Anna S. (annapi) reviewed on 1/2/2010 + 334 more book reviews

Helpful Score: 1

This has been the strangest book in the 17th-century Japanese mystery series so far, straying into paranormal territory. Chamberlain Sano's son Masahiro has been kidnapped, and he discovers that his political rival Lord Matsudaira is responsible and has sent the child to the frontier island of Ezogashima. Sano and his wife Reiko journey there, only to discover that the local ruler, Lord Matsumae, has been driven insane by the murder of his mistress and is holding the entire province hostage until he finds the killer. Sano strikes a deal with him - he will solve the murder in exchange for their freedom and that of his son. But that proves to be more difficult and fraught with danger than he realizes.

Rowland's series has taken an interestingly strange turn with the development of Sano's faithful retainer Hirata's ninja-like powers, and now with the twist of the spirit possession of his enemy. I would be interested to find out if Rowland's portrayal of the primitive tribe of the Ezo and their supernatural beliefs is accurate or a fabrication - it's unfortunate that she does not include any explanations of her research, which somewhat detracts from my enjoyment of the series. But her pen is skillfully handled as usual and I look forward to the next book.

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