G1179 Book Review of Ghost of the Bamboo Road by Susan Spann
Author: Susan Spann
ISBN: 978-1-63388-550-9
Publisher: Seventh Street Books
Part of a Series: Hiro Hattori Novels
Type of book: Japan, samurai, mountains, fox, 1566, kitsune, entertainers, revenge, plans, mystery, yamabushi, Shinobi, crime, murder
Year it was published: 2019
Summary:
When a vengeful spirit terrorizes a mountain village in medieval Japan, a ninja and a Jesuit priest must reveal the truth and save the villagers from the phantom's wrath.
January 1566: En route to Edo, Master ninja Hiro Hattori and Portuguese Jesuit Father Mateo spend the night in a rural mountain village whose inhabitants live in terror of a legendary vengeful ghost. When the innkeeper's wife is murdered and Father Mateo's housekeeper, Ana, is blamed for a crime she did not commit, Hiro and Father Mateo are forced to investigate and reveal the truth. But when another woman turns up murdered in the snow, the detectives must face the shocking truth that the vengeful yūrei the villagers fear might be more than just a legend after all.
Characters:
Main characters include Hiro Hattori and Father Mateo as well as the housekeeper Ana. Hiro is a Shinobi (ninja) who is loyal, observant, careful and doesn't behave as a typical Japanese of his era. He is good at crafting disguises and teasing out eventual mysteries. His backstory is revealed little by little in previous books. Father Mateo is a Portugese Jesuit Priest who is respectful of people around him, is also tenderhearted and takes his occupation very seriously. He is also willing to learn and be corrected by Hiro. There are numerous other secondary characters such as the sister's and their husbands as well as a mysterious entertainer and her motives and also a Japanese mountain ascetic who believes in mountain foxes and so forth.
Theme:
Disparate Clues can form a story
Plot:
Like in previous mysteries, the story is in third person narrative from Hiros point of view. Also, it seems as if the author has found her footing because the characterization of The Ghost of The Bamboo Road is top notch and highly memorable as well as comedic in a lot of parts. The setting is also good and I also had a chance to expand my knowledge of Japan. While the book is good at stand alone, i would recommend the previous books ( each is about less than 300 pages) and watch the trajectory growth of Father Mateo and Hiro, from a protector and a guide to both of them as comrades in arms and equals.
Author Information:
(From the book)
Susan Spann is the author of six previous novels in the Shinobi Mystery series: Claws of the Cat, Blade of the Samurai, Flask of the Drunken Master, The Ninja's Daughter, Betrayal at Iga, and Trial on Mount Koya. She has a degree in Asian studies and a lifelong lvoe of Japanese history and culture. She lives and writes in Tokyo, but often escapes the city to climb and photograph Japanese mountains.
Opinion:
With each successive book about Hiro Hattori and Father Mateo, Susan SPANN becomes better and better at creating an addictive mystery where it takes mere hours or even a day for me to finish this delightful mystery, and as always, while I couldn't figure it out, i still delighted in getting caught up with my favorite Shinobi detective. I also enjoyed watching the growth of Father Mateo, how Hiro relies on him more and more instead of only just solving mysteries by himself, as in earlier books. I look forward to continuing the journey into Edo with Hiro and Mattel.
This was given to me for a review
4 out of 5
(0: Stay away unless a masochist 1: Good for insomnia 2: Horrible but readable; 3: Readable and quickly forgettable, 4: Good, enjoyable 5: Buy it, keep it and never let it go.)
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