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Sano Ichiro #12

by Laura Joh Rowland

Осемгодишният син на Сано мистериозно изчезва. Той открива, че господарят Мацудайра, неговият политически враг, е отвлякъл момчето и го е изпратил в най-северната част на Япония, известна като Езогашима (днес остров Хокайдо). Комуникацията между тази област и столицата е прекъсната. Сано и съпругата му – Рейко - заминават за Езогашима, за да спасят сина си, но самите те попадат в беда. Трябва да открият убиеца на любовницата на господаря Мацудае, за да спасят Масахиро.

Genres: Mystery, Historical Fiction, Fiction, Japan, Historical Mystery, Historical, Thriller

384 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 2007

About the author

Granddaughter of Chinese and Korean immigrants, Laura Joh Rowland grew up in Michigan and where she graduated with a B.S. in microbiology and a Master of Public Health at the University of Michigan. She currently lives in New Orleans with her husband. She has worked as a chemist, microbiologist, sanitary inspector and quality engineer.

Reviews

[Jen · Rating 2 out of 5]

Things I've learned from this book:

-The best way to interrogate someone is to yell accusations at them wildly until they crack...admittedly this seems to be what they do in Law & Order
-People in 1699 Japan say things like "and don't try any funny stuff"
-With enough martial art training, you can make people fall into a deeper sleep with just a touch of your finger...ooooh
-If your 8 year old scratches notes in a big wall, you'll of course almost immediately find it and in the three months since he escaped from captivity, during which he was almost certainly mistreated, he can become an expert shot with a bow and arrow--and this won't bother you a bit

It's sad to say, but the whole mistress inhabiting the body of the leader until she finds her killer, yeah, not the least plausible thing in the book.

Oh, and I finally noticed on the back of the book that all the praise is "for Laura Joh Rowland" not necessarily and probably not at all for this book in particular. Also I hate the cover. The blood on the kimono is so "HI I WAS PHOTOSHOPPED BY A GUY RIGHT BEFORE LUNCH" it's almost funny. Helps that the woman on the cover is from a stock photo site, described almost comically as "Photograph of empress courtesy of veer.com."

This whole book read like McMillan and Wife set in 17th century Japan. Reiko and Sano pretty much act like Rock Hudson and Susan Saint James. Though I admit, I would probably watch that show, I won't read any more of it.

[The Girl with the Sagittarius Tattoo · Rating 3 out of 5]

Not a winner for two reasons, neither of which are the author's fault.

First, I absorbed this via audiobook. When you typically read a series with your eyeballs and suddenly have to switch to your ears, it changes the experience. The second reason is that I was forced to skip ahead several books because my library doesn't carry them. There've been a lot of changes to the supporting characters, and I felt kinda lost. The biggest change imo was to Hirata, Sano's right-hand-man. He's now some kind of mystical martial artist! 🫤

[Heidi Burkhart · Rating 5 out of 5]

I love this series! A brutal murder awaits Sono Ichiro and his wife, Reiko's detective skills to solve the mystery. Rowland writes beautiful descriptions of nature, and I am intrigued by life during the Tokugowa regime.

[Mihai · Rating 3 out of 5]

After getting off to an intriguing start in terms of mystery and thrills, the story hits a few bumps in the Ezogashima setting. The supernatural aspects such as possession by revengeful spirit and uncovering clues through guidance from the natural world are somewhat contrived plot devices. It all culminates with an apotheotic battle in which the missing boy, until then just a name in the background, takes decisive action at a critical moment. How convenient - as is the neat wrap-up of the protagonists' journey in the northern wilds. Never mind the death and destruction left behind in their wake, at least the haunting spirit is gone by having extracted its revenge! It's an enjoyable caricature read that goes fast, as a cheap paperback should.

[Pam · Rating 3 out of 5]

This was one of the more enjoyable books of the series. Added bonus that it didn't have all the gratuitous perverse sex earlier books had.

[Pat MacEwen · Rating 4 out of 5]

This the twelfth book in Laura Joh Rowland's series of murder mysteries set in Japan during the reign of the Dog Shogun. Sano Ichiro, now Chamberlain to the Shogun, is once again treading water among the shark-like factions of the Tokugawa clan's tent-government. This time, however, his 8-year-old son has been taken, spirited away during a moon-watching party. Lord Matsudaira, having taken control of his cousin the shogun and now ever more suspicious of everyone, uses a hint about the missing boy's location to send Sano on what may be a wild goose chase all the way up to the northernmost island of Japan, called Ezogashima in this era. Shipwrecked on arrival, Sano and his wife and surviving retainers are taken prisoner by Lord Matsumae, governor of the province and more than half mad. His Ezo (Ainu) mistress was murdered 3 months previously, and he is holding everyone hostage until the killer is found. Sano is forced to strike a deal with the vengeful lunatic - he will solve the murder in return for the release of his son. If Sano fails, the Matsumae stand ready to slaughter the boy and all the Ainu on the island, or anyone else who might be involved. Meanwhile, Lady Reiko mounts her own investigation, hoping the women of the household will be more forthcoming than all the belligerent samurai and the angry villagers now facing annihilation. A rather chaotic plotline this time out left me frustrated on occasion, though it also eventually provided solid reasons for all the events and strange behavior of some of the characters. All except one. I still do not understand why Sano's rival at court, Lord Matsudaira, chose to kidnap an 8-year-old boy and send him off to Ezogashima, surely the least likely choice of all given the Tokugawa clan's lack of tight control over the Matsumae at the best of times.

[D. T. · Rating 1 out of 5]

I was actually angry when I finished this--angry that this lazy and ridiculous book wasted my time and wasted my faith in this author. After 11 novels, I'd thought Rowland's series reliably entertaining, a nice diversion into historical Japan with a (usually) engaging mystery. Even with the weaker books in this series, I've always found something to redeem it, if for nothing but the fact that I was indeed entertained.

But this one...this one was just awful. It was a noticeably strained effort, and worse yet, did a great disservice to her characters and the series. The story progressed in a contrived, clichéd, and predictable manner; the characters were cartoonish and single-mindedly one-dimensional; the dialogue was wooden and hackneyed; the supernatural aspect was absolutely ludicrous. When an author goes to such efforts to evoke a believable and grounded historical reality and to give her mysteries sensibly plausible solutions, why relinquish your dénouement to some hysterical supernatural force? It was certainly a betrayal of the reality she's worked so hard and long to create. Frustrating and horribly disappointing. I'm hoping this was an aberration.

The only reason I finished this book was because I've been a faithful reader of the series up to this one, but I'd honestly recommend skipping it and going on to the next in line (which was an entertaining return to form). This particular effort adds absolutely nothing to the over-all arc of the series. Just go on to "The Fire Kimono" and don't look back.

[Nancy · Rating 2 out of 5]

I was very disappointed in this story. I was expecting another in this excellent series about a Japanese detective working for the shogun in 1699, with political intrigue, murder, and mystery. Instead this turned into some sort of crazy, mystical, spirits possession, story. It pushed my limit of believing beyond its' boundary. I did finish the book because I love a good mystery, and there were so many possible suspects, I had to find out who the murderer really was.
Sano's 8 year old son is kidnapped and he is told by his enemy, the kidnapper, that he is on the remote island of Ezogashima, 11 days away. Sano and Reiko and his faithful retainers take a boat there and find trouble right away. Their boat is shipwrecked when they land and the local ruler Lord Matsumae has gone mad. His mistress has been murdered and he is holding the entire province hostage until he finds out who murdered her. She had been slowly poisoning him and now in death she has taken possession of his body and soul, seeking revenge and driving him mad. Huh?!!

So, to find their son and to be able to leave, Sano makes a deal with Lord Matsumae. If he can solve the murder of Tekare, Matsumae will release everyone. Not an easy task, but Sano is not your ordinary samurai detective!

[Mothpit · Rating 2 out of 5]

The only thing I vaguely remember about this book is anger. I was angry at Reiko for flat out saying that she as a mother loves her son more than her daughter. Like... she just left her toddler child to someone else while she went out onto a quest she might not come back from and all to find her son, who could have been found by her husband too. It's not that I don't understand her, because everyone knows that the 'I love them equally' talk is bullshit, but still.
And the second one is the killer. Now, we either say that magic and ghosts are real and act accordingly or say that they aren't real and stick to it! HOW, pray tell HOW am I supposed to take a mystery like this seriously? Like, normal krimi, proper investigation with real suspects and BAMM! random killer ghost appears. I can't even.
But you see, I don't hate L.J.R.'s books. I'm sure that there were good things about it, but this bad aftertaste is the only thing I can remember from this book and that's not good. So yeah, two stars. It was okay, but nothing more.

[Jan Mc · Rating 2 out of 5]

The 12th in the Sano Ichiro series, this was a slight departure from the series in that it takes place in far northern Japan, where Sano and Reiko's son has been kidnapped, apparently to lure him away from the capital. The lord of the province seems crazy after the murder of his mistress, and Sano must solve the crime to have any hope of finding his son. Themes include racial discrimination and spiritual possession.

I think I'm losing patience with the characters...finally. It began a few volumes back and is catching up fast. There is too much political infighting for my taste, and Reiko seems to be a much weaker character than she was at the beginning of the series.

[Michelle · Rating 2 out of 5]

I listened to this one and I think that's the best choice. I can listen to the unfamiliar names and can keep the characters straight. I would've found that hard with the actual book. This one isn't a bad story. It is part of a series, so if you've read the previous books you may appreciate the characters more. What drug the story down for me is Tekare's possession of Lord Matsumae. Part of me wishes I had read the book, so that part of the audio wouldn't have had the reader's voice for Tekare to influence me. He read her as a screeching harpy and it made it very hard to suspend any disbelief. It really sent it into absurdity.

[NoBeatenPath · Rating 2 out of 5]

This book is set in a historical period and culture that I usually enjoy reading about, however I found this book a particular struggle. Firstly, it suffers from the usual 'modern' complaint of the noble savage view of history - the more tribal/'living in nature' people in a story are always the 'goodies', the more 'civilized' people are the 'baddies'. But I can overlook that. Would really dragged this book down was the writing - the word that sums it up best for me is plodding. It is simplistic but not in a sparse, spare poetic way, just in a clunky, often boring way. Which is a pity, as this could have been a really good book.

[Michele Lawson · Rating 2 out of 5]

I didn't want another DNF on my list, so I finished this book. I was put off by the American slang in 1699 Japan, the uninspiring characters, and the slow pace of the story, so I'm not a fan of the book.

[Dottie Riggs · Rating 2 out of 5]

I didn't feel this was one of her better books. I get the importance of her message, though.

[Eric · Rating 2 out of 5]

Enjoyed new perspective on native Ainu and Hakkaido.
Like Hirata's revived character

... not her best novel

[Mallee Stanley · Rating 3 out of 5]

During Japan's Genroku Period, Sano and his wife, Reiko's son is kidnapped and Sano learns from his rival, Lord Matsudaira, that his son is in Hokkaido. Because Lord Matsumae has not been in contact with Edo's shogun, Sano is ordered to head to Lord Matsumae's domain—Ezogashima (Hokkaido)—and find out what the problem is. Sano's wife insists on accompanying him and together with Sano's army, they sail to the northern island. Just off shore from Ezogashima, their ship is wrecked and only a handful survive. They are at the mercy of the frigid conditions. Ainu, the island's original inhabitants, put them up for the night, but by morning, troops storm the village and capture the new arrivals. When Sano meets Lord Matsumae, he finds the man delusional because his concubine has been murdered. He orders Sano and the remaining survivors be murdered until Sano promises to solve the murder. Will he be about to find out who killed Tekare? Will their son still be alive since the party who brought him to Matsumae's court, were murdered?

[Allison · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.5 stars. This was my first foray into this series. It wasn’t bad but from reading other reviews, it would seem this series may be prey to the curse that befalls many a lengthy series - author fatigue.
I often felt as though I was reading the same conversations over and over as the book seemed to touch on the same few plot points again and again.
Beyond that, I felt the reveal of the murderer to be a bit of a letdown. He was the first suspected, the most often suspected, and the most likely suspect - no wonder he was actually the murderer.

Read for the 2018 Reading Challenge prompt, “A book set in a country that fascinates you”.

[Lola · Rating 2 out of 5]

The idea of a detective story set in Imperial Japan is very enticing. If you enjoy the setting enough, this book is worth reading.

Nonetheless, I probably won't read more in the series. For my taste, the writing seemed a little glib and shallow. The investigation is conducted mostly by a man and wife, which is a nice twist. However, I have to say I found the wife rather impetuous and annoying, not inventive and interesting. The only characters I was especially drawn to were minor ones.

In many ways this would make a much more interesting graphic novel.

[Tom Heeren · Rating 5 out of 5]

Wow, it's a really cool mystery novel with spirits getting into people's bodies like the popular TV show, "Supernatural"!! Detective Sano and his wife, Rekio are the most bright sleuths in solving a mystery in Hikkado. As for their son, Mauricho, he has been a brilliant little boy who escaped the wrath of the Lord Mamebrure who kidnapped him to punish the Andi people as well as sleeping with the native woman named Tarere who was killed by his uncle in the ending.

Moving book, of course!

[Patricia Shannon · Rating 4 out of 5]

Well written, with great characters. It is #12 of a series, but was great as a "stand alone" novel. It offers a glimpse of Ancient Japan, and the native Ezogashima people who were not part of the Shogunate. I thoroughly enjoyed this read. Now I need to go back to the start of this series, and get better acquainted with Sano, Reiko, and Hirata.

[Alice Yong · Rating 3 out of 5]

Good murder mystery with political intrigue, jealousy, warring factions and supernatural elements thrown into the plot. The pace is somewhat sedate and lacking in suspense so that's about the only shortcoming for me.

[Michael Wojciehoski · Rating 3 out of 5]

Better than the previous books. About two thirds in, held together. Then it got scrambled and time ran out. Convoluted. Interesting about the Ainu, would liked to have more information about them and their history. Fascinating.
Premonition, possession, pre-destiny.

[Mililani · Rating 5 out of 5]

The descriptions are so good, I felt as though I was also in snow country.

Interesting portrayal of the Ainu of Hokkaido.

And the story goes on.

[Sharon Davies · Rating 3 out of 5]

Quick mystery, nice twists, liked the historical aspect.

[Amy · Rating 3 out of 5]

I've read some of this series before. This one didn't engage me as much as the others did.

[Dani · Rating 5 out of 5]

Excellent book. It makes you parte of the story. So interesting and exciting from page 1 to the very end. I totally recommend it.

[Beth Berger]

I have read four books in the series. Thoroughly enjoyed each one
Historical murder mysteries set in Fuedal Japan.

[Paschalis]

elibrary

[Katheyer · Rating 5 out of 5]

TBA

[Craig · Rating 3 out of 5]

meh!!!!!