From the publisher:
Autumn, 1565: When an actor’s daughter is murdered on the banks of Kyoto’s Kamo River, master ninja Hiro Hattori and Portuguese Jesuit Father Mateo are the victim’s only hope for justice.
As political tensions rise in the wake of the shogun’s recent death, and rival warlords threaten war, the Kyoto police forbid an investigation of the killing, to keep the peace–but Hiro has a personal connection to the girl, and must avenge her. The secret investigation leads Hiro and Father Mateo deep into the exclusive world of Kyoto’s theater guilds, where they quickly learn that nothing, and no one, is as it seems. With only a mysterious golden coin to guide them, the investigators uncover a forbidden love affair, a missing mask, and a dangerous link to corruption within the Kyoto police department that leaves Hiro and Father Mateo running for their lives.
Review:
The Ninja’s Daughter is Susan Spann’s fourth Shinobi Mystery. The series gives readers insight into a society that is long gone. A fascinating read, “The Ninja’s Daughter” is filled with lies, deceit, and the inherent unfairness of a class society. Spann portrays well a society in which only some murders are considered worthy of investigation.
Hiro and Jesuit Father Mateo are dogged pursuers who must unravel a puzzle that will keep readers guessing until the end. Interactions between the two main characters allow Spann to let the characters explain the societal mores rather than having to do so herself.
The political instability of the time builds an atmosphere of tension, which escalates as the lives of the protagonists become endangered. Spann sets up a ticking clock in the beginning of the novel, which she uses well to propel the story to a conclusion that itself illustrates the importance of honor in 16th Century Japan.
FTC Full Disclosure: A review copy of this book was provided by its publisher.
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