The Bride's Kimono

With this fifth in the delightful Rei Shimura series, author Sujata Massey shows a new assurance, and new skills at weaving intricate plots in a deceptively simple manner.Here, for the first time, the reader is given the wonderful treat of meeting Rei's parents--her hopelessly shopaholic American mother, and her Japanese-born psychiatrist father, who still holds on to some of his old-fashioned Asian ways. The parents are so much fun, they almost detract from the story at hand: Rei has been chosen to accompany a priceless collection of kimono from Japan to a prestigious museum in Washington, D.C. It's a job that not only pays well, but will ensure Rei's reputation in the rarified world of antiques in which she works.But--Rei being Rei--she is no sooner on American soil than things go from bad to worse, from a murder to a shocking theft to her own horrible encounter with the Washington police--where they accuse her of being a prostitute!As Rei tries to solve the murder, retrieve the stolen artifact, deal with her overprotective parents and complete her lectures at the museum, she also finds herself overcome by a love interest she thought she had forgotten. All of this makes for fascinating reading, especially the detailed explanation of the ritual adornment of the kimono, whose every fold and tie holds a deep meaning.As with the other four books in this series, I could hardly put "The Bride's Kimono" down, and felt a keen sense of loss when I finished the last page. I sincerely hope that Ms. Massey continues this series for some time to come!

I think that Sujata Massey has more than surpassed herself with her latest book, "The Bride's Kimono". The mystery form is more than enhanced by the 'mysteries' of the past and present. Rei is dealing with the parallels between the courtesans of Old Japan and the modern day 'shopping ladies', which is coupled with the complications of her own love life in the present. With my own interests in archaeology & anthropology, I seem to be drawn to the more 'female-oriented' and less studied side of things: textiles, clothing, weaving, jewellery. To me, a Japanese courtesan is every bit as interesting as an emperor. I felt an kind of unexpected sympathy towards the courtesans of Old Japan and for the lives of women today stuggling through the modern world which is often: complex, multi-cultural, challenging and untimately mysterious.

This is the latest of Sujata Massey's Rei Shimura adventures. This time, Mrs. Massey takes Rei from Tokyo to Washington DC and it is a winning move. Nothing is really simple for Rei as she is asked to be a courier of priceless antique kimono from a Japanese museum to one in Washington, DC. She has to get the kimono to their desitination intact and ready for exhibition and this is no easy task. It doesn't get any easier when the receiving museum causes additional stresses by refusing to accept one kimono and this forces Rei to become it's minder and then when it disappears, it becomes her task to recover it. Along the way, Rei meets an old boy friend, discovers she has been robbed of passport and return ticket to Japan and must contend with the death of one of her traveling companions - in fact the woman she had as a seat mate from Japan to DC.This is a great tale that includes the background workings of museums in both Japan and America. It is also another revealing study of Japanese customs and traditions. We are given a chance to meet Rei's parents, and I for one, was quite impressed by both of them. Rei's mother reminds me of my own mother-in-law in some ways. So on this level I was able to get a little more enmeshed in the book. We also learn more about Rei only from her parent's perspective and that is helpful in rounding out the charecter. Mrs. Massey does a fine job in this respect.Mrs. Massey's excellent descriptions of Washington are a big plus in this book. You get the feeling that you are walking along the streets in Georgetown or Adams Morgan along with Rei. This book, like all the others, doesn't telegraph the criminal elements. There are a couple of decoys that you meet and wonder, what evil deed are they up to, but you discover you're wrong and this are just passing unpleasant charecters that add to the overall tone of the book. Mrs. Massey's books are ones that I don't automatically read the last chapter first. I start from page one and work my way through it, like Rei and everyone else. It was one that once I started, I was reluctant to put it down.I recommend this book to all of Mrs. Massey's fans and to those who may just be discovering her writing. This is another excellent book by an exceptionally talented mystery writer. I hope everyone enjoys it as much as I did.

One of the other reviewers writes that moving the setting to DC in this novel detracts from the series. I totally disagree. It is precisely this change of scenery that emphasizes the cultural duality of Sujata Massey's character, Rei Shimura and the beauty and complexity of Japan. Massey's fifth book in this series is absolutely the best. Just when you think she's reached the top, she raises the bar and gives her readers more. "The Bride's Kimono" is a complex, skillfully layered tale of murder, theft, relationships and cultural divides, topped off by complex characters and a great plot. This is definitely a must-read!

I've been following the Rei Shimura series since Book #1 (THE SALARYMAN'S WIFE), and while I've found all of the books to be enjoyable, Sujata Massey has really taken a great leap forward with her fifth mystery, THE BRIDE'S KIMONO. I couldn't put this book down -- I finished it in one marathon 6-hour session! Unlike the other books in the series, THE BRIDE'S KIMONO takes place in the U.S., Washington, D.C. to be specific. But if you love these books for their take on Japanese culture, don't worry -- there's still plenty of that here. Rei is hired by a museum in D.C. to travel from her home in Japan to give a lecture on kimono. Part of the job entails actually bringing several priceless kimono with her from Japan to the U.S. In order to get a cheap ticket, Rei joins a package tour of young Japanese "office ladies" who are heading to the U.S. to shop.When one of the valuable kimono disappears, along with one of the Japanese tourists, Rei suspects the two incidents are related. Things are further complicated when her old boyfriend, Hugh, turns up! There are SO many complications and twists and turns in this wonderfully complex novel. Massey is a master storyteller, and hopefully, this fabulous book will win her lots of new fans. It will certainly delight those who are already acquainted with Rei.