Review: A good whodunnit
Rating: 4 out of 5
Date: 07 5, 2012
This is a well written, and historically interesting novel. Though it takes place during the initial days of the Japanese-American internment at the outset of World War Two, it's not really about that. This is a classic murder mystery--dead bodies, hard driving detective, etc.--that weaves through the families of the Japanese-Americans being forced to leave their homes for the duration of the war. The characters are believable, the dialogue crisp and realistic, and the plot compelling. There were unanswered questions and parts that weren't explained fully. I didn't buy the part where the main character is allowed to join the crew of a Navy warship without any training, boot camp, or records. That just wouldn't happen. I didn't understand the Japanese plan in coming to the island. The B-17 factory is mentioned, but B-17s at that time were not bombing Japan, they were bombing Europe. And why would the Japanese want to bomb Seattle? Lots of things didn't quite make sense. Also, I never did understand the title. Having said all that, I did enjoy the book and recommend it as an enjoyable read for fans of detective fiction, especially if you are a fan of books set during the war years.