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The Daidoji Shin Mysteries #5
A Bitter Taste
Gentleman sleuth Daidoji Shin faces his trickiest case yet when he finds himself being framed for murder in this captivating cozy fantasy mystery from Legend of the Five Rings.In the fantasy empire of Rokugan, when a Crane Clan auditor turns up dead in a soy brewery, all eyes turn to nobleman-turned-detective, Daidoji Shin… but not to solve the man’s murder; rather, Shin is the suspect. Now Shin must attempt to figure out who killed the victim and, more importantly, who framed him, all while outwitting the authorities on his trail – including a dogged Kitsuki investigator with a score to settle. Caught in a spider’s web of intrigue and with his enemies closing in, time is running out for Dadoiji Shin…
336 pages, Paperback
Published August 6, 2024
1 person is currently reading
32 people want to read
About the author
Joshua Reynolds
313 books337 followersJosh Reynolds’ work has previously appeared in such anthologies as Historical Lovecraft from Innsmouth Free Press and Horror for the Holidays from Miskatonic River Press, and his novel, Knight of the Blazing Sun, is currently available from Black Library. He can be found at: http://joshuamreynolds.wordpress.com
Librarian Note: There is more than one author in the GoodReads database with this name.
Librarian Note: There is more than one author in the GoodReads database with this name.
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Displaying 1 - 15 of 15 reviews
August 7, 2024
**Note: edited to less angry**
A Bitter Taste is the fifth book in Daidoji Shin Mystery series set in the Rokugan Empire of the Legend of Five Rings game world. It’s an Asia inspired historical world divided in clans where honour is important, but women are equal and powerful, and same sex relationships are allowed. No knowledge of the game is needed, but the series, especially this book, builds on the previous books, so don’t start here. (Mild spoilers ahead.)
This has been a favourite mystery series of mine, and I was eager to read the latest addition. And it delivered—up until the very end. I wasn’t happy with how the book ended, especially since this seems like the final book in the series.
The beginning of the book finds Daidoji Shin, the Crane Clan representative in the City of the Rich Frog, sulking, because his grandfather has ordered him to marry. He’s not eager to do so and doesn’t have a candidate in mind, let alone feelings for anyone, but the order is absolute.
His day turns to worse, when he learns that the auditor his grandfather had sent to put him to rights has been murdered and Shin is the only suspect.
It’s only the start of Shin’s troubles. His cousin has arrived to town, ready to drag him back home in chains if necessary. The only thing stopping him is the murder investigator, someone with whom Shin has had a very personal relationship. Since it didn’t end well, he doesn’t have high hopes for a fair investigation. He needs to solve the murder himself.
What starts as a straightforward murder case turns more and more complicated at every step. Shin realises there’s been a conspiracy against him from the moment he arrived to town, the roots of which stem from long before. As he unravels it, he learns that people close to him he has trusted absolutely weren’t who he thought they were. Unable to believe it, he allows himself to be lured into a trap to expose the people responsible, no matter what it means to him personally. After some tense scenes, everything ends in a very satisfying manner.
And then the aftermath ruins it for me.
The series has always focused on the mysteries. Shin starts as a gambler and someone who likes the company of women, but the mysteries always take precedence, and during the course of the series there’s been no romances. There have been a couple of characters that could’ve become the romantic interest, but nothing serious. I didn’t mind. I never liked the one mainstay possibility, and Shin’s never indicated any romantic interest in them anyway.
This was bound to change here because of the order to marry. And the appearance of the old flame was interesting. They were given their own POV chapters and proved themself to be a great potential partner to Shin. I was looking forward to it even.
And then, in the aftermath, they’re sent away without so much as a token of reminiscing and what ifs. Instead, Shin chooses the worst possible person fairly out of the blue—the reader has insight into Shin’s thoughts, and there has been no indications. Romantic feelings are expressed. Reader is to believe they’re genuine.
I found this a great let-down that lowered my rating of the book. Before the aftermath, I was anxious that this would be the last book in the series, but now I’m sort of fine with it. He's in a good(ish) place, even if I’m not happy for him.
I received a free copy from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
A Bitter Taste is the fifth book in Daidoji Shin Mystery series set in the Rokugan Empire of the Legend of Five Rings game world. It’s an Asia inspired historical world divided in clans where honour is important, but women are equal and powerful, and same sex relationships are allowed. No knowledge of the game is needed, but the series, especially this book, builds on the previous books, so don’t start here. (Mild spoilers ahead.)
This has been a favourite mystery series of mine, and I was eager to read the latest addition. And it delivered—up until the very end. I wasn’t happy with how the book ended, especially since this seems like the final book in the series.
The beginning of the book finds Daidoji Shin, the Crane Clan representative in the City of the Rich Frog, sulking, because his grandfather has ordered him to marry. He’s not eager to do so and doesn’t have a candidate in mind, let alone feelings for anyone, but the order is absolute.
His day turns to worse, when he learns that the auditor his grandfather had sent to put him to rights has been murdered and Shin is the only suspect.
It’s only the start of Shin’s troubles. His cousin has arrived to town, ready to drag him back home in chains if necessary. The only thing stopping him is the murder investigator, someone with whom Shin has had a very personal relationship. Since it didn’t end well, he doesn’t have high hopes for a fair investigation. He needs to solve the murder himself.
What starts as a straightforward murder case turns more and more complicated at every step. Shin realises there’s been a conspiracy against him from the moment he arrived to town, the roots of which stem from long before. As he unravels it, he learns that people close to him he has trusted absolutely weren’t who he thought they were. Unable to believe it, he allows himself to be lured into a trap to expose the people responsible, no matter what it means to him personally. After some tense scenes, everything ends in a very satisfying manner.
And then the aftermath ruins it for me.
The series has always focused on the mysteries. Shin starts as a gambler and someone who likes the company of women, but the mysteries always take precedence, and during the course of the series there’s been no romances. There have been a couple of characters that could’ve become the romantic interest, but nothing serious. I didn’t mind. I never liked the one mainstay possibility, and Shin’s never indicated any romantic interest in them anyway.
This was bound to change here because of the order to marry. And the appearance of the old flame was interesting. They were given their own POV chapters and proved themself to be a great potential partner to Shin. I was looking forward to it even.
And then, in the aftermath, they’re sent away without so much as a token of reminiscing and what ifs. Instead, Shin chooses the worst possible person fairly out of the blue—the reader has insight into Shin’s thoughts, and there has been no indications. Romantic feelings are expressed. Reader is to believe they’re genuine.
I found this a great let-down that lowered my rating of the book. Before the aftermath, I was anxious that this would be the last book in the series, but now I’m sort of fine with it. He's in a good(ish) place, even if I’m not happy for him.
I received a free copy from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
April 18, 2024
Review: I am so late to the party that I forgot my shoes. One of the most comfortable reads I have ever had. Pure transportation into a world with smooth descriptive facets and engaging characters. This author is legit and I plan on getting every novel in this series.
Rating: 5/5
Rating: 5/5
August 8, 2024
Daidoji Shin, a murderer declared!?
Once again Daidoji Shin, Crane Clan’s trade envoy in the City of the Rich Frog, is battling long odds. Although this time he might have just been stymied by so many hands against him. Mind you there’s a few acquaintances rooting for him as well.
This time his laser sharp mind and ability to pull on various threads to see the whole just might have alluded him.
At the end of the previous title I’d wondered if Shin was being set up to have his wings clipped. Indeed it seems that’s what’s happening.
Shin is sulking about the ultimatum delivered by Lord Kenzo to marry or else. Kenzo, a Crane auditor has been investigating irregularities found the company’s finances. However when Kenzo ends up assassinated, Shin is the prime suspect.
Added to this is the problem of a Crane delegation led by Shin’s cousin Aoto turning up to drag Shin back home, with the added bonus of Shin being now declared a murderer.
Shin now has to contend with family rivalries and fend off an unknown assassin. Oh, and marriage is still an issue. So many factors from previous investigations are tied up with Shin’s now. Fascinating!
As always I am ironically amused and loving Shin’s latest exploits. Who knows what his future brings. Whatever it is, it will be worthy of this unapologetic Crane.
An Aconyte ARC via NetGalley.
Many thanks to the author and publisher.
Once again Daidoji Shin, Crane Clan’s trade envoy in the City of the Rich Frog, is battling long odds. Although this time he might have just been stymied by so many hands against him. Mind you there’s a few acquaintances rooting for him as well.
This time his laser sharp mind and ability to pull on various threads to see the whole just might have alluded him.
At the end of the previous title I’d wondered if Shin was being set up to have his wings clipped. Indeed it seems that’s what’s happening.
Shin is sulking about the ultimatum delivered by Lord Kenzo to marry or else. Kenzo, a Crane auditor has been investigating irregularities found the company’s finances. However when Kenzo ends up assassinated, Shin is the prime suspect.
Added to this is the problem of a Crane delegation led by Shin’s cousin Aoto turning up to drag Shin back home, with the added bonus of Shin being now declared a murderer.
Shin now has to contend with family rivalries and fend off an unknown assassin. Oh, and marriage is still an issue. So many factors from previous investigations are tied up with Shin’s now. Fascinating!
As always I am ironically amused and loving Shin’s latest exploits. Who knows what his future brings. Whatever it is, it will be worthy of this unapologetic Crane.
An Aconyte ARC via NetGalley.
Many thanks to the author and publisher.
May 28, 2024
My thanks to NetGalley and the publisher Aconyte Books for an advanced copy of this mystery series set in a role playing world, where dark forces are gathering and not the many wedding invitations our hero is inundated with.
There is a lot to be said about friends, family, colleagues, and the general public thinking one is, well, a lout. No one asks much, no one expects much, and no one really sees much. Sure this makes some particular achievements, say saving a theater, of even solving mysteries get tut-tutted away, but one can continue to do these things without bother, or real life getting in the way. However, every lout has its day, and someone might remember, oh him/her/they, we have to do something about that blight on our reputations. And the perfect life starts to go wrong. The lout in question is our hero Daidoji Shin, whose perfect life of non-responsibility begins to fade when he receives order to marry. At the same time a muder in the town is bringing even more disruption into Shin's life, and might end Shin's quiet life and his mortal life for good. A Bitter Taste: Legend of the Five Rings: A Daidoji Shin Mystery is the fifth in the series written by Josh Reynolds, and might possibly be the last if our hero can't shake of the malaise of upcoming nuptials.
Daidoji Shin is at a crossroads. Pressures are mounting from his family to marry. At the same time his clan, the Crane are looking into his business interests, and are seem to be looking for ways to bring him back into the clan, and ruining the life of leisure and investigation he has been enjoying. A member of the Crane clan, an auditor who Shin had grown friendly with is found dead and word is being spread that Shin is responsible. Shin is shut out of the case when an outside Katsuke investigator, is called in, which is worse news for Shin, as they were once engaged to be wed. As more people in the City of the Rich Frog are slain, Shin slowly comes to the realization that there is not just a plot against Shin, there is a far larger plot with far more enemies than he knew. And many of these enemies are far closer to Shin than he thinks.
Another great read from Josh Reynolds, an author that I have come to expect the best from, and have never been disappointed. This is a departure from the usual Shin books, as the stakes the tension, and even the violence have been ratcheted up. Reynolds brings elements from the previous books, characters, little Macguffins, mentions, even enemies and carefully and cleverly creates a story that really changes Shin in many ways, and some of the characters around him. Reynolds is not afraid of changing things, which is rare in series books. The story is well told, with a few red herrings, but a lot of clues to point the way to careful readers. What I enjoy most is that Reynolds can do action and ratiocination, but Reynolds also takes time to give his characters a chance not only to breath, but to have a scene that even makes us care for them, or understand why they do what they do. Even minor characters like a maid or an actor, are given a few lines, to make them alive, not background fodder. This is a skill, one one that Reynolds is very good at, and really gives what could be just a tie-in book to a game not just gravitas, but a reason for readers to keep reading.
These are great books, Good mysteries with a Japanese flair. For players of the game these really compliment the experience, and capture the feeling really well. To regular readers these are great stories, fun, with a lot of heart. I can't wait for more.
There is a lot to be said about friends, family, colleagues, and the general public thinking one is, well, a lout. No one asks much, no one expects much, and no one really sees much. Sure this makes some particular achievements, say saving a theater, of even solving mysteries get tut-tutted away, but one can continue to do these things without bother, or real life getting in the way. However, every lout has its day, and someone might remember, oh him/her/they, we have to do something about that blight on our reputations. And the perfect life starts to go wrong. The lout in question is our hero Daidoji Shin, whose perfect life of non-responsibility begins to fade when he receives order to marry. At the same time a muder in the town is bringing even more disruption into Shin's life, and might end Shin's quiet life and his mortal life for good. A Bitter Taste: Legend of the Five Rings: A Daidoji Shin Mystery is the fifth in the series written by Josh Reynolds, and might possibly be the last if our hero can't shake of the malaise of upcoming nuptials.
Daidoji Shin is at a crossroads. Pressures are mounting from his family to marry. At the same time his clan, the Crane are looking into his business interests, and are seem to be looking for ways to bring him back into the clan, and ruining the life of leisure and investigation he has been enjoying. A member of the Crane clan, an auditor who Shin had grown friendly with is found dead and word is being spread that Shin is responsible. Shin is shut out of the case when an outside Katsuke investigator, is called in, which is worse news for Shin, as they were once engaged to be wed. As more people in the City of the Rich Frog are slain, Shin slowly comes to the realization that there is not just a plot against Shin, there is a far larger plot with far more enemies than he knew. And many of these enemies are far closer to Shin than he thinks.
Another great read from Josh Reynolds, an author that I have come to expect the best from, and have never been disappointed. This is a departure from the usual Shin books, as the stakes the tension, and even the violence have been ratcheted up. Reynolds brings elements from the previous books, characters, little Macguffins, mentions, even enemies and carefully and cleverly creates a story that really changes Shin in many ways, and some of the characters around him. Reynolds is not afraid of changing things, which is rare in series books. The story is well told, with a few red herrings, but a lot of clues to point the way to careful readers. What I enjoy most is that Reynolds can do action and ratiocination, but Reynolds also takes time to give his characters a chance not only to breath, but to have a scene that even makes us care for them, or understand why they do what they do. Even minor characters like a maid or an actor, are given a few lines, to make them alive, not background fodder. This is a skill, one one that Reynolds is very good at, and really gives what could be just a tie-in book to a game not just gravitas, but a reason for readers to keep reading.
These are great books, Good mysteries with a Japanese flair. For players of the game these really compliment the experience, and capture the feeling really well. To regular readers these are great stories, fun, with a lot of heart. I can't wait for more.
May 19, 2024
***Received an ARC copy from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. Contains minor spoilers.***
Everyone's favorite Crane courtier, Daidoji Shin is back in action! After finishing the story, I'm still not sure whether this was the last time we had a chance to read about his stories, but more about that later.
This is the fifth book in the series, and in my view it is also the most unique one. It was true for the previous four installments that they could be read in any order, as it would not impact the overall enjoyment and understanding of the story. However, in case of A Bitter Taste, knowledge of the previous books' events is a must, as those events interconnect with this story on many instances. The investigation Shin himself needs to conduct here is a very personal one - after all, his life is at stake, as he is accused as a murderer. As such things go at Rokugan, a Kitsuki investigator is called upon to carry out the official investigation of the murder case, pressured by the Daidoji family to conclude quickly, after all, it is inevitable that he is guilty. But is he?
The whole plot of the novel revolves around Kitsuki Ko and Shin uncovering in parallel the threads of the web Shin's enemies have weaved, joined by some familiar faces from the previous books. I don't consider myself too good at spotting the culprit in detective / mystery novels, but here I realized relatively quickly who was the real murderer... but the actual twist of how the story turned out this way surprised me, in a good sense. My only gripe is that I felt it would have made more sense to add 20-25 pages to the end, as the aftermath of the twist was a bit rushed and not 100% rational. But sometimes the ways of the heart do not necessarily need to be logical and rational.
By the end of the novel, I feel that the big story arc of Shin is finished, framing together the previous four books nicely, which makes me wonder whether this really was the end of Daidoji Shin's adventures. I would be sad if it would be the case, I loved all books in this series. However, the last chapter keeps a certain character's and organization's fate at question, which can suggest that more novels might be in the making.
Kudos to Aconyte Books and Netgalley again for letting me read this novel in the early access. As usual, I preordered the physical copy as well, which seems to hit the shelves of the EU / UK in late October 2024.
Everyone's favorite Crane courtier, Daidoji Shin is back in action! After finishing the story, I'm still not sure whether this was the last time we had a chance to read about his stories, but more about that later.
This is the fifth book in the series, and in my view it is also the most unique one. It was true for the previous four installments that they could be read in any order, as it would not impact the overall enjoyment and understanding of the story. However, in case of A Bitter Taste, knowledge of the previous books' events is a must, as those events interconnect with this story on many instances. The investigation Shin himself needs to conduct here is a very personal one - after all, his life is at stake, as he is accused as a murderer. As such things go at Rokugan, a Kitsuki investigator is called upon to carry out the official investigation of the murder case, pressured by the Daidoji family to conclude quickly, after all, it is inevitable that he is guilty. But is he?
The whole plot of the novel revolves around Kitsuki Ko and Shin uncovering in parallel the threads of the web Shin's enemies have weaved, joined by some familiar faces from the previous books. I don't consider myself too good at spotting the culprit in detective / mystery novels, but here I realized relatively quickly who was the real murderer... but the actual twist of how the story turned out this way surprised me, in a good sense. My only gripe is that I felt it would have made more sense to add 20-25 pages to the end, as the aftermath of the twist was a bit rushed and not 100% rational. But sometimes the ways of the heart do not necessarily need to be logical and rational.
By the end of the novel, I feel that the big story arc of Shin is finished, framing together the previous four books nicely, which makes me wonder whether this really was the end of Daidoji Shin's adventures. I would be sad if it would be the case, I loved all books in this series. However, the last chapter keeps a certain character's and organization's fate at question, which can suggest that more novels might be in the making.
Kudos to Aconyte Books and Netgalley again for letting me read this novel in the early access. As usual, I preordered the physical copy as well, which seems to hit the shelves of the EU / UK in late October 2024.
August 7, 2024
A Bitter Taste is the fifth in the Daidoji Shin series and I am surprised to say I think it may be my least favourite but I will get to that later. I will also say that while this may be able to be read as stand alone I highly recommend reading the first four to fully understand the characters and what is going on.
Now for a start the writing is once again brilliant, the characters are well written and I did enjoy the different point of view for a change. It was interesting to see Daidoji Shin on the other side as it were and instead of trying to just solve a mystery he was trying to ensure his innocence was proven. This side of the plot is well written and executed and enjoyable.
The one thing that did get to me though was the near ending. Shin seemingly does a complete 180 on all the character development we have seen and the Shin we have come to know to seemingly save the person who had betrayed not only his clan but him, himself. This seemed to come out of the blue because we never see any real romantic interest (one of the things I’ve enjoyed is Shin’s flirty nature but never really being romantically attached as such) and suddenly he is willing to marry them to save their life… It just seemed out of character for Shin, out of the blue and a bit random. Now I might have missed something while reading but it just was a bit…odd.
That said it may well be a line up for the next installment, which I am really hopeful is the case. Needless to say, I did still enjoy this read and it was only the ending that stole a star for me. But this is my personal opinion only. It’s still a solid story and enjoyable and it’s great to see more Legend of the Five Rings out there.
Thank you to Netgalley and Aconyte Books for the e-ARC. My review is completely honest and left voluntarily.
Now for a start the writing is once again brilliant, the characters are well written and I did enjoy the different point of view for a change. It was interesting to see Daidoji Shin on the other side as it were and instead of trying to just solve a mystery he was trying to ensure his innocence was proven. This side of the plot is well written and executed and enjoyable.
The one thing that did get to me though was the near ending. Shin seemingly does a complete 180 on all the character development we have seen and the Shin we have come to know to seemingly save the person who had betrayed not only his clan but him, himself. This seemed to come out of the blue because we never see any real romantic interest (one of the things I’ve enjoyed is Shin’s flirty nature but never really being romantically attached as such) and suddenly he is willing to marry them to save their life… It just seemed out of character for Shin, out of the blue and a bit random. Now I might have missed something while reading but it just was a bit…odd.
That said it may well be a line up for the next installment, which I am really hopeful is the case. Needless to say, I did still enjoy this read and it was only the ending that stole a star for me. But this is my personal opinion only. It’s still a solid story and enjoyable and it’s great to see more Legend of the Five Rings out there.
Thank you to Netgalley and Aconyte Books for the e-ARC. My review is completely honest and left voluntarily.
October 14, 2024
What a deeply excellent mystery. I loved Shin's characterization, and the slow way information was revealed and twists played out. It was masterfully-written as a mystery and genuinely great to read in that genre, never mind that it's tie-in IP fiction. I picked this up because I'd incidentally picked up Josh Reynolds' Arkham Horror tie-in fiction and loved that, so I figured, why not pick another book by him even if I wasn't familiar with the franchise? (I did know a very little about the Legend of the Five Rings back in the 90s, when I read a lot of gaming magazines, and even bought a beautiful print of a character from, I think, the card game back then? Funny enough, it was definitely a Crane character, because he had white hair.)
I think my only problems with the world-building were inherent to the RPG itself, not to any of Reynolds' writing, which as always was sharp, fun to read, and rich with character. And again, as with the Arkham Horror work he did, it was casually queer, including male options in Shin's marriage potentials and including a nonbinary character as well. I really appreciate this about his writing, as a queer reader and writer; all the works I've picked up from him so far make sure to make the world feel rich and as if I could exist in it.
Just a great read. I'm going to have to go back and pick up the rest of the Daidouji Shin mysteries; this one was standalone, but mentioned other adventures I'd love to know more about.
I think my only problems with the world-building were inherent to the RPG itself, not to any of Reynolds' writing, which as always was sharp, fun to read, and rich with character. And again, as with the Arkham Horror work he did, it was casually queer, including male options in Shin's marriage potentials and including a nonbinary character as well. I really appreciate this about his writing, as a queer reader and writer; all the works I've picked up from him so far make sure to make the world feel rich and as if I could exist in it.
Just a great read. I'm going to have to go back and pick up the rest of the Daidouji Shin mysteries; this one was standalone, but mentioned other adventures I'd love to know more about.
June 15, 2025
The Crane auditor who has been investigating Daidoji Shin's finances has been murdered and Shin has been accused of the crime. To further complicate matters, the Crane Trading Council has sent a cousin of Shin's, an old enemy, to arrest him. And the investigator requested by the magistrate is Shin's ex-fiance.
Then things start to get complicated.
The plot is quite complex, encompassing the hanging threads of the previous volumes in the series as well as its own twists. The twists never felt as if they were there just to increase the suspense, but rather they felt organic.
All of the main characters showed growth throughout the story, and the supporting characters often showed surprising depth. The Villains were not evil for evil's sake, having their own goals that ran counter to those of the protagonist.
The previous books in this series have been entertaining enough that I've read through the series back-to-back. But none of the books has been truly exceptional. This book is exceptional.
This seems to be the end of at least the main plotline (and perhaps the series as well). and the ending was in keeping with the rest of the series: never entirely neat, without complete success for any of the characters, but completely appropriate for the characters.
Highly recommended.
Then things start to get complicated.
The plot is quite complex, encompassing the hanging threads of the previous volumes in the series as well as its own twists. The twists never felt as if they were there just to increase the suspense, but rather they felt organic.
All of the main characters showed growth throughout the story, and the supporting characters often showed surprising depth. The Villains were not evil for evil's sake, having their own goals that ran counter to those of the protagonist.
The previous books in this series have been entertaining enough that I've read through the series back-to-back. But none of the books has been truly exceptional. This book is exceptional.
This seems to be the end of at least the main plotline (and perhaps the series as well). and the ending was in keeping with the rest of the series: never entirely neat, without complete success for any of the characters, but completely appropriate for the characters.
Highly recommended.
May 25, 2024
⭐️I received this EARC from net galley in exchange for an honest review⭐️
A bitter taste is the 5th book in the Daidoji Shin mystery set in the world of the legends of the five rings. Before I start my review, it’s not imperative to read the first four books in order to enjoy it but knowledge of the events of the first four books is needed as a lot of elements of those stories are woven into the final book.
The mystery and world building is good. Josh Reynolds managed to interweave multiple elements of the previous books into this one without it feeling clunky and drawn out. There are multiple twists and turns in the book that managed to keep me engaged ( and I have a notoriously short attention span)
I love Daidoji Shin as a character as he is three dimensional. He portrays himself as a typical upper class dandy but throughout each novel we see different facets of his personality and we see a lot of character growth! What I particularly liked was that he did grow from all his experiences but his personality was still the same.
Overall, this is a thrilling 5th instalment of the series!
A bitter taste is the 5th book in the Daidoji Shin mystery set in the world of the legends of the five rings. Before I start my review, it’s not imperative to read the first four books in order to enjoy it but knowledge of the events of the first four books is needed as a lot of elements of those stories are woven into the final book.
The mystery and world building is good. Josh Reynolds managed to interweave multiple elements of the previous books into this one without it feeling clunky and drawn out. There are multiple twists and turns in the book that managed to keep me engaged ( and I have a notoriously short attention span)
I love Daidoji Shin as a character as he is three dimensional. He portrays himself as a typical upper class dandy but throughout each novel we see different facets of his personality and we see a lot of character growth! What I particularly liked was that he did grow from all his experiences but his personality was still the same.
Overall, this is a thrilling 5th instalment of the series!
August 7, 2024
Gentleman sleuth Daidoji Shin faces his trickiest case yet when he finds himself being framed for murder when a Crane Clan auditor turns up dead in a soy brewery, all eyes turn to nobleman-turned-detective, Daidoji Shin… but not to solve the man’s murder; rather, Shin is the suspect.
The story was well written with good characters and a solid mystery. This novel was set in a world of a card playing and role playing game so a rich and detailed society had been created over the years. This was not the first in the series either and I have no background knowledge of the world or the series, so I was a little lost with all the characters and history. Saying that I was able to understand what was going on but I knew I was missing lots of emotional context.
I was intrigued enough that I would definitely be interesting in reading the rest of the series. Then I am sure I would enjoy this even more.
Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for an ARC in exchange for an honest opinion.
The story was well written with good characters and a solid mystery. This novel was set in a world of a card playing and role playing game so a rich and detailed society had been created over the years. This was not the first in the series either and I have no background knowledge of the world or the series, so I was a little lost with all the characters and history. Saying that I was able to understand what was going on but I knew I was missing lots of emotional context.
I was intrigued enough that I would definitely be interesting in reading the rest of the series. Then I am sure I would enjoy this even more.
Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for an ARC in exchange for an honest opinion.
May 22, 2024
It’s all come to a head: our idling hero must marry and he’s not best pleased about it. How will he be able to bumble about town and buy theatres and hang out with whomever he pleases if he’s married and packed off to a country estate? Then an auditor sent to investigate him is found murdered and Shin becomes the prime suspect. And the “independent” investigator is non other than his ex-betrothed…
As noted by other reviewers, this novel builds on previous ones in the series so will make the most sense if you’ve read them. It also has the feel of tying up (some) loose ends to make a possible end to the series. Personally, I think he’s marrying the wrong woman so I didn’t find the ending as convincing - the romance just seems to come from nowhere on his side.
Quibbles aside, this is a fast paced murder mystery and an enjoyable way to spend a couple of evenings. I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.
As noted by other reviewers, this novel builds on previous ones in the series so will make the most sense if you’ve read them. It also has the feel of tying up (some) loose ends to make a possible end to the series. Personally, I think he’s marrying the wrong woman so I didn’t find the ending as convincing - the romance just seems to come from nowhere on his side.
Quibbles aside, this is a fast paced murder mystery and an enjoyable way to spend a couple of evenings. I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.
December 19, 2024
While the other books in the series could be read individually in any order with minor spoilers, this book ties the 4 prior books together. Everything that happens is tied to another book. I loved every minute of it. Once I reached the 1/2 way point in the book I decided to forego sleep and finish the book. The story had me that involved. That doesn't happen too often these days. I hope this series continues.
April 9, 2024
ARC from Netgalley.
Growing up I was a big fan of the Dorothy Hoobler samurai detective books. Reynolds captures the spirit of that series and infuses this book with delightful energy.
Growing up I was a big fan of the Dorothy Hoobler samurai detective books. Reynolds captures the spirit of that series and infuses this book with delightful energy.
September 20, 2024
I can't overstate how much I enjoy the Daidoji Shin books. As long as Reynolds keeps writing them, I will keep buying them.
July 6, 2024
This was such a wonderful surprise. When I picked this book up, I didn't realize it was the 5th in the series. I told myself I would read three chapters and assess if I needed to DNF this book or continue. Imagine my surprise when my lack of previous book knowledge didn't make a difference in my enjoyment. Daidoji Shin was a fun character, and I loved the whole nobleman turned detective trope that is happening. The mystery was tight, the characters were enjoyable, and I enjoyed that the story had actual consequences for people's actions. It wasn't a cozy mystery where everyone ends up with a happy-ever-after ending. It was much more suspenseful than I was expecting. I give A Bitter Taste 5/5 stars and I have already purchased the previous books in the series and look forward to starting the series from the beginning.
Thank you to NetGalley for the opportunity to review A Bitter Taste by Josh Reynolds. All opinions are my own.
Thank you to NetGalley for the opportunity to review A Bitter Taste by Josh Reynolds. All opinions are my own.
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