Synopses & Reviews
Japan, March 1700. Near a Shinto shrine in the hills, a windstorm knocks down a tree to uncover a human skeleton, long buried and forgotten. Meanwhile, in the nearby city of Edo, troops ambush and attack Lady Reiko, the wife of Sano Ichiro, the samurai detective who has risen to power and influence in the shoguns court. The troops who attacked Reiko appear to belong to Sanos fiercest enemy, Lord Matsudaira, who denies all responsibility. But if the rivals are not to blame for each others misfortune, who is?
Just as Sanos strife with Matsudaira begins to escalate to the brink of war, the shogun orders Sano to investigate the origins of the mysterious skeleton, buried with swords that identify it as belonging to the shoguns cousin, who disappeared forty years earlier on the night that a cursed kimono touched off a fire that nearly destroyed the city.
Suddenly, Sano and Reiko are forced to confront dangerous, long-buried secrets that expose Sanos own mother as the possible culprit. The shogun gives Sano and Reiko just three days to clear her name—or risk losing not only their position at court but their families lives.
Review
“Rowland matches her talent for storytelling with her ability to render convincing historical detail in this long-running but fresh series.” —
Publishers Weekly (starred review)
“Rowland has a painters eye for the minutiae of court life, as well as a politicians ear for intrigue.” —The New York Times Book Review
“Sano may carry a sword and wear a kimono, but youll immediately recognize him as an ancestor of Philip Marlowe or Sam Spade.” —The Denver Post
“Blending political intrigue and barbed social commentary, Red Chrysanthemum is a crisply lurid Rashomon mystery.” —Entertainment Weekly
“A careful, beautiful portrayal of a dangerous time in Japanese history . . . a compelling and lively series.” —The Dallas Morning News
“One of the best mysteries of the year.” —Publishers Weekly on The Snow Empress
Review
"Pure entertainment...it takes us to an exotic time and place and overwhelms us with intrigue, romance, adventure and frequent bloodshed" --
The Washington Post"Outstanding...Rowland has given her hero his greatest challenge yet in this suspenseful look at feudal Japan." --Publishers Weekly (starred review)
"An exciting and enthralling story set in a vividly rendered setting. I was captured by it from the moment a Shinto priest, buffeted by winds, his robe flapping 'like a swan in mad flight,' discovers those buried remains heaved from the earth." --The Boston Globe
"The historic setting is mesmerizing. Great escape fiction.” --Kirkus Reviews
Synopsis
Japan, March 1700. Troops ambush and attack Lady Reiko, the wife of Sano Ichiro, the samurai detective who has risen to power and influence. The troops who have attacked Reiko appear to belong to Sano's enemy, Lord Matsudaira, who denies all responsibility. But if the rivals are not to blame, who is?
Synopsis
Japan, March 1700. The strife between Sano Ichiro, the samurai detective who has risen to power in the shogun's court, and his enemies has escalated to the brink of war.
When a long-buried skeleton with mysterious links to the shogun suddenly comes to light, Sano and his wife, Reiko, who defies social conventions by joining in his investigations, must confront dangerous secrets. What was Sano's own mother doing on the night when a burning kimono ignited a blaze that nearly destroyed the city? The shogun gives Sano and Reiko just three days to find out--or risk losing not only their position at court but their families' lives.
The Fire Kimono is another dazzling historical mystery from Laura Joh Rowland.
Synopsis
Japan, March 1700. The strife between Sano Ichiro, the samurai detective who has risen to power in the shogun's court, and his enemies has escalated to the brink of war.
When a long-buried skeleton with mysterious links to the shogun suddenly comes to light, Sano and his wife, Reiko, who defies social conventions by joining in his investigations, must confront dangerous secrets. What was Sano's own mother doing on the night when a burning kimono ignited a blaze that nearly destroyed the city? The shogun gives Sano and Reiko just three days to find out--or risk losing not only their position at court but their families' lives.
The Fire Kimono is another dazzling historical mystery from Laura Joh Rowland.
About the Author
Laura Joh Rowland, the granddaughter of Chinese and Korean immigrants, was educated at the University of Michigan and now lives in New Orleans with her husband. The Fire Kimono is the thirteenth novel in her acclaimed series of thrillers featuring Sano Ichiro.