Samurai detective Sano Ichiro, the hero of Laura Joh Rowland's beautifully written mysteries set in Shogun-era Japan, (The Samurai's Wife, The Concubine's Tattoo), investigates an arson murder at the Black Lotus temple, in which the only witness--a young girl who swears she doesn't remember what happened--is also the only suspect. But Sano's wife, Reiko, believes that Haru is innocent and that the real culprits are hiding behind the barred gates of the temple, home to a mysterious sect that is rumored to be responsible for a number of criminal acts. Under pressure to solve the crime, Sano agrees to let Reiko help, but when she takes matters into her own hands, it puts his career in jeopardy and nearly destroys their marriage. Who is the mysterious Abbess of the Black Lotus, and what is the sect's real goal? Is Haru the innocent youngster Reiko believes her to be, or does the evidence Sano uncovers reveal her deceitful nature and complicity in the murders of a child, a young woman, and a high-ranking police commander? As usual, Rowland turns in a brilliant re-creation of a time and place unfamiliar to most readers: the imperial court of 17th-century Japan, whose intrigues and excesses provide a fascinating backdrop for the most charming husband and wife detective team since Nick and Nora Charles. If you haven't discovered Rowland yet, Black Lotus is your opportunity; this is a series with real staying power. --Jane Adams


From Publishers Weekly
The complexities of Buddhist temple society challenge detective Sano Ichiro and his wife and helpmate, Reiko, in the latest installment in Rowland's (The Samurai's Wife) outstanding series set in Shogun-era Japan. In this round Sano has to look into a case of murder and arson in the Black Lotus temple, the home of a mysterious sect and its charismatic leader. Suspicion has fallen on a teenage girl, but while Sano and Reiko find it difficult to penetrate the cult's respectable front, Sano sees nothing untoward in the sect, and he distrusts the 15-year-old's account of the tragedy. Reiko, however, sees a frightened and battered victim, and is willing to disobey and publicly contradict Sano in order to prove the girl's innocence and bring the sect's abuses to light. As Sano and Reiko take different paths in investigating the crime, their intractable passion for the truth threatens the fabric of their marriage. Indeed, the sect seems to inspire intense partisanship everywhere: it has generated much ill will among relatives of its members as well as the townsfolk, yet it has managed to garner the support of some of the highest officials of the Shogun's court. The question of religious cults and the abuse of their influence gives this story contemporary resonance. Well-developed characters, a complex, absorbing plot and rich historical detail should help win the author, the daughter of Chinese and Korean immigrants, many new readers as well as a place on mystery bestseller lists. An attractive Japanese-print dust jacket is a plus. Copyright 2001 Cahners Business Information, Inc.


From Library Journal
Sano, investigator for 17th-century Japanese shogun Tokugawa, and wife Reiko attempt to defend a female orphan accused of murder and arson. Their interrogations reveal plenty of suspects Buddhist nuns, priests, and doctors with criminal records, axes to grind, and political plots to carry out but the orphan's lies and pressure from the court threaten to make her a convenient, if innocent, sacrifice. The strains of juggling protocol and reining in his wife, meanwhile, nearly destroy Sano's marriage. In her sixth installment, author Rowland skillfully depicts the intricate interplay of social classes and the details of daily life, as well as the whims of the powerful, in medieval Japan. Highly recommended. Copyright 2001 Reed Business Information, Inc.


From Booklist
The sixth novel featuring Japanese detective Sano Ichiro is a sharp, well-constructed mystery about a religious sect whose members are disappearing. When someone sets fire to a cottage near the Black Lotus temple, Sano is charged with finding the arsonist and solving the mystery of the disappearances. Rowland's unusual premise--setting a mystery series in seventeenth-century Japan, the time of samurai and shoguns--has evolved, over six installments, into a superb conceit. She brings this intriguing feudal society to life so completely (and so apparently effortlessly) that, by midway in the first chapter, we've already forgotten we're reading a period novel. Like the big, sprawling novels of James Clavell, the Sano Ichiro mysteries are full of captivating detail, with lively characters and solid stories. Sano himself is a great character, a film-noir detective transported to feudal Japan, as real as any contemporary crime solver. For Rowland's fans, and for those who relish vivid historical settings, this is a must-read. David Pitt
Copyright © American Library Association. All rights reserved


Review
"Well-developed characters, absorbing plot, and rich detail should win the author a place on mystery bestseller lists."--Publishers Weekly (starred review)

"Like the big sprawling novels of James Clavell, the Sano Ichiro mysteries are full of captivating detail, with lively characters and solid stories."--Booklist

"Laura Joh Rowland's richly detailed books about a 17th-century Japanese samurai-warrior-turned-detective are...packed with plot narrative."--Chicago Tribune



Review
"Well-developed characters, absorbing plot, and rich detail should win the author a place on mystery bestseller lists."--Publishers Weekly (starred review)

"Like the big sprawling novels of James Clavell, the Sano Ichiro mysteries are full of captivating detail, with lively characters and solid stories."--Booklist

"Laura Joh Rowland's richly detailed books about a 17th-century Japanese samurai-warrior-turned-detective are...packed with plot narrative."--Chicago Tribune



Book Description
When veteran samurai-detective Sano Ichiro, the most Honorable Investigator of Events, Situations, and People, is called on to investigate the burning of a cottage belonging to the Black Lotus Temple, he makes a shocking discovery. The three victim of the blaze did not die in the fire, but were brutally murdered before the fire even began. With a triple homicide on his hands, Sano's search for a killer leads him to Haru, an orphan girl found at the scene of the crime. But Sano's wife, Reiko, investigating the case against Sano's wishes, is convinced of Haru's innocence. Reiko's investigation leads her behind the walls of the Black Lotus Temple, where she discovers a sect involved in extortion, prostitution, and hedonistic rituals. Could one of the sect's members be the killer? Now Reiko must risk her marriage to Sano in order to prove Haru's innocence...

Set in the luscious finery of the samurai court of medieval Japan, this latest installment in the bestselling series by Laura Joh Rowland is filled with shocking surprised and suspense as readers are once again allowed access into the world of Sano Ichiro.



About the Author
Laura Joh Rowland is the granddaughter of Chinese and Korean immigrants. She grew up in Michigan and was educated at the University of Michigan, where she graduated with a B.S. in microbiology and a master's in public health. She lives in New Orleans with her husband, Marty, and their three cats. Her previous novels include The Samurai's Wife, The Concubine's Tattoo, and Shinju, all of which feature the samurai-detective Sano Ichiro.

FROM OUR EDITORS

Japan's Black Lotus Temple is a sacred place, and when three sect members are killed in a suspicious fire, veteran samurai-detec-tive Sano Ichiro, the Most Honorable Investigator of Events, Situations and People, is quick to blame a delinquent orphan found fleeing the scene. But his outspoken wife, Reiko, has different ideas. According to Reiko, newcomers to the Black Lotus are mysteriously vanishing as quickly as the sect can convert them. No one knows their whereabouts. No one dares to guess their fate. And unless Reiko can prove her serious allegation quickly, an innocent child will be burned at the stake.

FROM THE PUBLISHER

"In September of 1693, a cottage belonging to the Black Lotus Temple, spiritual center for hundreds of Buddhist nuns, monks, priests, and orphans, is burned to the ground, leaving three dead. Veteran samurai-detective Sano Ichiro, the Most Honorable Investigator of Events, Situations, and People is called on to investigate the incident. He quickly discovers that the victims did not die in the fire: they were brutally murdered before the fire even began." "With a triple homicide on his hands, Sano's search for a killer leads him to Haru, an orphan girl found at the scene of the crime. But Sano's wife, Reiko, investigating the case against Sano's wishes, is convinced of Haru's innocence. Reiko's investigation leads her behind the walls of the Black Lotus Temple, where she discovers a sect involved in extortion, prostitution, and hedonistic rituals. Could one of the sect's members be the killer? Will Reiko risk her marriage to Sano in order to prove Haru's innocence?"--BOOK JACKET.

FROM THE CRITICS

Publishers Weekly

Well-developed characters, a complex, absorbing plot and rich historical detail should help win the author...many new readers as well as a place on mystery bestseller lists.

Publishers Weekly

The complexities of Buddhist temple society challenge detective Sano Ichiro and his wife and helpmate, Reiko, in the latest installment in Rowland's (The Samurai's Wife) outstanding series set in Shogun-era Japan. In this round Sano has to look into a case of murder and arson in the Black Lotus temple, the home of a mysterious sect and its charismatic leader. Suspicion has fallen on a teenage girl, but while Sano and Reiko find it difficult to penetrate the cult's respectable front, Sano sees nothing untoward in the sect, and he distrusts the 15-year-old's account of the tragedy. Reiko, however, sees a frightened and battered victim, and is willing to disobey and publicly contradict Sano in order to prove the girl's innocence and bring the sect's abuses to light. As Sano and Reiko take different paths in investigating the crime, their intractable passion for the truth threatens the fabric of their marriage. Indeed, the sect seems to inspire intense partisanship everywhere: it has generated much ill will among relatives of its members as well as the townsfolk, yet it has managed to garner the support of some of the highest officials of the Shogun's court. The question of religious cults and the abuse of their influence gives this story contemporary resonance. Well-developed characters, a complex, absorbing plot and rich historical detail should help win the author, the daughter of Chinese and Korean immigrants, many new readers as well as a place on mystery bestseller lists. An attractive Japanese-print dust jacket is a plus. (Apr. 19) Copyright 2001 Cahners Business Information.

Library Journal