This book was surprisingly engaging. I loved the setting of historical Korea. It painted a vivid picture of life and society, culture and hierarchy, the palace and its relationship with the people outside, and even the details of which hairstyles are associated with which jobs. It felt rich and intricate and immersive. I was also surprisingly interested in the murder investigation plot. The crown prince is implicated and he's definitely committed murder before, but did he commit this murder? Unclear - and I wanted to know. The romance made me roll my eyes at first, but by the end it was the perfect combination of sweet and angsty and I enjoyed it. I didn't expect to enjoy a historical mystery much at all, but I enjoyed The Red Palace quite a bit.