Rowland, Laura Joh

Red Chrysanthemum: A Thriller (Sano Ichiro Mysteries)

Average customer rating:

Sano Jumps the Shark
Did She OR Didn't She
Murder, Political Intrigue, Detection, and Martial Arts
A good read but . . .
Facing death and dishonor in feudal Japan.

Red Chrysanthemum: A Thriller (Sano Ichiro Mysteries)
Laura Joh Rowland
Manufacturer: St. Martin's Minotaur
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

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Similar Items:

Black Arrow
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ASIN: 0312355327
Release Date: 2006-11-14

Book Description

July 1698. Sano Ichiro, the samurai detective who has risen to become the shogun’s second-in-command, is investigating rumors of a plot to overthrow the ruling regime. When the investigation brings Sano’s deputy Hirata to Lord Mori’s estate, he is shocked to find Lord Mori murdered and grotesquely mutilated in his own bed, and Sano’s pregnant wife, Reiko, lying beside him. The only solid clue is a chrysanthemum soaked in blood.
Reiko’s account of her actions is anything but solid. She insists that she went undercover to Lord Mori’s estate in order to investigate claims that he molested and murdered young boys. But when Sano inspects the crime scene, he finds no trace of what Reiko described. And every other witness tells a different story: Lady Mori alleges that Reiko was Lord Mori’s scorned mistress and murdered him for revenge. And Lord Mori himself, speaking through a medium, claims his murder was part of Sano’s plot to overthrow the shogun!
Unless Sano can prove his wife’s unlikely claims, both he and Reiko—and their unborn child—face execution for treason. Sano fights desperately to save his family and his honor, as Laura Joh Rowland draws on the tradition of the classic film Rashomon to bring us a masterful tale of intrigue and treachery.

Customer Reviews:

Sano Jumps the Shark.......2007-05-17

I have been a long-time fan of this series and own all the books. I eagerly await each new Sano Ichiro release. The great cover on this latest installment had me all pumped up to read it . . .and I came away quite disappointed. Great cover or no, this is the first book in the series that I won't be purchasing. Rowland's period detail is, as always, spot-on, but I felt that both the action and the character development suffered this time around. This outing feels very rushed, almost like a Cliffs Notes version of a more well-rounded Rowland thriller. I think the author has painted herself into a corner with Sano's promotion to Chamberlain. Compared to his former post of Sosokan-sama, Sano finds himself with very little to do except tedious court appearances, and it's a real stretch to get him involved in cases with anything like his old verve. Reiko-san, too, has suffered in her elevation to esteemed court matron. Most of her spunk and seemingly all of her intelligence has disappeared. Sano was never a very warm or accessible character, but his deeply-felt relationships with his wife and with his loyal retainer, Hirata, gave him some humanity. The relationship Sano had with Hirata was the centerpiece of past books; now with Sano's promotion and Hirata occupying his master's former post, they hardly see one another. A subplot involving Hirata's secret study of a deadly, mystical martial-arts form is vague and uninvolving. Rowland seems to hint, with one brief chapter, that things will get shaken up in the next book, with the escape from his island prison of the nefarious Yanagisawa. But the chapter dedicated to him in this book reads more like an outline of the more fully fleshed-out chapter she should have written. It's pretty insulting to the readers' intelligence, and I'm hoping against hope that Rowland is not pulling a Patricia Cornwell on us, and letting the air go out of a long-established series because she's tired and/or under deadline pressure. This is definitively not up to the high standard of her previous books. I would rather see Sano commit seppuku than to go out with a whimper. Let's hope Rowland finds the means to re-enegize this series with her next effort.

Did She OR Didn't She.......2007-04-22

I've reached what you might think of as a crisis point with this series. I've given Rowland a lot of five star reviews for these books. About 10, I believe. They have continued to fascinate me as mysteries and for their insight into the politics and life of medieval Japan. A time when barbaric cruelty and oppressive social customs combine with exquisite artwork, literature, and craftsmanship. It was a time of great conflict and Rowland seems to have mastered its complexities.

Sano Ichiro is a wonderful character. Staying true to his ethical standards he has solved crimes, kept the shogunate from crumbling he gradually rises to one of the most powerful positions in the country. In many ways he is a samurai's samurai -- and a rag's to riches story as well. But most of his successes are due more to his ability to recover from his wife Reiko's mistakes. Up to a point the plot device of the stubborn, well-meaning samurai wife is digestible. But Reiko seems unable to understand that getting involved in the deadly politics of the capital will inevitably put Sano at risk.

This habit reaches a peak in Red Chrysanthemum, in which Reiko decides to investigate a missing child on her own and finds herself naked, in the bedroom of the man she was investigating, with the killing dagger clutched in her hand. She is accused of murder and Ichiro's enemies arrange things to that he may very well have to execute her if he is to save face, and the lives of his son and himself. Sano barely manages to get permission from the Shogun to investigate on his own and the race is on. His long time enemy Hoshina sets traps everywhere, and the powerful Lord Matsudaira suspects Ichiro of plotting treason.

One can't complain too much about Reiko's lapses, without her Rowlands series would never happen. I just wish she displayed just enough more sense so that the continued use of her as a plot device didn't rankle so much. But outside of this weakness, Rowland as written another complex tale of Japan, once again revealing a society which differs in many ways from our western concept of it. There is a part of me that wishes that this was all real history, and I keep looking in history books hoping to find Sano Ichiro and Yanagisawa, but no such luck. Rowland has once again produced one of the better mysteries of the year.

Murder, Political Intrigue, Detection, and Martial Arts.......2007-04-12

Red Chrysanthemum is the first book I've read in the Sano Ichiro series. Obviously, a lot happened leading up to this book but it was reasonably easy to catch onto the book's main context. So if you haven't read any other books in the series, you can feel comfortable starting with this one.

This book almost defies genre because there are both mystery and thriller elements, and the book is set in 1698 Japan. The historical and national perspectives strongly permeate the book.

If you don't know the series, Sano Ichiro is a very clever fellow . . . a samurai who has been a detective. His success in that role has brought him to heights of power. The Shogun normally rules in name only and Sano is his chamberlain, a sort of prime minister. Lord Matsudaira actually wields power and is Sano's primary patron. But powerful figures seek all that power for themselves.

Sano's wife, Reiko, is pregnant with their second child but continues to seek ways to help women in need and to solve mysteries. That activity leads both Sano and Reiko into dangerous peril in this action-filled thriller.

As the book opens, Reiko is discovered nude and covered with blood in the bed chamber of the dead Lord Mori who lies castrated beside her. She cannot remember how she got there. The clamor immediately begins for her execution for the murder of Lord Mori. Mori's wife stoutly contends that Mori and Reiko had been lovers.

Sano begins his investigation and quickly finds that the price of his own survival may be the death of his wife and unborn child. As the investigation continues, his political enemies see their chance to take him down. Before long, both Sano and Reiko are in mortal peril from the Shogun and Lord Matsudaira.

In the investigation we learn that Reiko had been approached by a poor woman, Lily, who had sold her son, Jiro, to Lord Mori for a night of pleasure. When Lily came to pick Jiro up the next day, the guards sent her away. Reiko agreed to help and became friends with Lady Mori so she could check out what was going on. On the night of the murder, she had sneaked away to spy on Lord Mori when she passed out . . . only to awaken in a death chamber.

The story has several strengths. You'll learn a lot about medieval Japan and especially the relations between classes. That strangeness makes the story fresh and allows for surprises that a contemporary thriller could not accomplish as easily. Ms. Rowland has a wonderful sense of pace. She knows how to create tension in the reader by moving the plot along rapidly with new perils. I also thought that her portrayals of Sano, Reiko, and Hirata were interesting. These are fresh and original characters.

The book has some weaknesses, too. The solutions often seem to be just a little too fortuitously timed. I would have enjoyed the book more if the "miracles" had been a little more realistic. For example, the martial arts description in a major scene felt over the top to me. All but the three characters are pretty thin which makes the book a lot less interesting than it might have been. There's also a lot of blood and child abuse; you'll need a strong stomach to enjoy the book.

But if you want to take an unconventional and fast-paced walk in old Edo, you could do a lot worse than Red Chrysanthemum.

A good read but . . . .......2007-03-13

This was a book that I had a little difficulty with. It was overall a good book but there were references to previous exploits that we, or at least I, haven't seen or heard about. I know the author is from New Orleans and presumebly left the area for awhile. I got the feeling that this was a book that was written quickly to satisfy the publisher. I wonder if there is/was another book whos timing Katrina upset and so we have two books telescoped into one. I came away a little dissatisfied with the result. I don't blame the author since there is no tryanny worse than a that of a publisher craving another book from it's writers. I have always enjoyed the Sano series especially since I live in Japan and have been to some of the places described in the previous books. That is why I found this one a little disappointing. Compared to previous books this one felt like there were loose ends. Maybe we'll know more about these past exploits in the next volume or two. Inspite of this caveat I do recommend this book to others.

Facing death and dishonor in feudal Japan........2007-01-22

Laura Joh Rowland's "Red Chrysanthemum" takes place in 1698 in Edo, Japan. Sano Ichiro has risen to the exalted position of second-in-command to the shogun in the Tokugawa regime. Sano's wife of eight years, Lady Reiko, is expecting their second child, but instead of keeping a low profile, she continues her sideline of assisting women in trouble. One day, Reiko receives a disturbing letter from someone named Lily, who claims that her five-year-old son, Jiro, was stolen from her. Lily tells Reiko that a decadent samurai named Lord Mori took Jiro to satisfy his perverted carnal desires, but Reiko can find no one to corroborate Lily's story.

In order to learn more, Reiko befriends Lord Mori's wife and wangles frequent invitations to the Mori estate. Unfortunately, her efforts end in disaster. One evening, Reiko is found barely conscious next to the slain and mutilated body of Lord Mori, and she becomes the chief suspect in his murder. In addition, Sano Ichiro's enemies have hatched a plan to make it appear that he is trying to overthrow the powerful Lord Matsudaira, who rules Japan through his incompetent cousin, the shogun. Both Sano and Reiko face execution if they cannot prove their innocence.

The strength of this eleventh installment in Rowland's samurai detective series lies in the author's atmospheric depiction of seventeenth-century Edo (now Tokyo), with its rigid class system, political corruption, and oppression of women and the lower classes. Sano and Reiko are attractive heroes with integrity and courage, who quickly gain the reader's sympathy and admiration. However, Rowland's writing lacks subtlety, the plot is convoluted and far-fetched, and the dialogue is too often forced and stilted. Some of the characters speak in a modern vernacular that is inappropriate for the time period.

Although the protagonists are nicely drawn, the secondary characters lack shading: they are either noble and loyal or vicious and scheming. There are some clever twists and turns (including a Rashomon-type sequence in which various characters describe the same event from different perspectives) and an exciting confrontation in which one of the fighters utilizes his knowledge of the mystical martial arts. "Red Chrysanthemum" does provide its share of thrills as well as a fascinating look at life in feudal Japan, but it does not quite measure up to the high standards set by Rowland in her earlier novels.

The Perfumed Sleeve (Sano Ichiro Mysteries)

Average customer rating:

gripping mystery from a master storyteller
Another great Sano mystery
Starting to get obsessed
best book of the series so far
Wrong genre.....

The Perfumed Sleeve (Sano Ichiro Mysteries)
Laura Joh Rowland
Manufacturer: St. Martin's Paperbacks
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Mass Market Paperback

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ASIN: 0312992084
Release Date: 2005-04-05

Book Description

Sano Ichiro, Most Honorable Investigator of Events, Situations, and People is faced with his most challenging case when he investigates the death of Senior Elder Makino, the shogun's most trusted adviser. There is only one puzzling clue-a torn, perfumed sleeve of a kimono. Under the watchful eyes of the shogun's cousin, Lord Matsudaira, and the shogun's second-in-command, Chamberlain Yanagisaw, Sano moves with caution. For each is eager to implicate the other in Makino's death. But Sano must determine whether the death was indeed murder, and if so, whether it was motivated by politics, love, or sex.When a second violent death occurs, Sano is faced with several suspects, each with a compelling motive. Was it Agemaki, Makino's stone-faced second wife; Okitsu, his beautiful young concubine; Koheiji, his handsome male houseguest; or Tamura, his faithful retainer? Or was it a political assassination? With the help of his wife, Reiko, Sano must solve the murder as he discovers just how intertwined desire and danger really are....

Customer Reviews:

gripping mystery from a master storyteller.......2007-01-04

Rowland has delivered another wonderfully crafted mystery set in the fascinating world of medieval Japan. highly recommended.

Another great Sano mystery.......2006-04-15

All of Laura Joh Rowland's books have been excellent. Easy to read, intriguing mysteries, great characterizations (although at times it seems the characters develop verrrry slowly). The twist ending leaves me looking extremely forward to the next in the series.

Starting to get obsessed .......2005-09-28

I am an admitted fan of all of Rowlands earlier works and she does a great job of translating Japan to a western mind. However in her most recent works she seems to be fixiated on the homosexual or bisexual aspects of the culture. Not so much in the way she writes about it or assigns it to her characters as much as the repetition with which she refers to it. I am a student of ancient Japanese culture and history and have no problem acknowledging this aspect of the sexuality of men and women in ancient Japan. That being said, I feel in her latest work exhibits some preoccupation with deviant sexuality that I did not either see the need for or I felt it as a distraction from the story. Again, the mention of it was not my issue. It is the constant referal to it which annoyed me. This was present in a few of her other recent works as well. I will continue to read her however, because she does the world of Japanese history justice and I loved the ending in perfumed sleeve.

best book of the series so far.......2005-04-08

Sano is back and he's got a particularly messy mystery on his hands. A high court official with an complex sexual past and a slew of enimies is dead. The old man was beaten to death and no-one, not his wife who was sleeping next door, his half witted concubine or his handsome houseguest will admit to knowing anything about it. Sano finds himself attempting to deal with the crime while carefully walking a thin line between two opposing factions and the weaked willed Shogun. If he finds the murderer it may ruin his career and life. If he doesn't the country may be plunged into a war. Only his samuarai code can offer him any comfort.

Sano's wife Reiko is also back and her character is much improved. She's no longer the annoying brat that she used to be and has become a real help to her husband's work rather than the added headache she once was.

Other reviewers have mentioned the sex in this novel. It is very graphic and on occasion, revolting. If that bothers you, be prepared to either skip whole sections or skip the book. This is not a Harlequinn romance and it isn't Nancy Drew or a cozy Agatha Christie.

One thing that Rowland does very well is to get into the heads of widely different characters. The villainess does terrible things but is really a victim herself. The villain is a fascinating, twisted character who does disgusting and vicious things and almost convinces himself and the reader that he has no other choice. And of course, Sano and Reiko's relationship continues to be interesting.

I don't know if I'll continue with this series but this was a pretty good mystery and it has a totally unexpected ending.

Wrong genre............2004-08-03

I've followed the series, finding that Ms. Rowland's characters interest me. Hitherto, her sexual situation depictions have not been so far into gratuity that we couldn't either ignore them, or claim they worked somewhat within the plot, but in this book, we are served an entirely new level of graphicly lurid sex that might well qualify this book as pornographic. She's certainly using this book as a vehicle to explore presenting explicit and detailed accounts of sexual behaviour,(bordering on and crossing over into perverse), including an account of an incident where Reiko,(our heroine, disguised as a maid), is forced to voyeurism of sex that includes insertion of a hard-boiled egg into a woman's genitalia.
While I am not a proponant of censorship- I think you can read whatever you want- I DO think that some note as to graphic content of this kind should be made by the pro reviewers and Amazon's commentary, and I think that Ms. Rowland might do better to decide just what she's offering us here. Is she a mystery writer? Or a purveyor of erotica? This book might best be classified as the latter......
As for the rest of the book, the plot itself is again, of interest,her details are beautifully written and rather prosaic, her characters are fun,(although the mimmering,insipid,melodramatic women sometimes become irritating), but once again,Ms.Rowland indulges in the tiresome device of constant "questionmark endings". Could she have--? Will he find--? Will our hero--? Chapter after chapter, this becomes a bit on the insulting side, and I found myself cringing each time, thinking "how trite, there's a better way."
It's likely that I'll keep buying the series, because I'm a compulsive character follower and enjoy period fiction,(REALLY fiction-this book isn't particularly accurate about Japanese culture, but then, Ms. Rowland isn't Japanese...),like to see how they turn out, but I'm certainly hoping that Ms. Rowland realizes that erotica doesn't excuse a sophomoric writing style and is not a substutute for scenario developement. It's just rather cheap book thickener and I found myself wondering if I wasn't being forced, along with Reiko, into voyeurism, as I kept reading in an effort to not miss something pertinant to the mystery. She might actually consider studying up on period Japanese history between books.......
Will Ms. Rowland continue to escalate her level of graphic erotica? Will she learn that plot complexity and technical accuracy are far more interesting to mystery readers than sexual disgust? Will she ever figure out how to avoid the chronic question mark? Will Amazon identify the sexually explicit books a bit better in future?
???????????????

Average customer rating:

Pretty good beginning to a great series.
Excellent start
predictable mystery fare
Another good story from Laura Joh Rowlands
Weak plot

Shinju
Laura Joh Rowland
Manufacturer: Random House
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

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ASIN: 0679434224
Release Date: 1994-09-20

Book Description

When beautiful, wealthy Yukiko and low-born artist Noriyoshi are found drowned together in a shinju, or ritual double suicide, everyone believes the culprit was forbidden love. Everyone but newly appointed yoriki Sano Ichiro.

Despite the official verdict and warnings from his superiors, the shogun's Most Honorable Investigator of Events, Situations, and People suspects the deaths weren't just a tragedy -- they were murder. Risking his family's good name and his own life, Sano will search for a killer across every level of society -- determined to find answers to a mystery no one wants solved. No one but Sano...

As subtle and beautiful as the culture it evokes, Shinju vividly re-creates a world of ornate tearooms and guady pleasure-palaces, cloistered mountaintop convents and dealthy prisons.

Part love story, part myster, Shinju is a tour that will dazzle and entertain all who enter its world.

Customer Reviews:

Pretty good beginning to a great series........2007-05-10

Sinju is the first, but definitely not the best of the Sano Ichiro series.
While this is a good book, it is not a great book. That being said, it is pretty much necessary character development if you want to get some of the dynamics of interaction in the rest of the stories. If I had read this first, I may not have been so enthusiastic about the rest of the series, but because I read "Bundori" first I was hooked years ago. I kind of look at Sinju as an interesting prequel. It is a pretty good detective story, a pretty good historical novel, and a pretty good look at the "Boshido Way" in the end of the Samuri era.

So my advice is, if you are interested in any of these themes, this is a good read. However, you will probably like the next story much better (I know I did), so get "Bundori" also and read through if you have the patience, otherwise, start with Bundori and get hooked on the series first and then go back and read "Sinju" for a better understanding of the primary characters.

As for the rest of the series, Ms. Roland's writing gets better all the time .

Excellent start.......2007-02-24

If you are interested in a crime story in a historical context then this is for you. First in a series that follows the cases of a Samurai detective, this book is well written and shows that Laura Hoh Rowland has the talent to provides us with a good plot. Moreover she has done a lot of research and she provides us with interesting historical and cultural facts. If you are particular interested in Japanese culture do not miss it

predictable mystery fare.......2006-03-31

Sano Ichiro is a young man thrust into a world he does not want to be a part of. Formerly a scholar, this samurai likes nothing more than to discover the truth of all things, so it seems only natural that a position as Edo's high ranking yoriki (senior police commander) would be ideal for him. However, the first case to cross Sano's notice is one that everyone else writes off as normal, a shinju, that is a double love suicide. Something about the case doesn't sit well with Sano, whose inquisitive nature has always been a double edge sword. Despite orders to the contrary he decides to investigate the shinju as a murder case, and faces multiple challenges in proving that his earliest intuitions were correct.

I picked this up because I enjoy stories set in Japan, particularly in feudal times or stories about the samurai. This, however, was not the greatest read. I'm not huge on the mystery genre, it all seems a bit too predictable, but I thought I would give this one a try to see if I could break my way into it. While it wasn't a dull story, I'm not sure if Rowland's narrative is agreeable to me...or it could be the genre, I'm still ambivalent about this. Overall, this is a 436 page book, and it took me about 6 weeks to read...and this is about 4 and a half weeks longer than I like to read anything that is not 1000+ pages. Like I said, something about it and I just didn't mesh well. I may decide to read the next one in the series, just to see if this was first novel issues, but I don't think I will be doing it anytime soon. I give this 3 and a half stars, because I was occasionally entertained by the culture of Japan, but beyond that this was only a mediocre book.

Another good story from Laura Joh Rowlands.......2005-09-07

I very much enjoyed this book (and indeed the whole series). A medieval samurai detective sounds kind of far off, but the books are well written and well researched (I had my Japanese exchange students verify that). The book is well paced, the plot well scripted, and the characters fleshed out. The actual murderer is always a revelation, the mark of a good mystery writer. You were SURE it was so-and-so, and here.....

Weak plot.......2005-07-06

Rowland has done a good job of conveying the sights, sounds, smells, social structure and traditions of 17th century Japan. Sano, while in his role unwillingly, is both physically and intellectually capable, and I enjoyed his dedication and humanity. I found it slow at times, and the plot weak, but still a decent read.

The Assassin's Touch (A Sano Ichiro Mystery)

Average customer rating:

Disappointing
Serial Vendetta
Sabo Ichiro does it again
The Assassin's Touch
good book!

The Assassin's Touch (A Sano Ichiro Mystery)
Laura Joh Rowland
Manufacturer: St. Martin's Paperbacks
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Mass Market Paperback

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Rashomon Gate

ASIN: 0312992092
Release Date: 2006-10-31

Book Description

It is a lost art, passed down by the ancients in great secrecy: Dim-mak. It is death, by the lightest touch of a finger. Sano Ichiro, tenuous in the new regime as the shogun’s second-in-command, does not have the luxury of skepticism?another senior official is dead, a fingerprint lightly glazed into his skin.

Sano’s wife Reiko has an investigation of her own: a beautiful, proud, and hopelessly poor woman has confessed to murdering her family. Yet the pieces do not fit, and as Reiko looks deeper into the woman’s life as a hinin?a moral outcast, shunned by the world?inexplicable connections appear between her investigation and Sano’s.

As Reiko’s questions spiral her further into the squalor of life as a hinin, Sano and Hirata?his most loyal samurai?pursure their prey, uncovering an intricate tapestry of betrayal woven into the highest levels of the new regime. But they are no match for the one who has mastered dim-mak, a warrior who will strike all those who cross him or his path?even Reiko.

Customer Reviews:

Disappointing.......2007-06-06

I have read all of Laura Rowlands books. I was disappointed with this one. In several of her books she has painted the wife, Reiko, as a martial arts master. In one of her novels Reiko is attacked by assassins and still manages to kill several before she is captured. In this novel a poor girl who is a murderer captures Reiko and threatens her with a knife however Reiko seems to have forgotten all of her karate skills. It does not follow the form of the other novels. Besides for that I enjoyed the novel as I have all of the others.

Serial Vendetta.......2007-02-08

One of the things that Laura Joh Rowland captures beautifully is the sudden political vagaries of late 17th Century Japan. Thus we find Sano Ichiro once one of the shogun's lesser investigators finds himself thrust into the position of chamberlain. While this high role has much to offer, Ichiro quickly notices that many men would like to hold his position and few would mind seeing him fail. Failure, in those times, almost inevitably meant disgrace and death, not just for him, but for his family as well.

When the chief of the Shogun's intelligence service becomes the latest of a string of officials killed mysteriously Sano Ichiro is assigned to remove the mystery. What little pleasure he feels from escaping his regular paperwork quickly fades when the investigation stubbornly refuses to resolve and he finds he must cross legal lines to get the information he needs. In addition, Reiko, his wife, becomes caught up in helping her father determine whether he should believe a woman's confession. This places her in the kind of company that could easily cause Ichiro to lose face. To the chamberlain is must seem that he is assailed on all sides.

This is a complicated tale that takes a hard look at Japanese social structure in during the shogunate. A period of great disparity, willful leadership, and remarkable accomplishment as well. Sano and Reiko pursue their investigation and find common threads while meeting with all classes of Edo society and the reader is the beneficiary, given equal helpings of history and mystery.

For all that this is a well written story with many twists and turns I feel that Reiko is overplayed. It's hard to imagine that she would fail to realize that she was putting her husband's standing at risk. This is a culture in which her actions could bring not just embarrassment but disaster down on her family, yet she pursues her quest while taking no security precautions, providing fodder for the chamberlains opponents. I think this could have been managed a bit better - it's one think to make it clear that Sano Ichiro's career is a risky one, but another to bring this up every fifteen pages or so.

Even with that criticism I found Assassin's Touch a pleasure to read. Rowland has a real grasp of this period of Japanese history and a knack in telling the story in a style congenial to Japanese tale telling. The result is a complex, engrossing novel.

Sabo Ichiro does it again.......2006-08-05

For nine books and six years, Sano Ichiro was Sôsakan-sama, the Shogan's Most Honorable Investigator of Events, Situations, and People. The perfect combination of brains and brawn, Sano is an honorable samurai whose pursuit of Bushido, the Way of the Warrior, continually forces him into a precarious balance between the political forces that vie to control the weak willed Shogun. In Laura Joh Rowland's tenth novel, The Assassin's Touch, Sano has assumed his new duties as Chamberlain, the second most powerful man in Japan.

The Assassin's Touch is Rowland's best novel yet. With her eye for detail and knack for political intrigue, she recreates the world of seventeenth century Japan. In this installment, Sano is commanded to find who is assassinating members of the new regime. He is assisted by Hirata, his loyal retainer who has replaced Sano as Sôsakan-sama. Reiko his wife who in the past has assisted in his investigations is doing her own detecting for her father, the Magistrate of Justice. Though Sano as Chamberlain is able to commandeer soldiers from the army to search for the invisible assassin, in the end it is his own will and wit that must defeat his enemy.

Rowland's success is built not only on her impeccable historical research and delightful writing style but her ability to build to an increasingly exciting and heart pounding climax interwoven with moral dilemma and ambiguity. Sano Ichiro is a good man in a world populated by egomaniacal backstabbers who seek only their own advancement. He risks everything--his honor, his position, his family, and his life--to do what is right and just. If only the real world were populated by such as him.

If you haven't read any of the Sano Ichiro mysteries, start at the beginning and work your way through while catching some rays on the beach. Red Chrysanthemum releases November 14th, just in time for a little Thanksgiving adventure.

The Assassin's Touch.......2006-01-30

Fantastic Item; Wonderful Condition; Very Heppy; Would do business with again; A+++++

good book!.......2006-01-03

The book was fascinating, kept my interest pretty well through the first half but the end got a little floppy and preachy. The culture, protocol, all the bits that lend the color to her book were great. The wife is a kind of Superwoman, assisting her husband in many ways, almost upstaging him, but also creating problems for him with her derring do. I did enjoy it very much. Now I have to go back and read some of her earlier stuff.

Average customer rating:

Gorgeous Writing, but Flawed Characters
Medieval Japan, suspense and murder!
Gender roles and "time feeling"
Black Lotus
Brilliant and Exciting

Black Lotus (A Sano Ichiro Mystery)
Laura Joh Rowland
Manufacturer: St. Martin's Minotaur
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

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The Way of the Traitor

ASIN: 0312268726

Amazon.com

Samurai detective Sano Ichiro, the hero of Laura Joh Rowland's beautifully written mysteries set in Shogun-era Japan, (The Samurai's Wife, The Concubine's Tattoo), investigates an arson murder at the Black Lotus temple, in which the only witness--a young girl who swears she doesn't remember what happened--is also the only suspect. But Sano's wife, Reiko, believes that Haru is innocent and that the real culprits are hiding behind the barred gates of the temple, home to a mysterious sect that is rumored to be responsible for a number of criminal acts. Under pressure to solve the crime, Sano agrees to let Reiko help, but when she takes matters into her own hands, it puts his career in jeopardy and nearly destroys their marriage. Who is the mysterious Abbess of the Black Lotus, and what is the sect's real goal? Is Haru the innocent youngster Reiko believes her to be, or does the evidence Sano uncovers reveal her deceitful nature and complicity in the murders of a child, a young woman, and a high-ranking police commander? As usual, Rowland turns in a brilliant re-creation of a time and place unfamiliar to most readers: the imperial court of 17th-century Japan, whose intrigues and excesses provide a fascinating backdrop for the most charming husband and wife detective team since Nick and Nora Charles. If you haven't discovered Rowland yet, Black Lotus is your opportunity; this is a series with real staying power. --Jane Adams

Book Description

In September of 1693, the Black Lotus Temple, spiritual center for hundreds of Buddhist nuns, monks, priests, and orphans, is burned to the ground leaving three dead and one orphan running for cover. Veteran samurai-detective Sano Ichiro, the Most Honorable Investigator of Events, Situations and People, is called on to investigate the incident. He quickly discovers that despite appearances, the victims did not die in the fire: they were brutally murdered before the fire even began.With a triple homicide on his hands, Sano's search for a killer leads him to Haru, the orphan girl found at the scene of the crime. But Sano's wife Reiko, investigating the case against Sano's wishes, is convinced of Haru's innocence. Reiko's investigation leads her behind the walls of the Black Lotus Temple. It is within these walls that she discovers a sect involved in extortion, prostitution, and hedonistic rituals. Could one of the sect's members be the killer? Will Reiko risk her marriage to Sano in order to prove Haru's innocence? Set in the luscious finery of the samurai court of medieval Japan, this latest installment in the best-selling series by Laura Joh Rowland, is filled with shocking surprises and suspense as readers are once again allowed access into the world of Sano Ichiro.AUTHORBIO: Laura Joh Rowland is the granddaughter of Chinese and Korean immigrants. She grew up in Michigan and was educated at the University of Michigan, where she graduated with a B.S. in microbiology and a Master of Public Health. She lives in New Orleans with her husband, Marty, and their three cats. She is the author of Shinju, Bundori, The Way of the Traitor, The Concubine's Tattoo, and The Samurai's Wife, all of which feature the samurai detective Sano Ichiro.

Customer Reviews:

Gorgeous Writing, but Flawed Characters.......2006-06-17

Intriguingly, although this is the 6th book in Rowland's Sano Ichiro series, it was the first one I had heard of or seen. I was thrilled when I spotted it in a bookstore, because it involved two of my passions - mystery stories and feudal Japan. Set in the late 1600s, Sano is a detective working for the Shogun. He's got a young wife, a toddler, and murders to solve. I read it through and had certain thoughts about the book. I then got the previous books, read them up to this point, and read the book again. The books are finish-in-a-rainy-afternoon quickies so it wasn't hard to do, and it let me see this story in its context. I'll try to write my review to suit both jump-in-the-middle-of-the-series readers as well as those who have read the previous 5 books.

As far as Sano and wife Reiko goes, you really don't need much back story. She appears in book 4 as a completely unknown woman he marries in an arranged setup. In book 5 they've been married a year and she acts almost exactly as she does in this book - and their relationship is primarily contentious. So what you see in this book is what you get. He married her expecting a "normal wife". She, brought up to learn martial arts and philosophy, SHOULD have been a wise, intelligent, skilled woman who found healthy ways to help her husband make huge progress in his career while having a fulfilling life of her own. There are certainly many such women all through Japanese history - as well as most other cultures that have a wife-stays-at-home mentality. Heck, even in the 1950s, this was expected of women.

Instead, Reiko acts like a spoiled 2 year old, REPEATEDLY. It's one thing to be intelligent and capable. I've read many biographies of intelligent, capable women who achieved incredible goals. It's quite another thing to be rude, pig-headed and deliberately cause the near destruction of your beloved child numerous times because of your poorly thought out actions. Even if we say she doesn't really love Sano for whatever reason, she is shown to adore her child. And yet she puts her child at risk of death - if not at least being orphaned - repeatedly. It makes no sense that a woman that intelligent would act the way she does.

I'm not saying Sano is a model of intelligence, either. He leaps on clues as if they were the only one he'd ever seen. He has wild panic attacks with every new mission that THIS will be the one that finally gets him and his entire family slain. He has been brought up in this culture - he should be very aware of its nuances and how politics work. But when sending a letter off to ask for help, he words it in a way that was pretty outrageous. Nobody would ever commit words to paper like he did that involved his superiors.

OK, so back to the story. There's a cult in town with a charismatic, almost psychic leader. His force of will borders on supernatural. I say borders on because the previous book was WILDLY supernatural with death-causing-shouts, so it was good in this one that it at least tried to be more realistic. The cult is of course bad news, and Haru, a wild teen girl, gets caught up in 3 murders. Reiko believes in Haru despite her numerous lies. Sano thinks she's guilty and wants to get the case closed up quickly. You also have a sideline story with Sano's helper acting like a royal jerk - and Reiko's friend acting extremely immaturely. So while normally Sano and Reiko would have annoyed me greatly, in this one they actually paled in comparison with how irrationally their two friends were acting.

I do want to point out that I keep buying these books and reading them, so I'm not saying they are awful. The texture of the descriptions is marvelous. I have studied feudal Japan for many years, and yes there are numerous errors. You have to sort of ignore those. I really enjoy the descriptions of the architecture, the gardens, even the scenes in nature.

The reason Reiko in particular annoys me so much is that in general this is EXACTLY the character I wanted to read about in books. A Japanese heroine, skilled in sword, intelligent and educated, living in this feudal world. I'd been dreaming of a series like this for many years. To see that character act in such an outrageously inept manner, foolishly causing great risks to herself and her family when a wiser course of action would have found success, bugs me to no end.

It also bugs me a bit that, as far as a mystery story goes, there really isn't one. It's sort of obvious pretty quickly what has happened. Reiko and Sano don't find clues as much as have clues dropped into their laps. The wrap-up scene is a bit too much, as well. I always love it when bad guys explain all of their motives and stories in immense detail to someone they're about to kill.

I don't get bothered by sex much, so the fact that all of these books involve guys having sex with guys, girls having sex with girls, people in authority having sex with youngsters, etc. mostly for the 'shock factor' doesn't overly concern me. If that sort of storytelling bugs you, be aware it's in here.

On the other hand, I do notice that in pretty much every book in the series (including this one) there are numerous comments made about only teenagers being beautiful - and anyone older than say 25 is a has-been who can only dream of their "lost beauty". In some cases it's written that it's shocking that someone over 25 could still be thought of as attractive. This certainly was NOT an attitude held at the time, and it's not one that's true in modern times, either. I would really like to see this kind of age-bashing toned down in future books.

To summarize, I keep buying and supporting the series hoping that as Reiko gets older, she'll start to actually exhibit some wisdom and maturity. I don't want her to become a "boring housewife" - that's not my point. If she really IS an intelligent, skilled woman, it's about time she begun to act like it, and to achieve her goals in a mature manner. I also really hope that somewhere along the way, Sano and Reiko begin to learn what detecting is all about.

Medieval Japan, suspense and murder!.......2005-10-24

In fact, three murders, but two of them don't really count. Still, a triple homicide in a Temple, the bodies found in a remains of a burnt cottage (which is a serious crime all by itself in 17th Century Edo) demands that somebody investigate. So Sano, with his huge title, is sent to find blame, kill that person and make everybody happy before the evening meal. But of course nothing is so easy.
The characters were lively and the plot seemed to flow well but, and you saw that but coming, for me the weak background spoiled the mood.
James Clavell's Shogun was a whole world - I felt that waves of action and major events and real history was being made outside the character's own stories. Outside the castles and towns the massive armies formed, silent spies ran down the dark streets and Lords hatched plots against each other.
In Black Lotus I feel like the buildings are all false fronts and if the characters took a wrong turn they might find the stage hands having a coffee break. The book feels like it could be used to make a soap opera for bored housewives (including the tossed in sex scenes) - there is no feeling of history or depth.
Get used, if at all.

Gender roles and "time feeling".......2005-08-31

I must agree with several of the earlier (male) reviewers. To me, the gender roles in this book fit perfectly in American suburbia of the fifties and sixties, not in 17th century Japan. The behavior of Sano's wife is unrealistic and ridiculous for the time period in question.
In general, the book doesn't feel very "Japanese" at all. Change Sano's horse for a car, the samurais' swords for guns and the tatami mats for wall to wall carpeting and you'll have an off the shelf modern mystery.
Some reviewers claim that Rowland's other books are better, and I'll give her books one more try before I give up on them. After all, there aren't that many authors out there for a "japanophile" like myself.

Black Lotus.......2005-08-29

A great read, easy to understand and because I lived in Japan for 6.5 years I understood many of the ideas and places they were speaking about. I purchased four other books of this series and will review each as I read them. The author Ms Rowland chose a great venue to write about. ED

Brilliant and Exciting.......2005-05-29

One of the best of the Sano Ichiro mysteries. Really riveting, and fascinating. The spiritual, sexual, combative and emotional undercurrents combine to make a great book.

One note on other Amazon customers' reviews of this book: I've noticed a lot of people (men) who are blaming Reiko and getting annoyed with her for her determination to side with Haru. This is sexist on the Amazon customers' behalf. Reiko is trapped in a male-dominated society that represses and oppresses women; that Reiko defies this should be viewed in admiration, not in annoyance. Reiko should not just submissively follow her husband, which is what some of the Amazon customers have been implying.

Average customer rating:

The Snow Empress: A Thriller
Laura Joh Rowland
Manufacturer: St. Martin's Minotaur
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

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ASIN: 031236542X
Release Date: 2007-10-30

The Samurai's Wife (A Sano Ichiro Mystery)

Average customer rating:

Lovely Environment, Questionable Situations
By no means unreadable, but ...
Modern madness
The Best of the Sano Ichiro Series
It's getting to be too much!

The Samurai's Wife (A Sano Ichiro Mystery)
Laura Joh Rowland
Manufacturer: St. Martin's Paperbacks
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Mass Market Paperback

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Similar Items:

The Concubine's Tattoo (A Sano Ichiro Mystery)
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The Way of the Traitor

ASIN: 0312974485

Amazon.com

Sano Ichiro, the Shogun's Most Honorable Investigator of Events, Situations, and People, is back in action in Laura Joh Rowland's latest, The Samurai's Wife. After a heated dispute with his colleague and archrival, Honorable Chamberlain Yanigasawa, Sano finds himself in Miyako, Japan's imperial capital, investigating the mysterious death of Minister Konoe Bokuden. Apparently a victim of murder by kiai, a martial arts technique in which a burst of pure mental energy is concentrated in the voice of the killer, Konoe had been plotting an overthrow of samurai rule. Sano must determine whether his death is a personal or political matter, all the while tiptoeing around the delicate sensibilities and violent tempers of the Emperor and his Imperial Court. His roster of suspects ranges from the Emperor himself to Kozeri, Konoe's former wife, a Buddhist nun whose habit barely conceals a powerful and disturbing sensuality.

Rowland has obviously done her homework; her zest for historical detail complements, rather than overwhelms, the story, giving the reader a glimpse into the ceremoniality of 17th-century imperial Japanese culture: "In the southern sector of the imperial enclosure stood the Purple Dragon Hall.... The austere half-timbered building faced a courtyard bounded with covered corridors supported by vermilion posts. The ground was covered with white sand to reflect the light of the sun and moon onto the hall. A cherry tree and a citrus tree flanked the entrance, representing the guardian archers and horsemen of ancient tradition. Leading up to the door, eighteen steps, framed by red balustrades, symbolized the number of noble ranks in the court hierarchy. Sano and Hoshina slowly approached the bottom of the steps, where a line of courtiers waited."

Unfortunately, Rowland seems sometimes to sacrifice accuracy for the sake of action, creating a bond between Sano and his spirited wife Reiko so modern that one feels that even the most liberated Genroku woman would have been far more circumscribed by ritual and expectations. On the level of plot, rather than philosophy or politics, Sano's deductions have less to do with dogged investigation than with divine inspiration.

Laura Joh Rowland's previous Sano mysteries include The Concubine's Tattoo and The Way of the Traitor. Mystery fans intrigued by the notion of a Japanese mise en scène may be interested in Dale Furutani's Death at the Crossroads and Jade Palace Vendetta, also set in 17th-century Japan. --Kelly Flynn

Book Description

IN THE IMPERIAL CITY OF KYOTO, POWER IS MERELY CEREMONIAL. BUT AN ANCIENT EVIL STILL SURVIVES....Far from the shogun's court at Edo, Most Honorable Investigator Sano Ichiro begins the most challenging case of his career. Upon the insistence of his strong-willed and beautiful wife Reiko, Sano arrives with her at the emperor's palace to unmask the murderer-who possesses the secret of kiai-"the spirit cry"-a powerful scream that can kill instantly. A high Kyoto official is the victim. Treading carefully through a web of spies, political intrigue, forbidden passions, and intricate plots, Sano and Reiko must struggle to stay ahead of the palace storms-and outwit a cunning killer. But as they soon discover, solving the case means more than their survival. For if they fail, Japan could be consumed in the bloodiest war it has ever seen....A legendary land comes alive in this compelling murder mystery set in seventeenth-century Japan. Filled with finely drawn characters and suspenseful plot twists, THE SAMURAI'S WIFE is a novel as complex, vivid, and artful as the glorious, lost world it portrays.AUTHORBIO: LAURA JOH ROWLAND, the granddaughter of Chinese and Korean immigrants, grew up in Michigan. She is the author of four previous Sano Ichiro novels, The Concubine's Tattoo, Shinju, Bundori, and The Way of the Traitor, and lives in New Orleans with her husband and three cats.

Customer Reviews:

Lovely Environment, Questionable Situations.......2006-06-15

This is the fifth book in the Sano Ichiro series, set in Japan of the 1600s. Sano is a detective working for the Shogun. In book 4 he had just taken a wife who wanted to help him with his detective work - and at the end of the story he had reluctantly agreed. At the time they had only been married a few days. Now, in The Samurai's Wife, we flash forward to a year later, where apparely they've been working together all year long as partners.

I have to admit I was disappointed to realize that all of that "getting to know each other" storyline had been skipped over so handily. Book 4 (The Concubine's Tattoo) involved Sano and wife Reiko barely knowing each other, fighting over her role in his life, and she had only barely gotten him to agree to let her occasionally help out by the end of the story. Now, suddenly, we start this book with them both on an important stake-out, watching to land the final blow. It seemed that all of that give-and-take, all of the delicate balances involved in forging the relationships, would have been fascinating to read about. Instead we skip it all and land right into "OK they're married for a year and she's pregnant, and they're a team." You might think therefore that the pregnancy would have involved a lot of cool details involving how the Japanese viewed pregnancy, just as the previous book involved a lot of wedding details, but as a plot device it is mentioned maybe 3 times and then completely ignored. So much for life-shattering changes!

I've studied feudal Japan for many years and I really love all books set in this time period. I don't need them to be accurate. I understand how hard it is to write with every single detail being perfect. However, I at least want to feel, somewhat, that I am in a different time, with different attitudes and situations. I also want the story to make contextual sense - that is, I want the story not to contradict itself illogically.

So I was on one hand impressed and had fun with the setting of the Emperor's City - Kyoto - which is where the Imperial Family lives. They are stuck in the past, doomed (they might feel) to an insignificant life as figureheads. On the other hand, there were numerous comments about this situation that struck me as quite out of tune. Apparently everyone in the Imperial Court is "barred from engaging in trade" - which is like saying that a shogun's wife is barred from being a prostitute! Japanese at the time looked down on merchants as a very low class, and in fact nobles didn't carry money so they would not sully themselves with the cash. The book refers to this not-having-cash several times in fact. It's as if the author knew some tidbits - but didn't realize the actual meaning.

Another situation - the book makes very clear that a samurai's wife shouldn't be going around on her own investigating murders. This is a big source of contention between Sano and wife Reiko. In fact when Sano arrives at Tokyo, he doesn't introduce Reiko as she is "just a family member". However, only a few scenes later, Sano's police officer equal is discussing where their investigation is going. The officer asks Sano what his plans are for the next day. Sano replies that he is going to do xxxx and that "my wife will do yyyy". Why in the world would he bother to tell a policeman about his wife's personal plans? It made no sense at all.

Just one more, because this one really bugged me. At one point they are talking about what happens to members of the Emperor's family if they lose power (because the Emperor abdicates or so on). The book says that for a woman to enter a nunnery "represented utter humiliation". WHAT??? Some women GLADLY entered nunneries because they were sick of the office politics and wanted a life of religious quiet and contemplation!! To equate a nunnery to humiliation just had me shaking my head. Sure, some women who wanted to be sexy and having wild parties and loved being the center of attention would, if told suddenly "Shave your head, you are going to a nunnery for the rest of your life", be quite upset. But this wasn't some sort of a blanket reaction that every single female had.

I still have an issue with Reiko in general. I found her really annoying and incongruous in book 4. I found her perhaps a little more toned down and reasonable here, but still wildly out of context for the book's setting. Let me reiterate that I am ALL for strong female characters. For example I really liked the character of Lady Jokyoden. Reiko is just over the top, though. She has little common sense and her demands for attention are very childish. In the real world, people earn respect - but she just wants it given to her immediately.

Book 4 was quite full of sex, sex and more sex. This book toned that down quite a bit, although people who flinch at homosexual situations are going to have their hands full with arch-enemy Chamberlain Yanigasawa's exploits. What The Samurai's Wife has instead is outrageously implausible fantasy elements. Up until now the series has seemed "reality based" - that you felt transported to the real Japan of the 1600s with the people and places that existed. Now, suddenly, we have people running around with KIAI power, in essence screaming and slaying other people. Seems to me that if the Japanese could do this, we'd have heard about it. Not only that, but characters talk to historical individuals that have been dead for centuries, and others have the power of mind control.

In the meantime, the plot is guessable pretty much right from the beginning, and the characters both skip incredibly obvious clues and also get clues dropped into their lap with little effort at all.

So, once I retooled my expectations to consider this a fantasy novel that had some Japanese elements in it, to enjoy for its pretty scenery rather than its robust characters or intricate plot, it was pretty enjoyable. Not all books can be complex machinations that you love reading 30 times. This was a fun afternoon read and gave me my fix of Things Japanese.

By no means unreadable, but ..........2005-06-10

The basic plot outline has Sano sent to investigate a murder at the highest levels of society (the Emperor is a suspect) to clear his name of slander. His spunky wife accompanies him, and while initially he worries about her safety he eventually comes to accept her as a partner in his investigation.

There's an odd sort of quality to this novel; it really wants to please, and it offers up a series of interesting set-pieces, characters who sound like they should be fascinating, and a complex mystery to be solved.

Unfortunately, the solution to the mystery is obvious before we've even finished meeting all the suspects, all of the characters are cardboard cutouts, and most of the different lines of the plot just stop abruptly. The chamberlain is so much more interesting a character than Sano Ichiro that, slimy as he is, I kept having to stop myself from rooting for him.

Worst of all, there's enough magic used to qualify the book as a fantasy novel instead of a historical mystery. A little bit of that is okay as the expression of the general mysticism of the era, but the solution to the mystery hinges on it. That's just not playing fair.

While I kind of enjoyed The Samurai's Wife, it's definitely "beach reading" ... moreso even than the Legend of the Five Rings series.

Modern madness.......2005-01-03

Although a number of prior reviewers loved this novel, I found it impossible to enjoy, despite an overwhelming desire to like this book. As a martial artist, I couldn't get past the silly plot. Worse yet, the characters, especially the main characters, are far too modern (and Western). Likewise, the dialog was stilted, direct, and unlikely to be spoken by even modern Japanese. If you aren't looking for historical accuracy, you may be happy with the novel.

The Best of the Sano Ichiro Series.......2004-04-16

I really enjoyed this book. It was the best of the Sano Ichiro books I have read so far (I can't wait to read "The Perfumed Sleeve"). It was really enrapturing, and this is just a little bit better than "The Pillow Book of Lady Wisteria".
The characters in this one were really interesting, at times you almost want to root for the suspects, such as: Lady Jokyoden. Besides from the fact that it was good, it was informative.The culture is really well researched.
Some people may think it's a little over the top, with all the "events", but things like this probably happened in 1600's Japan. It's dramatic but believable and this plot was cool, because it incorporated the imperial family. Who didn't even govern the country, but were just considered living gods.
If you've read the other ones you have to read this, it's the best.

It's getting to be too much!.......2003-02-18

This is the fifth or sixth Sano Ichiro book that I read. The only reason that I keep coming back is the futile hope that perhaps the next one will be different. But it is not. The characters in these books have a one-dimensional comic book quality that does not change or mature with age. The antagonism between Sano and the Chamberlain gets to be boring after so many absurd confrontations. The evolution of plot and detective work is always pathetically arbitrary. The only saving grace is what to the reader appears as an interesting view and description of 17th century Japan.

The Dragon King's Palace (A Sano Ichiro Mystery)

Average customer rating:

Pleasing mystery to read
My favorite book so far in the series
A sameness?
A Sweeping Visit To Medieval Japan
An Entertaining Departure from Formula, But With A Trade-Off

The Dragon King's Palace (A Sano Ichiro Mystery)
Laura Joh Rowland
Manufacturer: St. Martin's Paperbacks
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Mass Market Paperback

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The Concubine's Tattoo (A Sano Ichiro Mystery)

ASIN: 0312990030
Release Date: 2004-04-06

Book Description

On a whim of the shogun's mother, a procession has left the sweltering heat of Edo, bound for the cooler climate of Mount Fuji. Among her traveling companions are Reiko, the beautiful wife of Sano Ichiro, the shogun's Most Honorable Investigator of Events, Situations, and People; Reiko's friend Midori, nine months pregnant; and Lady Yanagisawa, the deranged wife of the shogun's powerful second-in-command. None of them look forward to the trip. But their troubles have only begun when their procession is stopped suddenly on a deserted road. The entire retinue is viciously slaughtered and the four women are bound and taken away, imprisoned by a mysterious kidnapper.Sano now finds himself faced with the most important case of his career. The shogun demands quick action, and under the threat of death, Sano is forced to work with his bitter enemies-Chamberlain Yanagisawa and Police Commissioner Hoshina. The delivery of a ransom note only complicates matters-forcing both Sano and Reiko to take desperate measures.

Customer Reviews:

Pleasing mystery to read.......2007-02-15

This mystery series focuses on a golden era of Japan when foreigners were expelled from the country. Besides samurais, noblewomen, castle servants, middle-class merchants, and even a shogun, there is an evil cult. You get a real sense of place with such a diverse cross section of the citizens of Edo. The best part of the book is exploring the town. The characters, some of whom are based on real historical figures, come to life. The most fascinating character is Yanagisawa with his wife and the shogun as follow-ups. It's interesting when a writer can make her side characters seem almost like real people. Most mystery series rely on stock archtypes for side characters. I found this book to be extremely well-written for a mystery. No sloppy grammatical errors that distract you from the story! Rowland has a great grasp of vocabulary so you won't be embarrassed about being seen with a "beach" book. If you loved reading Nancy Drew and Trixie Belden as a kid, this is an adult mystery that won't disappoint you.

My favorite book so far in the series.......2006-07-27

By now Sano Ichiro is on his 8th story. He's still the main detective in late 1600s feudal Japan for the incompetent Shogun. He's still battling his homosexual foe Chamberlain Yanagisawa. I was worried that this book would fall into a rut, given the previous books. However, I was actually very pleasantly surprised and to me this is the best book in the series so far.

First, I had found the previous interactions between Sano and wife Reiko to be either stilted or moralistic. In this one, they completely separated the female characters - the Shogun's mother, Reiko, Midori (very pregnant) and Lady Yanagisawa into kidnapped desolation. This allowed these four characters to each shine and become unique without the usual "ah the poor women of Japan, they are so beat on" diatribe.

On the other side, we have Sano who is now siding with Yanagisawa and his lover Hoshina to track down the hostages. This is a pretty standard literary device - they have to work together to fight the greater evil - but it really did make for some interesting situations and interactions.

More than that, though, we finally saw some interesting character growth and change, which had been missing from most previous books. The Shogun took action. His mom gained some strength. Lady Yanagisawa faced some fears. Hirata took a stand for his love. In the past, their plot-driven vacillations drove me crazy. Finally in this one, people were acting like real three dimensional humans with motivations.

There were still a few moments that bothered me. The intro sequence has a husband who kills his wife for adultery. This would be expected. Then he commits suicide for having to kill his wife. Why? That would be like a sniper who shoots an enemy, then kills himself for shooting the enemy. He did what he was supposed to do.

Reiko is told by Lady Keisho-in that they're all going to Mount Fuji - and she responds that "the Shogun may need my help". This was *very* presumptuous of her - and not quite supported by any previous book. Certainly she helped her husband but it was a very under-cover subtle thing, not something where Sano went to the Shogun and said "My wife found this clue for me ..."

Reiko is certainly trained in how to use a sword - but she's a mom now, and if she exercises, it's an occasional thing. Still, when they are attacked by a well trained militia - one that takes out professional soldiers and bodyguards - she manages to hold off 13 of them on her own. Even if we argue "they wanted to take her alive" it still doesn't make much sense.

We were spared a lot of the "life back then sucked, was smelly and mouldy" story from previous books, but there were still moments. When the four women are stuck in a falling-down, roof leaking, bat dung filled room with awful food and a single pot to pee / etc. in, Reiko muses to herself "So this is how poor people live ..." I don't think so! People denied her 'mansion life' do not necessarily wallow in filth. Poor people can have great pride in their homes and in cleanliness.

There was also an amusing continuity problem where on page 78 the Shogun had 100 concubines, but by page 196 he had 200 concubines. I guess they multiply like rabbits!

The ending was extremely uncomfortable. Rowland likes to do that. I can't say more without giving it away, but Rowland deliberately enjoys pushing the envelope of what we feel "comfortable" with main characters doing. I find it very hard to believe that these characters run into all of these bizarre situations repeatedly.

I do have a general comment that having "insane characters who can do anything at any time" like Lady Yanagisawa and Lord Niu are like having built in deux ex machina. You have an issue? Poof, insane person does something plot related and moves bits along. I would much rather have that toned back.

Still, in general this is much more coherent than previous books, the characters show growth and insight, and having the characters separated gave each group its chance to shine and distinguish itself. As always, I love the environment and descriptive storytelling. I am very eager to read the next book now, moreso than I'd looked forward to releases of previous books in this series.

A sameness?.......2005-07-05

Not too far into the story, there is a certain sameness to the book like her others. This feeling might change as I read more.
Marsha Luzzi

A Sweeping Visit To Medieval Japan.......2005-05-20

Welcome to the later days of the Tokugawa Shogunate. The Portuguese had come and gone, samurai now used guns in battle, and gradually the strength and vitality of the times was ebbing away. Sano Ichiro, the Shogun's Most Honorable Investigator spends as much time dealing with the devious political maneuvering of opponents like Chamberlain Yanagisawa and Police Commissioner Hoshina - all trying to influence the decisions of a weak and effeminate Shogun whose main virtue is his love for his mother.

Their attendance commanded, Sano's wife Reiko, her friend Midori, and Lady Yanagisawa must accompany the Shogun's mother on a pilgrimage to Mount Fuji. Almost at the mountain their entourage is attacked, the ladies kidnapped, and the rest left dead. A little while later a note is posted on the gates of Edo - if the Shogun fails to execute Hoshina, the Honorable Lady Keisho-in will be killed. Sano and Yanagisawa become unwilling allies, one trying to save his wife, and the other his lover.

Sano's detective skills are severely tried as he races to save the lives of the women, hampered as much by a frantic Shogun as he is by the lack of facts. Far away from Edo, Reiko's wits and bravery are tested to their maximum as she and her friends face a man driven mad by his own grief and guilt. No matter how this drama ends, it will have far reaching consequences for the survivors.

Laura Joh Rowland combines her natural storytelling ability with a fine eye for the details of medieval Japan. The city of Edo, the hallways of the palace, and the homes of the players all seem to leap to life and the reader learns Japanese sociology and history while being entertained by a story that has as many twists and turns as Japanese bureaucracy does. All of the Sano Ichiro stories have a serious side, but the Dragon King's Palace touches on the pivotal issues that drove Japan into crisis. We see the samurai world changing before our eyes, and Rowland pulls very few punches.

I recommend the entire series, but The Dragon King's Palace is one of the best, a tightly woven story of suspense and mystery.

An Entertaining Departure from Formula, But With A Trade-Off.......2005-05-18

Dragon King's Palace marks something of a break from formula in Rowland's Sano Ichiro novels, in that it's a faster-paced kidnapping drama rather than the typical Ichiro murder mystery. As such it's a more cinematic story - along the lines of an action-adventure film - and a more vigorous page-turner. This makes for an entertaining read, but with something of a downside: It lacks the complexity of some of Rowland's previous Ichiro books, particularly the immediately preceding volume, "Pillow Book of Lady Wisteria" which represents perhaps Rowland's most in-depth plotting. You're essentially trading some depth and richness in storytelling for a more compelling pace.

Three particular details stand out in this volume, one positive and two negative: Dragon King marks the first time that Shogun Tokugawa Tsunayoshi takes some decisive (albeit minor,) independent action. It's such a departure that it's out of character, but any sign of rationality from that character is a definite plus.

His otherwise senile indecisiveness and malleability, however, borders on lunacy - and that element, also developing in a more malevolent way here in the character of Lady Yanagasawa, is the literary equivalent of a short-circuit. Anyone who's suffered through any given French art film - where at least one protagonist must either already be or become insane as a matter of course - knows the groan-inducing betrayal created by the "insane character" cop-out. It's too convenient for the writer and too arbitrary for the intellect of the reader, therefore must be used carefully or not at all. It doesn't get too bad in Dragon King, but the emergence of the phenomenon in the Lady Yanagasawa character and to a degree within the Shogun's mother Keisho-in, is worrisome for those who plan on reading future Ichiro novels.

Another criticism lies in a missed opportunity. At one point Ichiro is faced with a genuine moral choice, that rarity of rarities that was once the backbone of great romantic fiction. We've all heard the phrase "show, don't tell" in context of character development. A moral dilemma is the only means by which the true underlying character of a protagonist (or antagonist) can be demonstrated in a lasting way - a point of spectacular confusion in writer Orson Scott Card's recent (May 03, 2005) unintentionally-comedic editorial diatribe against the Star Trek series. (Despite its cheap television production values, Star Trek turned the classic morality play into a weekly art form, and its writers did it by demonstrating timeless issues - like honesty, integrity, volition, reason, liberty and human rights, in the actions of the principle characters.)

Sano is called to honor a pre-existing promise to enemies with whom he has a tenuous truce - but rather than demonstrating his integrity without hesitation, thereby enriching the strength of the character and presenting an opportunity for a dramatic new direction in the series, Sano instead dithers in moral indecision, balks, then only begrudgingly agrees to stick to his word. The opportunity is blown, the scene falls flat, and Sano is left as a pedestrian everyman clouded in an ethical fog. Aaargh.

If you can overlook those negatives, Dragon King is a rousing adventure story with castle strongholds, damsels in distress, races against time, backstabbing treachery, and admirable strength in its convincing exposition of the villain's motives. What it lacks in richness of atmosphere and plot detail that was so effective in the previous "Pillow Book of Lady Wisteria," is compensated for by its addictive foray into thriller territory

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Bundori Review
Sano Ichiro faces off against a mad killer and the weight of bushido
The Politics Begin
Fun Detective story,
Interesting but bit bland

Bundori
Laura Joh Rowland
Manufacturer: HarperTorch
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Mass Market Paperback

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Similar Items:

Shinju
The Way of the Traitor
The Concubine's Tattoo (A Sano Ichiro Mystery)
The Samurai's Wife (A Sano Ichiro Mystery)
Black Lotus (A Sano Ichiro Mystery)

ASIN: 0061011975
Release Date: 2001-07-03

Book Description

<p align="left">It is early spring, 1679, and the feudal Japanese capital, Edo, is beginning to blossom. But along its peaceful, misty streets evil lurks. With one stroke, the favored vassal of the ruling family is decapitated, his head taken for a bundori -- a war trophy.
Sano Ichiro, the shogun's Most Honorable Investigator of Events, Situations, and People, is called to find the culprit. In a city where danger and deceit lie just below the lush surface, Sano must rely on his mind, his instincts, and his noble training in Bushido -- the Way of the Warrior -- to solve this case that could bring him glory...or everlasting shame. Set against a backdrop of sumptuous castles, tawdry pleasure districts, and serene temples, and filled with unforgettable, rich characters, Bundori is breathtaking entertainment.</p>

Customer Reviews:

Bundori Review.......2006-10-20

This book seemed to explore too many avenues and had the usual formula to cover up the "who did it" scenario in a murder mystery. Sometimes I was quite disturbed with the sexual subject matter. The authour did spend sometime researching and giving fantastic imagery to medieval Japan. So I felt I was enlightened in that respect. The ending is really rushed and not conventional. I thought is was weak and the overall story was robbed because of it.

Sano Ichiro faces off against a mad killer and the weight of bushido.......2006-01-19

Laura Joh Rowland's "Bundori" continues the saga of young Sano Ichiro, hero of her earlier novel "Shinju." While "Bundori" opens with Sano enjoying the fruits of his successful murder investigation in the earlier novel, he finds his enjoyment tempered by several burdens.

First and foremost, Sano has advanced through the ranks to become a valued-but-low-ranking member of the Shogun's vast entourage. While to an outsider, such a station would be an unmitigated pleasure, particularly in the hyper-class-conscious culture of Japan under the Tokugawa Shoguns. Unfortunately, the rigid code of Bushido, which all samurai must honor with their very lives, demands that a subordinate can never contradict a superior official . . . and Sano is now surrounded by superior officials.

The strictures of Bushido are difficult to bear under the most hum-drum of circumstances, but the code becomes quite the lodestone for Sano when he is assigned by the Shogun as the chief investigator of a recent murder. An aged, loyal aide to the Shogun has been horribly murdered, decapitated with one sword cut. The lopped-off head has been put on a spike as a seeming war trophy -- a "bundori" -- with an obscure name attached to it on a scrap of paper. As a famous investigator, Sano is charged with discovering the murderer.

But this task is made just about impossible by the fact that several of the suspects are Sano's superiors, including the jealous, all-powerful chamberlain - second only to the Shogun in terms of temporal power. Not only is the chamberlain a suspect, he fosters an outright hatred of Sano and seems to be actively opposing the investigation, although his motives for his hatred aren't clear.

In a brief novel (340-odd pages, but with a big font), Rowland keeps things going at a quick pace. Themes of duty and honor predominate, but Rowland still finds time for torrid romance, quick humor, and several chilling passages where we lurk inside the mind of the murderer, a horrifying killer whose murderous fantasies involve battles and slights from over 100 years in the past. Rowland's Japan comes through with clarity and with beauty on every single page.

While perhaps a pedestrian mystery (something along the lines of Sharon Kay Penman's medieval mysteries), "Bundori" is still a darn good read and a worthy sequel to her highly enjoyable "Shinju." I'm definitely looking forward to diving into the later works in this series.

The Politics Begin.......2005-08-06

Having started the stories of Sano Ichiro with Shinju, I decided to progress onto the second book instead of jumping around in the series. I found the book to be enjoyable in both its changes and simularites.

The story takes place just a couple of months after Shinju. Sano is learning his way around the ways of Edo Castle and his new lord, Tokugawa. When the Bundori killings begin (bundori is the ritual preparation of the head of one's enemy in the time of war. A war trophy), Sano is assigned to arrest the murdered.

Not only does the murder plot, steeped in the history of one of the most notorious generals in the rise of the Tokugawa dynasty, engage the reader and keep the reader off guard, the polical development of the story is rich and shows the venonous trends of life in Edo Castle.

The story adds a number of interesting characters to the tapestry of Rowland's Edo. Hirata is competent and a good potential assistant to Sano. Aoi adds a new dynamic to the entire setting. She is strong and has her internal conflicts than carry on through the story.

There is more to the book than plot and an interesting setting though, the end of the story sees a genuine change in the character. I definitely look forward to reading Way of the Traitor to see how that change is carried on to the next story.
The book is a good and entertaining read.

Fun Detective story,.......2005-02-07

I like all of the stories in this series. Not as much for the detective aspect, wich is good, but more for the office politics correlations to real life. It's sad but true, that ability and performance will always be targeted by insecure non talents more than they will be rewarded for greatness. If you've ever felt like this you will relate to this hero, as he tries to balance being a good man and still keep his job.

Interesting but bit bland.......2004-06-07

This is my second Laura Joh Rowland book and like the one I read before (Perfumed Sleeve), I found this book to be pretty interesting and its murder-mystery premises to be entertaining and easy to follow. Once more, Sano Ichiro goes forth against all evil to overcome and solved the crime.

I think this is a pretty decent book and it could have been better if the main villian wasn't so one dimensional. The Yanagisawa character proves to be very cardboard like in its characterization. Once more, I think that the author's understanding of Tokugawa politics appears to be very limited. Nobody with Yanagisawa's personality and tact as described in the book would last very long in samurai politics. Another thing is that the author seem to think that homosexual politics was paramount within the Tokugawa bakufu. Unfortunately for the author, homosexual activities in Japan was no more and probably no less then those in Europe. Why an all powerful Yanagisawa would ever fear a relatively nobody just because the Shogun seem to be mildy fond of him proves to be totally illogical. Another interesting oversight was the fact that Sano wears a Tokugawa crest when he works. That crest alone, would historically give him almost unlimited powers. No mere police officials would stand in his way or anyone's way if that individual was wearing the Tokugawa crest on his back. It appears that the author seem to be putting artifical elements in her story to created artifical dangers for her hero.

While good reading overall, the writing proves to be relatively lightweight in material and plot.

The Way of the Traitor
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More Character Development

Laura Joh Rowlands is becoming one of my favorite authors!

Excellent Story

Office politics and the way of the Samuri

East Meets West...Unwillingly

The Way of the Traitor
Laura Joh Rowland
Manufacturer: HarperTorch
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Mass Market Paperback

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ASIN: 0061010901
Release Date: 2001-09-04

Amazon.com

Samurai Sano Ichiro, our guide through the intricacies of life and death in 17th-century Japan in Laura Joh Rowland's evocative and accessible mysteries (Bundori and Shinju are available in paperback) is called the Shogun's Most Honorable Investigator of Events, Situations, and People. All of these skills--plus a strong sense of survival--are needed in this story about what happens when Dutch traders arrive in Nagasaki in 1690. The foreigners are isolated in a small section of the city, and most ordinary citizens are forbidden to make contact with them--on penalty of beheading. But when the Dutch trade director is found murdered, Sano risks his neck to find the killer and satisfy his curiosity about the world outside his rigorously regimented homeland.

Book Description

A volatile, corrupt city threatened by toreign invasion and ru by an iron-fisted government, Nagasaki is the last place Sano Ichiro wants to be, Unfortunately, the shogun's Most Honorable Investigator of Events, Situations, and People has been banished there by a wicked adversary in the shogun's court.

Surrounded by spies, Sano must tread carefully. When the body of a Dutch trader washes ashore, he finds himself leading an investigation that could push Japan into war -- even as it thrusts his life into the hands of powerful enemies. Sano has to unmask a killer and prove his innocence, or his samurai head, and maybe his country, will fall.</p>

Customer Reviews:

More Character Development.......2005-10-27

As the third book featuring Sano Ichiro, I was anxious to read it once I picked it up. The politics in Bundori whetted my appetite, and I was ready for more.

The story takes place a year-and-a-half after Bundori. Sano has not yet married, still mourning the loss of his love. He has also found that there is little he can do to change the corrupt administration of the government and is despondent about the corruption. Strangely enough, Hirata, Sano's chief retainer, is despondent over his service to Sano as he does not seem to want to be protected and takes unnecessary risks. If Way of the Traitor does anything, it solidifies the relationship between Sano and Hirata, setting up their companionship for the later books.

Sano is sent to Nagasaki where he has to unravel the mystery behind the murder of the head of the Dutch East India Company. As the story progresses, the stakes increase, and Sano takes more risks, putting his life and reputation at stake. Through the course of the story, he uncovers corruption in the administration of Nagasaki, develops camaraderie with the Dutch doctor and is convicted of treason himself.

In the end, Sano lives, and he returns to Edo (the series would be very different if he did not). However, it is the lessons he learns that makes the story important in the development of the character. For that is the purpose of the book in the overall series, developing Sano to deal with the challenges in the later books.

Now my complaint is since the story takes place in Nagasaki, I have the feeling that I will not see most of these characters ever again. As such, the politics were less pressing. I like the world Rowland is developing, and Nagasaki is on the edge of this world. Now, I hope I am wrong, but I will not know until I push farther into series.

I would definitely recommend this book to anyone who has read the previous ones. I am less likely to recommend this book on its own since it builds so much upon the events of Bundori.

Laura Joh Rowlands is becoming one of my favorite authors!.......2005-09-07

We continue with the saga of the Shogun's detective, a medieval samurai, as he copes with political intriques, crime, and the ramifications of his own desire to always find out the truth no matter the cost. The book is well written, the characters well developed, and the story keeps you wanting to read on. The villans are enough to confuse the issue with who the real murderer is and so, the hallmark of a good author, the revelation is a surprise. My Japanese exchange student says the story is historically very accurate to boot. What more can you ask??

Excellent Story.......2005-07-03

I first read The Way of the Traitor several years ago and found it quite interesting. Now, as I write this review, I am sitting in a computer cafe in Nagasaki.

Rowland's plot is quite good. Sano has found himself essentially exiled from Edo by his unintended rival the Shogun's Chamberlin. He is given the task of "inspecting" Nagasaki which is just about as far from Edo as you can go and still be in Japan. Given the state of transportation systems in Japan during the Shogunate, it is possible the chamberlain was hoping Sano wouldn't survive the journey.

Nagasaki is Japan's window to the world and it is tightly guraded and only open a crack. The only authorized westerners in Japan are the Dutch and the are kept on a small man-made island in the harbor. Origianlly the concession was given to the Portugese who along with trade brough Christianity and this ultimately lead to the banning of Christian teachings, the expulsion of the Portugese and the persecution of Japanese Christians. The Dutch have filled the void left by the departed Portugese becasue they aren't interested in spreading the gospel, just@making profits on their investments. They can't leave the island unescorted and no Japanese can enter except on official business. To even go on the island one is required to take and oath against Christianity and desecrate Christian icons. The penalty for not adhering to the oath is severe - death.

Sano's arival coincides with the disappearance of one of the Dutch trading mission from the island. It is this investigation which Sano finds himself involved with that almost cost Sano his life in several different ways.

The plot is well set out. The are a large number of potential suspects ranging from@the surviving Dutch traders to a Chinese religious leader to corrupt local officals. It is not an easy trail for Sano to follow and Rowland makes the sidetracks and false leads quite intriguing. The conclusion to the investigation is excellently done.

I have read this book several times and have found it just as entertaining now as when I first got it. Now reading it in Nagasaki it is almost like being in a time warp. Looking at the Nagasaki of today, it is easy to not see the houses clustering on the hills around the city and to see it as it was in the late 17th Century. It is a hot, humid and foggy night as I sit here writing - just the right conditions for a stranger to the city to look for a murderer who might be any one of a number of people.

Rowland is an exceptional story teller. She
weaves an exceptional tale of the very narrow meeting point between Japan and the rest of the world. I highly recommend this book to anyone who likes history interlaced with their fiction.

Office politics and the way of the Samuri.......2005-02-07

Ever been set up by a middle manager that wants to make you look bad to make himself look better? Well imagine that the consequence is beheading instead of a write up. That's what the hero face in this exploration of predjudice, paranoia and murder. Fun story, good detective work and good action spice up this book of value exploration.

East Meets West...Unwillingly.......2002-11-19

This novel picks up where Rowland's last Sano Ichiro novel left off: once again, Sano is the victor in the battle against crime, but loser of the war that rages within the Shogun's household. And, once again, his enemy is the Shogun's favorite, Yanagisawa. Sano finds himself essentially exiled to Nagasaki, the only port in which Japan allows foreigners -- closely watched, of course. A Dutch trader is murdered, and Sano offers to unearth the murderer, a seemingly impossible, and politically suicidal, task. Will Sano persevere? Since this is a series of novels, it's pretty obvious he will solve the case. However, I don't think I can take much more of Sano and his associates constantly beaten, wounded, and almost assassinated! The most interesting part of the book, in my opinion, is the picture of foreigners Rowland paints in the book: they are, to Sano and other Japanese, dirty, smelly, and almost completely uncivilized. The fact that Sano needs one of the Dutch delegation's help challenges his detective and physical senses to the extreme. Rowland is historically accurate in her depiction of the xenophobia present in Japan, and the fears that foreigners will somehow pollute the purity of Japanese culture, something that James Clavell did so well in 'Shogun'.

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