Good ( )

One of the reasons I enjoy mysteries is because they let me immerse myself into other cultures and places. Generally, if I end up liking them, they also include a character that I enjoy rubbing along with for a while. This series has both -- a great immersive view of an Asian protagonist in Los Angeles -- a perspective I am completely unfamiliar with, both geographically and culturally, and a great main character, Ellie Rush, who may be flawed, but is certainly putting the hard work in to grow up well. I like that she's already a strong character, but I like even more that we're seeing her at the beginning of her law enforcement career and she is learning some hard lessons. It's interesting to see how the work will shape her. I like that she has both integrity and ambition. ( )

I rarely read these days without fact checking on my phone. I liked this book, I liked the LA setting and the characters' relationships unfolding. And her characters are exactly that! What a gallery! But I checked on Dith Pran. He died of pancreatic cancer, not a shot on the street. Since a mystery is a work of fiction, may we change the facts? I just couldn't see how it advanced the story, though, other than adding a wafting, ominous tone. A more lingering effect was a distrust in the story's LA details. Unfortunate. ( )

Murder On Bamboo Lane is the first book in the An Officer Ellie Rush Mystery series.

As I began this book, I had some reservation about it, but quickly got into the story and loved it.

Ellie Rush is a 23 year old Japanese/American Bicycle Cop for the LAPD. Elli's role model for becoming a cop is her Aunt Cheryl, the second ranking person in the LAPD. She tries to keep the relationship quiet, so as not to get preferential treatment.

Ellie is fresh out of the police academy and is assigned the Chinatown area of LA to patrol. While on patrol, one of the residents stops Ellie to complain about flyers that are posted all over. Upon looking closer at the flyer for a missing person, she realizes she knows the young lady, having been classmates in college. Then when a call comes in near where she is patrolling and stops by to see if it might be the missing girl. After convincing the officers that she may be able to identify the body and it is the missing Jenny. Jenny had been working for the Census bureau and had possibly been asking the wrong question of the wrong people in the tenements. Also, she had recently broken up with her boyfriend and that she was also being stalked by someone.
When Aunt Cheryl suggests she help homicide with their investigation, she reluctantly agrees and soon finds herself in the middle of apparent corrupt political actions that could go all the way to the top people.

This book turned to very interesting, insightful and suspenseful. The author provides the reader with an inside look at life in a urban area, but without preaching. And how far some might go to protect and enhance their political and law enforcement careers. The book has a wonderful cast of interesting and believable characters. ( )

Murder on Bamboo on Bamboo Lane by Naomi Hirahara is my most favorite cozy murder mystery of all time. Why? I used to live in an area north of LA and have been downtown often for jury duty and dining and enjoying the ethnic diversity. I want to say “Thank you” to the author, I am so grateful for a few days of reading that took me back to some places that I loved. The author’s description of those places were correct, sometimes delightful, and sometimes just truthful but it was as if I took a flight back to LA.

The lead character is Ellie Rush who is a bicycle cop whose ambition is to be a homicide detective. Her father is white and her mother is Japanese American. She had finished the standard probation term for the job and now relegated to watching over porta potties because of a bad incident last year, farmers markets and parades. She has just broken off with her boyfriend. She is still learning and has looked up her Aunt Cheryl who is the Assistant of Police. Ellie accidently gets pulled into a murder of a former classmate.

I thought that murder victim was intriguing and the mystery was easy for me to follow. I really enjoyed learning so much about Ellie and her friends and their problems. The mentions of foods that I cannot get where I now live made long for them. I loved her dog, Shippo and all the quirky characters. It was grittier than the usual cozy but at top of the meter for interesting for me. The pacing was just right for me, I never had a time that I wanted to push the story forward. I so glad that I read this book.

I highly recommend Murder on Bamboo Lane by Naomi Hirahara. ( )