Synopses & Reviews
Review
"Melville has been largely successful in his efforts to marry the Western murder mystery to a reluctant Eastern bride. For more than 15 years and ten novels, the author has given free rein to superintendent Tetsuo Otani in his detective work, while at the same time exploring bit by bit the modern Japanese landscape. In this book, Otani goes to the rural island of Awaji to investigate the murder of an American missionary. The case carries overtones of the supernatural that make the down-to-earth Otani uneasy. Away from home and the familiar city streets of Kobe, Otani has to feel his way through a heavy mist of perplexing circumstances. Well-written and refreshingly free of gratuitous violence, Melville has written, once more, a nice bit of literate entertainment." Reviewed by Daniel Weiss, Virginia Quarterly Review (Copyright 2006 Virginia Quarterly Review)