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Shinju (Mass Market Paperback)

by Laura J Rowland (Author) "Yoriki Sano Ichiro, Edo's newest senior police commander, made his way slowly on horseback across Nihonbashi Bridge ..." (more)

3.9 out of 5 stars See all reviews (35 customer reviews)

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Product Details

Mass Market Paperback: 448 pages
Publisher: Harper; Reprint edition (May 17 2001)
Language: English
ISBN-10: 0061009504
ISBN-13: 978-0061009501
Product Dimensions: 17 x 10.4 x 3.3 cm
Shipping Weight: 114 g

Average Customer Review: 3.9 out of 5 stars See all reviews (35 customer reviews)

Amazon.ca Sales Rank: #197,186 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)
Popular in this category:
#7 in Books > Mystery & Thrillers > Authors, A-Z > ( R ) > Rowland, Laura Joh

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This is item 1 in The Sano Ichiro Series.

Product Description

From Publishers Weekly

Seventeenth-century Tokyo is the setting for Rowland's debut novel, a murder mystery starring the Senior Police Commander in the district of Edo. Sano Ichiro, a samurai whose academic background puts him at odds with most of his peers, discovers two bodies in the Sumida River, a man and woman bound together in what appears to have been a shinju, or "double love suicide." The man is a peasant, the woman the high-born daughter of an important official. Told by his superior to close the case without an investigation, Sano, suspecting murder, determines to investigate on his own. He orders an illegal autopsy and learns that the victims did not drown but cannot make his discovery known. Amidst many tribulations, he uncovers a trail of corruption and intrigue that ultimately leads him to suspect a member of a royal family. Replete with convincing details, the setting's time and place provide lively and diverting passages; the plot, however, twists only occasionally before its fairly predictable, politically rooted resolution. Rowland crafts a competent mystery her first time out, shows sure command of her background material and demonstrates that she is a writer of depth and potential.
Copyright 1994 Reed Business Information, Inc. --This text refers to the Hardcover edition.

From Library Journal

As a newly appointed yoriki (senior police commander), Sano Ichiro is expected to obey his superior's order to treat the deaths of an upper-class woman and a commoner as a shinju (ritual double suicide). Sano believes the two were murdered and doggedly continues to investigate, risking his job and his life. He gradually uncovers a plot against the shogun himself. The best part of this first novel is the splendid evocation of late 17th-century Edo. The descriptions of the stratified society, the details of everyday life, and the sights and sounds of the city that will later become Tokyo are vivid and compelling. Readers intrigued with unusual settings for their mysteries will enjoy this work. Others may not be able to ignore the paper-thin characterizations and the coincidence-strewn plot. The last paragraph leaves an opening for a sequel. Only large pop fiction collections need consider.
--Nancy Pearl, Washington Ctr. for the Book, Seattle
Copyright 1994 Reed Business Information, Inc. --This text refers to the Hardcover edition.

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Inside This Book (Learn More)

First Sentence
Yoriki Sano Ichiro, Edo's newest senior police commander, made his way slowly on horseback across Nihonbashi Bridge. Read the first page

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Front Cover | Copyright | Excerpt | Back Cover

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Customer Reviews

35 Reviews

5 star:		(13)
4 star:		(13)
3 star:		(5)
2 star:		(2)
1 star:		(2)

Average Customer Review

3.9 out of 5 stars (35 customer reviews)

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Most helpful customer reviews

5.0 out of 5 stars Good mystery, a glimpse into another world, Jun 21 2004

By	Teresa A. McTigue "terrymct" (Silver Spring, MD USA) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

When I picked up this book, I was a little worried that it would fall into the trap of concentrating so heavily on historically accurate details that the idea of a mystery (or plot in general) would be lost. Happily, that isn't the case. Laura Joh Rowland sets a solid mystery in an interesting period of time. She manages to give us a flavor of era and still present a great read. I highly recommend this novel. If you are interested in the Sano Ichiro series, definitely start with this book.

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4.0 out of 5 stars Excellent characters and atmosphere, Nov 15 2003

By	Barbara B. (Oregon, USA) - See all my reviews

This was my introduction to Sano Ichiro (and Rowland's books) and I was fascinated with the descriptions of 17th century Japan. I've done a bit of historical reading into that era (early Shin Buddhism) and found this book was accurate and richly descriptive.

As for the character of Sano, I understand some of the other comments that he wasn't "heroic" enough for a Samurai. But that was one of the things that made him interesting to me. He is a quite "average" man who gets caught up in a system that can easily swallow him whole.

The book, although it had a few minor flaws, was intriquing enough for me to read several more of the series and it's interesting to see the way Sano's character develops. I just finished the fourth book in the series (The Concubine's Tattoo) and look forward to all the others.

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2.0 out of 5 stars Riveting, but poorly written, Sep 17 2003

By	"villekula" (Seattle, WA USA) - See all my reviews

Unfortunately this promising story is "over-told." The author seems overly enthusiastic to prove she's done her history homework, and the resulting writing style made me feel like I was back in grammar school. If you've ever read anything about Japan at all you will skim several of the awkward descriptions and translations that the author tries to weave seamlessly into the story. The conflict between the main character Sano's sense of filial duty and obedience as a samurai and his burning desire to get to the truth of the murder is weakly explored. Instead of any real conflict emerging, the author just has him think "oh, my father will be so upset, this goes against my whole being as a samurai, I should really stop this investigation" every few pages. By the end of each paragraph he has decided to carry on, in pursuit of justice (mostly for the people who have died as a result of his investigations, and also for the sad courtesan he slept with once, which is a bit tough to empathize with)! What a surprise! The ending took far too long and was a deus ex machina, there wasn't any real suspense. I wanted to know what happened, but I found myself consistently annoyed with having so far to go before the book's end. For those with zero understanding of medieval Japanese culture, this could be a pretty interesting way of learning a great deal. For a more fun take on medieval Japan (that also explores the mystical and spiritual) I'd recommend Tomoe Gozen.

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Most recent customer reviews

4.0 out of 5 stars A wonderful taste of samurai justice
As a longtime lover of mysteries and of things Japanese, I was thrilled when I came across the Sano Ichiro series. This book lived up to my initial excitement. Read more

Published on Sep 14 2003 by David Kudler

5.0 out of 5 stars Great page-turner
I've enjoyed Laura Joh Rowland's historical mystery series featuring detective Sano Ichiro. The main characters are appealing, and the action moves along rapidly. Read more

Published on Sep 5 2003 by anonymous

4.0 out of 5 stars Suicidal behavior
This story is very strong on atmosphere and weaker on real mystery. I found it a fascinating glimpse into what the real tenor of medieval Japan might have been like. Read more

Published on Jan 13 2003 by tertius3

1.0 out of 5 stars Shinju
If you like a story about a samurai policeman who bumbles his way through 437 pages, you'll like this book. Read more

Published on Jan 6 2003 by Ian Tucker