Rei is a wonderful character, sympathetic to both halves of her ancestry and a splendid addition to the world of fictional sleuths. The book is a magic carpet to the Japanese Alps, and serves up murder as well. Rei Shimura, the irreverent, likable Japanese-American heroine, straddles East and West with aplomb. I enjoyed her adventures and hope there will be more of them. Writing in a style as smart and snappy as her heroine, Sujata Massey brings a fresh perspective to the traditional mystery.
Readers are in for a real treat.
Sujata Massey's got my vote for best first novel. Her detecting to solve the murder of Setsuko Nakamura, the beautiful wife of a Japanese woman, is fun, low-key and natural, albeit a little dangerous. If you like mysteries that reveal another culture with authority and good story-telling, I heartily recommend this one. A cross-cultural mystery of manners with a decidedly sexy edge. Writing the story in the first person was a stroke of genius that enhanced the plot immeasurably.