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Tetsuo Otani #13
The Body Wore Brocade
"Melville's strength lies in creating complex and beguiling characters and...he's never been better."
THE SAN DIEGO UNION-TRIBUNE
Wandering among New Year's revelers, Superintendent Otani is shot in the back. By strange coincidence, the Noh performer he had been watching earlier in the day is later found strangled in his luxurious home, clad in full Noh costume. The crime rivets the attention of Otani's entire force, for the late Noh performer had not only been a dedicated amateur artist but also a wealthy businessman. His death liberates a fortune to his sister and his two attractive nephews and also raises some Is the crime personal or political? And how, if at all, does it connect with the near murder of Otani?
THE SAN DIEGO UNION-TRIBUNE
Wandering among New Year's revelers, Superintendent Otani is shot in the back. By strange coincidence, the Noh performer he had been watching earlier in the day is later found strangled in his luxurious home, clad in full Noh costume. The crime rivets the attention of Otani's entire force, for the late Noh performer had not only been a dedicated amateur artist but also a wealthy businessman. His death liberates a fortune to his sister and his two attractive nephews and also raises some Is the crime personal or political? And how, if at all, does it connect with the near murder of Otani?
158 pages, Mass Market Paperback
First published January 1, 1992
19 people want to read
About the author
James Melville
60 books16 followersRoy Peter Martin is an English author who has written under the pseudonyms James Melville and Hampton Charles.
James Melville was born in London in 1931 and educated in North London. He read philosophy at Birkbeck College before being conscripted into the RAF, then took up school-teaching and adult education. Most of his subsequent career has been spent overseas in cultural diplomacy and educational development, and it was in this capacity that he came to know, love, and write about Japan and the Japanese. His Superintendent Otani crime novels combines superb story-telling with a fascinating insight into modern Japanese life. He has also written an historical novel set in Japan, The Imperial Way.
James Melville was born in London in 1931 and educated in North London. He read philosophy at Birkbeck College before being conscripted into the RAF, then took up school-teaching and adult education. Most of his subsequent career has been spent overseas in cultural diplomacy and educational development, and it was in this capacity that he came to know, love, and write about Japan and the Japanese. His Superintendent Otani crime novels combines superb story-telling with a fascinating insight into modern Japanese life. He has also written an historical novel set in Japan, The Imperial Way.
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Displaying 1 - 4 of 4 reviews
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July 5, 2020This is the 13th detective novel Melville has written about Tetsuo Otani, the police superintendent of Kobe, Japan. This book was supposedly dictated by Otani himself, but I assume this is a writerly conceit, like John H. Watson narrating Sherlock Holmes’ adventures.
Was this the last of the Otani novels? (It was published in 1992.) I’m not sure, but the superintendent does retire at the end of the story.
It’s hardly a mystery in the Western sense – more like a slow ritual, reminiscent of Noh theater, which is a theme of the book. (The terrible title is vastly inferior to the Japanese equivalent, The Amateur of Noh. Melville could have gone for a great pun like Noh Parking. After all, the first book in the series was The Wages of Zen.)
The Japanese are deeply emotive people who struggle always to suppress their emotions, according to Melville. Women are fierce but outwardly acquiescent. Everyone is filled with layers of guilt – “generations of guilt” is the phrase that comes to mind. The social system is remarkably bureaucratized, even the police. There are big strong guys, there is stupidity; there are fistfights – but macho doesn’t exactly exist. Men are not terrified that they are secretly homosexual, like USA males.
The Japanese are oblivious to sports. The Rotary Club is surprisingly prominent. Everyone is a Shintoist, but there are curious little pockets of Christianity. Perhaps in every nation, lawyers are sleazy?
Was this the last of the Otani novels? (It was published in 1992.) I’m not sure, but the superintendent does retire at the end of the story.
It’s hardly a mystery in the Western sense – more like a slow ritual, reminiscent of Noh theater, which is a theme of the book. (The terrible title is vastly inferior to the Japanese equivalent, The Amateur of Noh. Melville could have gone for a great pun like Noh Parking. After all, the first book in the series was The Wages of Zen.)
The Japanese are deeply emotive people who struggle always to suppress their emotions, according to Melville. Women are fierce but outwardly acquiescent. Everyone is filled with layers of guilt – “generations of guilt” is the phrase that comes to mind. The social system is remarkably bureaucratized, even the police. There are big strong guys, there is stupidity; there are fistfights – but macho doesn’t exactly exist. Men are not terrified that they are secretly homosexual, like USA males.
The Japanese are oblivious to sports. The Rotary Club is surprisingly prominent. Everyone is a Shintoist, but there are curious little pockets of Christianity. Perhaps in every nation, lawyers are sleazy?
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
June 24, 2021
This has to be terse: this was my second Inspector Otani book, differed from the first in being written in Otani's voice. Some reviewers have likened Insp. Otani to Simenon's Commissaire Maigret and Tony Hillerman's various detective policemen. Yes, the same--- but different.
Otani is Japanese. These stories are mostly set in Japan and display a wealth of cultural and historical knowledge on the part of "James Melville" the author. The whole tone of the stories and personae is reserved (mostly). Otani is older, devoted to Japanese ways but completely aware of how fogey-ish he may seem (especially to his adult daughter). He is scrupulous in his attention to relationships with the officers who work under him. Melville's description of everyone's clothing is amusing and fascinating.
The dramatis personae are well drawn, distinct from one another. Their places in the plot are carefully set out; the locations well drawn, and simple descriptions that later turn out to be huge clues are JUST colored enough to make a careful observer think "Hmmm he's telling me something." And there is continuity in characters and relationships that mean I am going to have to read ALL of the Otani books. Which I recommend to you
Otani is Japanese. These stories are mostly set in Japan and display a wealth of cultural and historical knowledge on the part of "James Melville" the author. The whole tone of the stories and personae is reserved (mostly). Otani is older, devoted to Japanese ways but completely aware of how fogey-ish he may seem (especially to his adult daughter). He is scrupulous in his attention to relationships with the officers who work under him. Melville's description of everyone's clothing is amusing and fascinating.
The dramatis personae are well drawn, distinct from one another. Their places in the plot are carefully set out; the locations well drawn, and simple descriptions that later turn out to be huge clues are JUST colored enough to make a careful observer think "Hmmm he's telling me something." And there is continuity in characters and relationships that mean I am going to have to read ALL of the Otani books. Which I recommend to you
March 1, 2021
Sad that this is the last one. I came to really like the characters.
July 3, 2017
As far as I know this one is the last of his Otani mysteries. It's the only one I've read that is done with Otani as the narrator. And since Otani is semi-retired at the time, I can only assume it's the last.
It deals with a Noh enthusiast who is murdered in his home. Before that, Otani is himself shot. The nephew of the Noh man is also the witness to Otani's shooting. How the two cases tie together along with political activists arguing over a school teachers union convention make for an interesting look at (well, somewhat) modern Japanese culture.
It's interesting for the way it tidies up at lot of story lines for minor ongoing characters. Some of it is sad, some hopeful, some I'd still like to know what eventually happened.
I enjoyed this series, and I'm sorry to have it come to an end.
It deals with a Noh enthusiast who is murdered in his home. Before that, Otani is himself shot. The nephew of the Noh man is also the witness to Otani's shooting. How the two cases tie together along with political activists arguing over a school teachers union convention make for an interesting look at (well, somewhat) modern Japanese culture.
It's interesting for the way it tidies up at lot of story lines for minor ongoing characters. Some of it is sad, some hopeful, some I'd still like to know what eventually happened.
I enjoyed this series, and I'm sorry to have it come to an end.
Displaying 1 - 4 of 4 reviews