses real life issues like family, love, friendship, and solidarity, while simultaneously asking messages and questions that transcend time, borders, generations, and cultures and resonate with readers worldwide.

Character introduction

Seol: "What do you think I am? A woman who knows how to hold a bow properly."
16 years old.
Damo from the Seoul Metropolitan Government Grape Office.
I think especially of Officer Han Do-hyeon.
There is a mark on her left cheek that says “slave.”
He is curious and brave, and he cannot pass up someone in danger, and he is always the first to offer a helping hand.
At my sister's request, I am looking for the grave of my dead brother, Inho, in Hanyang.

Officer Han Do-hyeon: “Damo Seol, do you know how the facts you discovered will change the course of this case?”
27 years old.
A military officer of the 6th rank.
He is the best officer in the Seoul Metropolitan Police Agency, but he is so quiet that he is nicknamed 'Gosan', meaning 'lonely mountain', and does not give much attention to those around him.

Director Shim Jae-deok: “Good and evil differ depending on where you stand.”
30 years old.
He is loyal to him because he was able to become an officer thanks to the help of Officer Han Do-hyeon.
There is a rumor that he is not recognized by his father because he is an illegitimate child.

Kyeon “Do you know what you are? Know your place.
“You can just carry the car.”
He is a policeman who has no skills but only trusts his family and is called a rat by his friends because of his violent and mean personality.
While dreaming of solving the case and securing a position, Seol gets in the way of everything he does.

Mrs. Kang: “Be brave and go the right way.
“Create a paradise on this land of cold bones for the people who have lost their strength and are terrified.”
A noble lady who helped Seol, whom she met at Inwangsan Mountain.
Wearing a mysterious necklace, she secretly carries a mysterious book.

Oh So-jeo: “I believe that no one is born a slave.”
19 years old.
Oh Pan-seo's daughter.
A man who taught his servant 'Soi' to read and write and who knew how to treat everyone with respect, but one day he received a letter and went out in the middle of the night, but was found dead.


Soyi: “I wanted to end my master-servant relationship by receiving my slave contract.”
Oh, a servant of the Minister of Justice.
A person who witnessed the suspect on the day that Lady Oh was murdered.

An Saeng-won: “There is an officer behind that child.
“I don’t fight fights I can’t win.”
21 years old.
A teacher who teaches the son of the Minister of Justice.
He passed the civil service examination with excellent grades and is awaiting appointment.

Choi Jin-yeop: “A woman who cannot keep her chastity… is better off dead than living and bringing shame to her family’s reputation.”
Son of Prime Minister Choi Dae-gam.
Oh So-jeo is engaged to be married to Cider.