This is part police procedural and part thriller. At least I think that's how one would characterize it. It's set in Japan. It seems someone, perhaps a derelict, was murdered in an alley with an expert slice of a samurai sword. Then a prominent American diplomat, Bernard Mattson was found dead in his house as a result of a sword cut. Perhaps, in Mattson's case, it was a suicide?

Mattson, it seems had spent many years living in Japan and had essentially become integrated in the daily life of the country, having taken Japanese wives, the first, Setsuko, whom he later divorced to marry Sachi. Mattson and Sachi had a daughter together, Jamie.

Jamie Mattson lived with her parents in japan until she was 13. Then her mother took her off to America, and she never saw her father alive again. Jamie comes back to Japan to attend her father's funeral and to pack up his effects and dispose of them appropriately.

But, all of a sudden, Jamie herself is threatened by violence of one kind and another. Apparently, among her father's papers are some that certain people would like to keep hidden.

So then, we have a kind of Perils of Pauline (yes I'm sufficiently old to know about such things) adventure in which Jamie is threatened and escapes...repeatedly. A somewhat interesting adventure.

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A very good mystery. A little more violent than I was ready for, but fast paced and very engaging. It really had me on the edge of my seat. It did make me want to reread the first of this series. I didn't remember quite as well as I would have liked. I have always enjoyed Michael Pronko's essays about Japan. I'm delighted to find him branching out so successfully. I highly recommend. ( )

thriller, law-enforcement, international-crime-and-mystery, PTSD, Japan, cultural-exploration, theft, murder

A fascinating look at the differences and similarities of cops and the countries/populations they serve. Homicide Det. Hiroshi in Tokyo has hidden himself away in his office as he remains unable to deal with the problems begun a year ago when he very nearly died on a case that caused many problems for the men in his department. Now he's forced into a very messy case involving diplomats, people murdered horribly with ritual blades, the Americans, and multiple thefts of sensitive materials. All this and the diplomat's beautiful Japanese American daughter from New York. A very compelling mystery thriller!
I requested and received a free ebook copy from Raked Gravel Press via NetGalley. Thank you! ( )