From Publishers Weekly
In Rowland's ninth absorbing historical set in 17th-century Japan (after 2003's The Dragon King's Palace), Sano Ichiro, the shogun's special criminal investigator, must once again navigate treacherous political waters to solve a puzzling murder. Sano finds himself retained by a corpse when the valet of one of the country's leading figures, councilman Makino Narisada, delivers a posthumous request from his master. Narisada asks Sano to examine the circumstances of his own death. At first it seems that the elderly official succumbed to natural causes, but several clues point to foul play. While the initial suspects from the victim's household all appear to be harboring guilty knowledge, the detective's task is rapidly complicated when the two leading political rivals battling to succeed the shogun accuse each other of the murder and pressure Sano to slant his pursuit accordingly. The shadow of events from The Dragon King's Palace hangs heavily over the two main supporting characters, Sano's wife and his chief assistant, driving them to take perilous risks; nonetheless, this is an accessible entry point to the series for newcomers. Deftly combining a classic whodunit with vivid period detail, Rowland raises the stakes for her next book with an unexpected twist at the end that promises to present her dogged but fallible hero with even more difficulties in the future.Copyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.
Review
"Rowland has a painter's eye for the minutiae of court life, as well as a politician's ear for intrigue."-The New York Times Book Review
"Think James Clavell meets Raymond Chandler."-San Francisco Chronicle
"Sano may carry a sword and wear a kimono, but you'll immediately recognize him as an ancestor of Philip Marlowe or Sam Spade."-Denver Post
"Deftly combining a classic whodunit with vivid period detail, Rowland raises the stakes for her next book with an unexpected twist at the end that promises to present her dogged but fallible hero with even more difficulties in the future."-Publishers Weekly on The Perfumed Sleeve
Book Description
Sano Ichiro, Most Honorable Investigator of Events, Situations, and People is faced with his most challenging case when he investigates the death of Senior Elder Makino, the shogun's most trusted adviser. There is only one puzzling clue-a torn, perfumed sleeve of a kimono. Under the watchful eyes of the shogun's cousin, Lord Matsudaira, and the shogun's second-in-command, Chamberlain Yanagisaw, Sano moves with caution. For each is eager to implicate the other in Makino's death. But Sano must determine whether the death was indeed murder, and if so, whether it was motivated by politics, love, or sex.
When a second violent death occurs, Sano is faced with several suspects, each with a compelling motive. Was it Agemaki, Makino's stone-faced second wife; Okitsu, his beautiful young concubine; Koheiji, his handsome male houseguest; or Tamura, his faithful retainer? Or was it a political assassination? With the help of his wife, Reiko, Sano must solve the murder as he discovers just how intertwined desire and danger really are...
From the Back Cover
AN UNUSUAL DEATH, A PUZZLING CLUE, AND
AN UNCOMPROMISING INVESTIGATOR...
Sano Ichiro, Most Honorable Investigator of Events, Situations, and People is faced with his most challenging case when he investigates the death of Senior Elder Makino, the shogun's most trusted adviser. There is only one puzzling clue-a torn, perfumed sleeve of a kimono. Under the watchful eyes of the shogun's cousin, Lord Matsudaira, and the shogun's second-in-command, Chamberlain Yanagisaw, Sano moves with caution. For each is eager to implicate the other in Makino's death. But Sano must determine whether the death was indeed murder, and if so, whether it was motivated by politics, love, or sex.
When a second violent death occurs, Sano is faced with several suspects, each with a compelling motive. Was it Agemaki, Makino's stone-faced second wife; Okitsu, his beautiful young concubine; Koheiji, his handsome male houseguest; or Tamura, his faithful retainer? Or was it a political assassination? With the help of his wife, Reiko, Sano must solve the murder as he discovers just how intertwined desire and danger really are...
"Deftly combines a classic whodunit with vivid period detail."
-Publishers Weekly
"Its constant action and exotic environment will appeal to readers and add to Rowland's already large fan base."
-The Times-Picayune
About the Author
LAURA JOH ROWLAND, the granddaughter of Chinese and Korean immigrants, was educated at the University of Michigan and now lives in New Orleans with her husband. The Perfumed Sleeve is the ninth in her widely acclaimed series featuring Sano Ichiro.
The Perfumed Sleeve FROM THE PUBLISHER
"November 1694. The streets of Edo are erupting in violence as two factions struggle for control over the ruling Tokugawa regime. One is led by the shogun's cousin, Lord Matsudaira, and the other by the shogun's second-in-command, Chamberlain Yanagisawa. Each side pressures Sano Ichiro, the shogun's most honorable investigator, to join its ranks." "When one of the shogun's most-trusted advisers is found dead, Sano is forced to honor a posthumous request for a murder investigation. Senior Elder Makino believed that his death would be the result of assassination rather than natural causes. Although he and Sano were bitter enemies, Makino knew that the incorruptible Sano would be duty-bound to oblige his final wish." "Under the watchful eyes and thinly veiled threats of both Lord Matsudaira and Chamberlain Yanagisawa, Sano moves with caution. Each is eager to implicate the other in Makino's death. Sano must discover whether the death was indeed murder, and if so, whether it was motivated by politics, love, or sex. The discovery of secret alliances, both romantic and military, further complicates matters. Sano's investigation has barely begun when violent death claims another of the shogun's favorites." With his wife, Reiko, working undercover, Sano and his chief retainer, Hirata, must not only investigate multiple deaths, but stem the tide of an impending civil war.
FROM THE CRITICS
Publishers Weekly
In Rowland's ninth absorbing historical set in 17th-century Japan (after 2003's The Dragon King's Palace), Sano Ichiro, the shogun's special criminal investigator, must once again navigate treacherous political waters to solve a puzzling murder. Sano finds himself retained by a corpse when the valet of one of the country's leading figures, councilman Makino Narisada, delivers a posthumous request from his master. Narisada asks Sano to examine the circumstances of his own death. At first it seems that the elderly official succumbed to natural causes, but several clues point to foul play. While the initial suspects from the victim's household all appear to be harboring guilty knowledge, the detective's task is rapidly complicated when the two leading political rivals battling to succeed the shogun accuse each other of the murder and pressure Sano to slant his pursuit accordingly. The shadow of events from The Dragon King's Palace hangs heavily over the two main supporting characters, Sano's wife and his chief assistant, driving them to take perilous risks; nonetheless, this is an accessible entry point to the series for newcomers. Deftly combining a classic whodunit with vivid period detail, Rowland raises the stakes for her next book with an unexpected twist at the end that promises to present her dogged but fallible hero with even more difficulties in the future. (Apr. 16) Copyright 2004 Reed Business Information.
Library Journal
In 1694 Edo, two bands of insurgents try to wrest control from the Tokugara regime. Sano Ichiro (Black Lotus), the shogun's investigator, is approached by both sides but remains neutral. His subsequent investigation of a highly placed official's suspicious death, therefore, could have political consequences. Excellent work. Copyright 2004 Reed Business Information.
Kirkus Reviews
Sano Ichiro is used to subtle dangers, like daggers in the back; now he faces outright civil war between two armies massing in the City of Edo. The Shogun's Most Honorable Investigator of Events, Situations and People serves a weak master whom two strong, ambitious courtiers are determined to control. The Shogun's cousin, Lord Matsudaira, has challenged the Chamberlain Yanagisawa's ascendancy over his sovereign and former lover, and war between their followers is only a matter of time. When Makino Narasada, senior member of the Council of Elders, demands posthumously that Sano investigate his death, the samurai's hard-won neutrality is threatened. Saddled with an overseer from each faction, Sano nonetheless uncovers details of Narasada's sex life, which, for an octogenarian, was surprisingly involved. There are many other sordid sexual escapades to investigate as well, including those of Lord Matsudaira's nephew and, maintaining the balance of power, the Chamberlain Yanagisawa's son. Reiko, Sano's wife, overcomes her trauma from a previous adventure (The Dragon King's Palace, 2003) to go undercover, while Sano's chief retainer, Hirata, remains handicapped by his shame from having disobeyed Sano. Shame and honor are redistributed, however, in a surprising climax. In her eighth quasi-historical chronicle, Rowland, always preoccupied by the conjunction of sex and politics, pushes aside the mystery altogether to stir up a stew of sexual and political intrigue, above which Sano stoically rises. Agent: Pam Ahearn
Art & Photography
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