The Concubine's Tattoo

I picked up the Concubine's Tattoo on a cross-country plane flight. I read it from cover to cover in one afternoon! Laura Joh Rowland's descriptive writing really brings the history of feudal Japan to life. You have a real sense of not only the character's physical features, but of their motivations and feelings. Her descriptions of the inner workings of the Shogun's palace are so exacting, you feel you are really there as one of its inhabitants. Murder, jealousy, political intrigue, honor and love all intertwine to draw you deep into the maelstrom of the Shogunate. YOU WON'T BE DISAPPOINTED!!!

I would like to comment on the author Laura Rowland. I've read this book and found it very interesting and exciting. It has intrigue, sex, action and great imagination on the author's part. I would reccomend this book for all people who like to read about Japan.

The Concubine's Tattoo offers everything that I need in a mystery. It is set in an exotic, fascinating era, 17th century Japan. It has an engaging mystery, about the death of one of Shoguns concubines, Harume while she is illicitly tattooing her lovers' name in a secret place and there are many possible suspects. The main characters in the story are interesting and sympathetic people. She opens the story at the lead character, Sano Ichiro's arranged wedding to Reiko, a Japanese woman with a mind of her own. The untimely death of Harume interrupts the wedding festivities and immediately set Sano and Reiko in conflict because of their different ideas of were a woman' s place is.There are many great subplots woven throughout the story and Rowland has managed to make Ichiro's enemy, Chamberlain Yanagisawa, a richly drawn and sympathetic character without losing his menace. Actually all of the important secondary characters are given a nice depth, as well as the main characters.This was the fourth book in a Series of books about San Ichiro's work as the Shoguns investigator and the first that I have read. I am not a regular mystery reader, the plots are usually a bit to predictable for me and I do not like the genre enough to put up with shoddy writing. This book however, and I hope the series, was engaging on several different levels. While it is a stand-alone book it definitely peaked my interest in finding and reading all of the books in this series. This is an author that I look forward to enjoying for years to come.

In 1690 Edo, Japan, Sano Inchiro, the Most Honorable Investigator, looks forward to marrying his beloved Lady Ueda Reiko. However, Sano's nuptial bliss is abruptly interrupted when Harume, a favorite concubine of Shogun Tsunayoshi, is murdered by an assailant who placed poison in the lady's tattoo ink. In his twenty months on the job, Sano has investigated several murders including a Dutch trader in Nagasaki. However, as dangerous as some of them were, Sano realizes that he begins his most perilous case because failure to solve this case would mean dishonoring the Shogun and potentially lead to Sano's death. Making maters more difficult for the Most Honorable Investigator is his new wife refuses to stay at home. Instead she begins her own brand of sleuthing. With her fourth Sano novel, THE CONCUBINE'S TATTOO, Laura Joh Rowland continues her rapid climb to the top of the historical mystery sub-genre. The story line is filled with intriguing detail into Japanese history and culture without slowing down the who-done-it, which is intimately tied to the culture. In previous tales (see THE WAY OF THE TRAITOR, BUNDORI, and SHINJU) Sano has been a fully developed protagonist. However Reiko adds much personal depth to her spouse's character, turning him into a warmer sleuth. Fans of historical mysteries will shout "Banzai" after reading this deftly developed novel.

This is the fourth book in Ms. Rowland's "samurai" series - and well worth reading. Her ability to create a time and place (and people) far from our own time and culture had me reading the four books practically non-stop. I recommend all of her books with no reservations. Great reading.