by Sujata Massey
This is the fourth in the Rei Kimura mysteries, but it’s my favorite. First in series is The Salaryman’s Wife (for those who prefer to start at the beginning!)
Setting & details: ⭐⭐⭐⭐
Authenticity of Japanese characters & dialogue: ⭐⭐⭐⭐
Translation quality: N/A
Entertainment value: ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
My recommendation: This series features an American expat who’s a Tokyo antique dealer, and they’re all classic whodunits. If you’re up for a murder mystery comfort read with a great Japan vibe, these deliver.
When Tokyo antiques dealer Rei Shimura is invited to Washington DC by a major museum to exhibit her kimonos and give a lecture, it could be the big break she’s been waiting for. But soon after she arrives, one of her kimonos is stolen, and her passport is found in a dumpster with a very dead tourist.
Because she’s suddenly much closer to home, she also has to contend with her parents and an ex-boyfriend swooping in, while desperately trying to track down the thief and clear herself of murder.
Rei Shimura is a delightfully human character, and her juggling of mystery-solving and personal relationships makes for a satisfying comfort read.
You can get it right now, or check out the December Japanagram to see if you won a copy. All subscribers are automatically entered to win—if you’re not yet a member of this lucky group, click this button to subscribe, and be automatically signed up to enter.
How I pick the book giveaway winners: At the end of November, I will load all the email addresses of current Japanagram subscribers into an online random name picker and ask it to choose one lucky subscriber to get the book from this month’s review. I’ll publish the winner’s email in the next Japanagram (obscured in a way so only the subscriber will be able to recognize it as their own, of course) so check your October Japanagram to see if you won!
And if you haven’t yet read The Samurai’s Octopus…
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The last thing Birdie wants to do is turn her life upside down solving a murder that was committed before she was born...
Birdie is a true daughter of the pleasure quarter. The number one apprentice to Yoshiwara’s number one courtesan, she’d rather do anything than derail her future life, wearing opulent robes and entertaining lords of the land. But when her search for the mother she never knew takes a dangerous turn, she faces an impossible choice: betray her own flesh and blood, or live the rest of her life being hunted by a powerful man who won’t stop until they’re both dead…
“…a complete immersion in a world of beauty, drama, secrets, and betrayals.”
—Kim Hays, author of the Polizei Bern series
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Jonelle Patrick writes novels set in Japan, and blogs at Only In Japan and The Tokyo Guide I Wish I’d Had
