The Samurai's Wife

Sano Ichiro #5

by Laura Joh Rowland

Far from the Shogun's court at Edo, Most Honorable Investigator Sano Ichiro begins the most challenging case of his career. Upon the insistence of his strong-willed and beautiful wife Reiko, Sano arrives with her at the emperor's palace to unmask the murderer--who possesses the secret of kiai , "the spirit city," a powerful scream that can kill instantly. A high Kyoto official is the victim. Treading carefully through a web of spies, political intrigue, forbidden passions, and intricate plots, Sano and Reiko must struggle to stay ahead of the palace storm--and outwit a cunning killer. But as they soon discover, solving the case means more than their survival. For if they fail, Japan could be consumed in the bloodiest war it has ever seen...

A legendary land comes alive in this compelling murder mystery set in seventeenth-century Japan. Filled with finely drawn characters and suspenseful plot twists, The Samurai's Wife is a novel as complex, vivid, and artful as the glorious, lost world it portrays.

Genres: Mystery, Historical Fiction, Japan, Fiction, Historical Mystery, Historical, Crime

352 pages, Mass Market Paperback

First published January 1, 2000

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

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

Hmm! I feel like every character had a turn as my prediction of the killer, and when it was finally revealed... doh! It was somebody I'd changed my mind about.

Honestly I didn't like this one for the mystery, although there was an intriguing twist. The power of kiai is a secret held by warriors who are able to attack an enemy by force of will formed into a scream. The mental strength it requires is so rare that most people think it's just a folktale. Definitely not an M.O. I've seen in prior Sano novels, nevertheless, two souls fall victim to the power of kiai. But it's not what made this novel stand out.

What I liked most is the new direction of the rivalry between Sano and Yanagisawa (it had been getting a bit stale.) This time, Yanagisawa gets tangled up in his own machinations after the Shogun sends Sano to Miyako to investigate an unusual murder on the Imperial grounds. Sano and Yanagisawa are forced to put aside their differences and work together if either of them is going to come out of this assignment with their reputation - and the Shogun's favor - still intact. As you might imagine, their peace treaty does not go smoothly.

I hope I like the next novel, The Pillow Book of Lady Wisteria, at least as much as I did this one.

[Gretchen · Rating 3 out of 5]

I'm really, really not liking the addition of Reiko to these novels. Pair her with a murder technique I just can't wrap my head around and you have the makings of a reading struggle. The lifestyle details and descriptions of Japan make up for a lot of the other issues.

[hjreads · Rating 4 out of 5]

Literally every book in this series is a new experience, I learn so much about society in feudal Japan.
This story had a mystic element to it, which both surprised and intrigued me. The dubious character development in the antagonist is great and leaving me wanting to find out what happens next!

[C K · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book does a great job of describing what it was like in feudal Japan and really does consist of many twists. I enjoyed the blend of historical fiction, mystery, and romance. There is a specific part towards the end that gets a little too mystical for me but afterwards it goes back to staying relatively grounded. Sano is a great protagonist and Yanagisawa a fun antagonist with depth.

[Heidi Burkhart · Rating 5 out of 5]

Another terrific title in the Sano Ichiro series! Lots of drama as in the other books, and a few unexpected twists and turns amidst Rowlands poetic writing.

[Brandy · Rating 4 out of 5]

Just going to say this. For some reason the wife annoyed m e. may say more once the book talk happens

[Alcornell · Rating 2 out of 5]

Sano and Reiko become soul partners, committing to each other in ways which were impossible in feudal Japan. The events of this story are not completely implausible, but the action allowed in the relationship between the two spouses is purely contemporary, impossible. I read this story in January, 2000, and in March have already forgotten whodunnit....oh yeah, it comes back to me...

What I did find interesting was the relationship arc developed in the storyline of the prime minister. The author tries in this story to work out a psychological explanation for the action of our hero's nemesis. I admire her courage in this, and I even liked her premise. However, no idea if the electricity between the Shogun's 2nd man and his lover will fly through the whole series. The real interest to me lay in the question of whether transformation (or transformative relationship) really transforms.

The story itself seems to borrow from I, Claudius, but doesn't have time to go any distance with this, so it falls, deflated, unspent. Probably too many story lines, lack of restraint on the author's part. She wrote the beginnings of at least 3 novels in this book. Sorry, Laura, but in this murder case, no cigar.

I'm moving on to the next Sano Ichiro novel. (Hoping the series tightens and brightens up. )

[Shari · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is the first book in the series that is set in Kyoto (or Miyako, as it is properly called in the novel). The story takes a slightly different angle in this installment. Finally, things come to a head between Sano and his nemesis, Yanagasiwa, who just takes great pleasure and pain in sabotaging Sano’s work. After all Yanagisawa’s plotting and hating, he gets himself right smack into Sano’s investigation and finds himself not so great after all. Through blackmail, he ends up working with Sano for a change and in the end he comes to understand something about the detective, and his own self, that leads to a sort of truce, even possible friendship, between the two. A somewhat similar transition, on emotional level, happens between Sano and his wife, Reiko. At the end, this two will come to learn more about each other and the fragility of their marriage. This development in the characters is what pulled me into the narrative along with the lush, vivid description of Kyoto in the Edo period. Here and there in the story are bits of history of the ancient capital and the life in the imperial court under the control of the bafuku.

[Denise · Rating 4 out of 5]

Sano is sent to Miyako to investigate the murder by mysterious means of a highranking courtier at the Imperial Court. Yanagisawa, as ever, sees an opportunity to scheme and plot Sano's downfall. Unlike usually when the two sworn enemies cross paths, however, this time they end up joining forces when it becomes clear that not only is there a murderer on the loose, but also a rebellion in the making.

I'd been meaning to re-read this one for ages. While I generally prefer the books in this series that deal with merely mundane matters instead of including supernatural elements as this one does, it's still one of my favourite volumes in the series, both because I so enjoy the "enemies forced to work together" trope and because giving Yanagisawa a proper love interest makes an already fascinating character even more so.

[Spuddie · Rating 1 out of 5]

I had read the first few books in this series several years ago, beginning enthusiastically and with each successive book getting less enthralled. I'm all about second chances so decided to give this a try again, but after giving it an extra-long chance and reading about 100 pages (I generally have a 50-page rule) I decided to give up. I am not even really sure what drove me away...there is something about the author's writing style or how she portrays the main characters that just turns me off and leaves me disinterested.

[Serge Pierro · Rating 4 out of 5]

The chemistry between Sano Ichiro and Reiko starts to develop. Being interested in feudal japan and samurai, I find this series of books to be well researched and Rowland is able to portray the setting convincingly. Fans of the CCG Legend of the Five Rings will find this series to be very interesting!

[Nina Miteva · Rating 5 out of 5]

Комбинирано ревю на трета, четвърта и пета книга от "Японски загадки" в Wanderbook

В свещения град на императора е убит един от първите му министри, и по всичко личи, че това е станало чрез киай - вик, поразяващ ума и тялото, на който са способни дамо най-възвишените духом воини. Сосакан Сано е пратен от шогуна да разследва и взима със себе си младата си съпруга Рейко, уплашен да не би нещо да я сполети, ако остане сама в столицата. Дворцовият управител Янагисава обаче няма намерение да остави врага си да извоюва поредна победа и тръгва под прикрие след него.

И в началото, и след няколко препрочита, "Китаноката" си остава една от любимите ми книги от поредицата. Има всички необходими елементи за това. Изключителен случай, който освен с криминалното разследване ме спечели с това, че е един от най-гранично свръхестествените в поредицата. Подобна беше ситуацията с Аой, но тук тази нишка е много по-категорична. Имаме активно участие на Рейко, която е един от любимите ми герои в поредицата и от книга на книга става все по-умел детектив. И не на последно място - Янагисава. От първото комбинирано ревю си признах, че обичам да чета за този герой, въпреки че на препрочит виждам у него повече страхливост и подлост и далеч по-малко драма и травми от миналото. Нямам намерение да го идеализирам, но все пак той ми е любимият злодей от поредицата и книгите с него ми бяха далеч по-интересни, отколкото когато Сано си намери нов политически враг. Тук Янагисава и Сано са принудени да работят и разследват заедно и Янагисава преоткрива самурайския си дух. С голям интерес наблюдавах развитието на отношенията му с йорики Хошина и съвсем открито фенгърлствах на финалната сцена на бойното поле между тях двамата. Тази книга ми даде леки надежди за промяна на динамиката между Сано и дворцовият управител и някакво по-продължително сътрудничество, което, неучудващо, не се случи. Все пак извадена извън останалите, така както императорският град е откъснат от останалата част на Япония, тази книга ми позволява да си запазя излюзиите :D

Преди доста се чудех на избора на заглавие за книгата - "Китаноката", което общо взето отговаря на едно от заглавията на романа на английски "Samurai's wife" . Винаги съм я свързвала с киай, и очаквах да е нещо свързано с това. Сега обаче намирам името за доста подходящо. Не само тук участва изобретателната Рейко, страхо��но впечатление прави Джокьоден - императрицата майка, която не просто е стигнала до тази позиция с невероятен интелект, но и продължава почти еднолично да поддържа императорски двор, основавайки банка! И не на последно място - монахинята Козери, която се оказва истинската причина за държавен преврат. Така че, да мисля, че заслужено тази книга се казва така.

[Alice · Rating 4 out of 5]

After the last four books, Rowland's The Samurai's Wife went in a completely unexpected direction. Sano Ichiro and his wife Reiko travel to Kyoto (Miyako) to solve the murder of a high ranking minister, in the hopes of leaving behind the sabotaging machinations of Chamberlain Yanagisawa but oh. How wrong they are, yet how exciting for us readers.

However, it's not just characterization and location that are different. Rowland decided to lean more into fantasy here with the spirit cry (a supposedly ancient and uber advanced samurai technique) being the murder device and flirty mind control powers practiced by nuns. Usually mystery novels are about dispelling the supernatural and finding logical explanations for the murders. As a result, this novel wasn't as cohesive as it could've been. The strength and the use of the spirit cry was nebulous, so it made it hard to buy the stakes when Sano Ichiro's life was in danger.

Once again, the highlight of the novel is Rowland's recreation of seventeenth century Japan. The setting of Kyoto/Miyako sprung to life, and the characters living within the palace walls felt vibrant. Honestly, my favorite part of these novels is the interrogation of all the suspects. I absolutely LOVE learning about everyone's motivations, personalities, and secrets. It's so good, and there are some juicy ones here between Jokyoden, Ichijo, Kozeri, and Tomohito. Although, I wish Sano's two detectives Marume and Fukida had a little more personality. They mostly just functioned as his lackeys. Whereas Hirata took center stage in The Way of the Traitor.

Reiko continues to push the bounds of her marriage with Sano, with mixed results, if you ask me. While I appreciate her daring, she feels like the only inauthentic character. Everyone else feels like they are firmly in seventeenth century Japan, but Reiko feels like a modern day woman transplanted into the story. She's a little too unconventional to be believable, and it breaks the immersion for me.

Overall, this is a solid addition to the Sano Ichiro series. There are lots of twists and turns. Neither the sex nor the violence is as graphic as previous novels, which is nice because those could be a distraction. Most importantly, I can't wait to read the next book in the series to see how the alliances forged in this book progress, and you can't ask for more than that with a series.

[Pat MacEwen · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book is the fifth entry in Rowland's historical murder mystery series starring Sano Ichiro, the Shogun's Most Honorable Investigator of Events, Situations, and People during the Tokugawa era. This time, the case involves the Imperial Court in Miyako, a two-week journey from the capital city of Edo. Miyako is where the powerless teenage Emperor Tomohito is kept sequestered from the outer world while the nation is run by the Shogun. The Emperor's Left Minister, however, has been found dead, apparently slain by means of kiai, a legendary samurai death cry that most consider mythical. The suspects include several members of the Imperial family, and in pressing them for answers, Sano runs the risk of setting off an uprising that could unite all those opposed to the Shogunate and engulf the country in a new civil war. He also faces sabotage arranged by his direct superior, the Shogun's Chamberlain, and fears for the safety of his energetic young wife and partner, Reiko, busy pursuing leads among the ladies of the Imperial household. As with the first four book, this one uses a wealth of detail to bring the Tokugawa Shogunate into focus and living color while keeping the plot moving at top speed. My only quibble with The Samurai's Wife was my being able to pick out the villain at about the halfway point. Or maybe I got lucky. We'll see what happens with the next book in the series, Black Lotus.

[Gintautas Ivanickas · Rating 4 out of 5]

Toliau keliauju per istorinio detektyvo apie XVII amžiaus Japoniją seriją.
Sano toliau konfliktuoja su kancleriu. Kai priešas toks galingas, anksčiau ar vėliau kažkuriam turėtų baigtis liūdnai. Bet, matyt, vėliau. Nes serijoje knygų dar daaaaug. O ir twistas pabaigoje palieka klaustukų – kaip gi bus su ta priešprieša? Mat šįsyk priešininkai norom nenorom (labiau, aišku, nenorom) priversti bylą narplioti drauge.
Ir viskas būtų neblogai susukta, bet trikdo visai istoriniam detektyvui nereikalingos mistinės, netgi fantastinės gijos. Tiek to, konsultacijas su prieš tūkstantmetį mirusia kinų imperatoriene dar galiu nurašyti haliucinacijoms, bet žudyti vien valios galia? Žinau, kad Japonija, kad nindzės visokie ir kita velniava, bet gal nepersistenkim? Kaip bebūtų, skaitosi smagiai, visai sau toks puslapiavertis.
Kiek skystoki keturi iš penkių. Fantastika truputį numuša vertinimą. Pala, čia aš už fantastiką balą mažinu? Įdomi ta gamta.

[Aniket Samant · Rating 3 out of 5]

OK story, nice setting, good character development (especially to express the relation between Sano and Reiko). Quite a lot of nice descriptions sprinkled through the text, and some parts are very gripping indeed as the story twists and turns a fair bit throughout. There's also a feminist theme to the book, as the author considers various perspectives through the characters in the given setting (Japan, 1600s). It does make the reader think quite a bit, especially along the lines of how protagonists are usually portrayed in works of fiction.

The story, though having its interesting bits, does become predictable along the way, and gets into some slow zones; however, the ending seems rather hasty. The overall reading experience ends up feeling rather average.

A nice, quick, read nevertheless.
Bonus: Some Japanese vocabulary.

[Matt · Rating 5 out of 5]

This installment was SO GOOD. More than made up for how much I didn't like the last one. Once again, the best parts of this book are the historical insights into Edo-period Japan. The glimpse into Imperial Court dynamics and politics at the time was so interesting, particularly the constant struggle for supremacy between the Imperial Court and the Shogunate. Imperial Court life at this time period seems like living in a state of purgatory. I also loved the setting of Miyako (Kyoto) - was a breath of fresh air from strictly being in Edo. The introduction of some more supernatural elements was very well done, and I'd love to see more. Great character development, too! for Sano, Reiko, and Yanagisawa as well. So very glad I enjoyed this, and I look forward now to continuing with the series!

[Morgan Buchanan · Rating 2 out of 5]

I wasn’t the biggest fan of this book, partially because of the ending. It felt so rushed and there’s some loose ends that just don’t tie up, I felt bored. The plot was good, I was kept on my toes a few times waiting to see what was going to happen next but the last 4 chapters were so rushed & by the time i finished the novel I was left asking “is that it??? Really???” Reiko just felt like an unnecessary addition to the novel. Considering its called the Samurai’s wife and she’s kind of left on the back burner the whole time, especially by the middle- end of the book. I will say I did enjoy the idea of the book, more than anything I just wish there was more depth put into the ending.

[Nathan Crossen · Rating 3 out of 5]

I still really enjoyed how this one was written, but I was able to guess both mysteries about half-way through the story. I also didn't really care for the supernatural aspect of the spirit cry. The other novels leading up to this one seemed to be steeped in reality, not superstition. I know it is part of the cultural background beliefs, but I thought there would be a logical explanation, as there usually are in mystery thriller novels.

[Amy · Rating 3 out of 5]

I'm trying to sample an array of historical mystery series, and this one was fun! I enjoyed the characters (especially Reiko) and the mystical elements, and felt like I learned more about feudal Japan than I'd known before. I disliked the "sneaky gay villain" trope and felt like that detracted from the whole book, which told me that I might like future books in the series more than I'd like previous ones.

[Jessica Turner · Rating 5 out of 5]

I have read it before and I am rereading this series (for the 3rd time). The world of 17th century japan is violent and shocking, but it was also true. If you can get past that, you'll like this series. It follows Detective Sano and his wife (unconventional wife in this era) Reiko as they solve crimes and mysteries.

[Abbi · Rating 4 out of 5]

Of the series so far, this was the least explicit and more focused on the mystery which I really enjoyed. I also enjoyed seeing development of the characters. The partnership between Sano and his wife is fun to see and also enjoy the historical fiction side with an intriguing setting. Overall, I really enjoyed this.

[Stephanie · Rating 2 out of 5]

A friend gave this book so I was unaware going in it was a series. I felt it did a good job filling in the gaps but it was more of a classic mystery novel than I expected. Not much about the wife and added some unexpected themes/elements but overall I was disappointed.

[Dan Blackley · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is the fifth book in the series and this one is great! Sano and his wife travel to Mikayo to solve a murder, but Yanagasawa is also there trying to stir up trouble for him. This story was very fast paced and a great mystery.

[Priyanka]

A random pick from my pilgrim @blossombookhouse, and this book blew me away. A perfect mix of murder mystery with Edo era’s palace politics is a must read for anyone who loves Japanese history and murder mystery.t

[Diane Shearer · Rating 5 out of 5]

Best yet!

I couldn’t put it down. There’s very little I can say that won’t spoil the story, it’s so rich, deep, and twisted around itself. I can say, though, that this should not be your first Ichiro story. You must read from Book 1 to get the full impact of what happens here.

[Marco Cian · Rating 1 out of 5]

This is when the homophobia got too much for me, and I gave up on the series. Oh well, it was fun while it lasted. Full review here:
http://connect.ajet.net/2023/05/20/sa...

[Laurie · Rating 5 out of 5]

Love this series set in Shogun's 1690s Japan. This episode sends Sano and his wife to the ancient city of Myiko or Kyoto. There they investigate the strange death of a powerful minister. As enemies must work together, lies are everywhere in this Imperial City. And Sano's wife, Reike, has a secret of her own.

[Gail Barrington · Rating 3 out of 5]

Complicated! As usual, the buildup to the climax in the last 100 pages is always the best part.

[Paschalis]

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