Fires of Edo by Susan Spann

Name of Book: Fires of Edo

Author: Susan Spann

ISBN: 978-1-64506-044-4

Publisher: Seventh Street

Part of a Series: 8th book in the series ( Claws of the Cat first, followed by  Blade of the samurai; Flask of the Drunken Master; The Ninjas Daughter; Betrayal at Iga; Trial on Mount Koya; and book preceding this one, Ghost of the Bamboo Road) 

Type of book: EDO, 1566, travel, mystery, fire, fire brigade, instinct, history, Oda Nobunaga, Portugese priest, protection, shinobi, book binder, book seller, daily life 

Year it was published: 2022

Summary:

Edo, February 1566: when a samurai’s corpse is discovered in the ruins of a burned-out bookshop, master ninja Hiro Hattori and Jesuit Father Mateo must determine whether the shopkeeper and his young apprentice are innocent victims or assassins in disguise. The investigation quickly reveals dangerous ties to Hiro’s past, which threaten not only Edo’s fledgling booksellers’ guild, but the very survival of Hiro’s ninja clan. With an arsonist on the loose, and a murderer stalking the narrow streets, Hiro and Father Mateo must save the guild—and themselves—from a conflagration that could destroy them all.

Characters:

Main characters include Hiro Hattori and Father Mateo. For one there is a list of characters in the back, so yay! For another not a lot is revealed about Hiro Hattori and Father Mateo in this book, which is why I would recommend reading the previous books in the series  for more in-depth. Father Mateo was definitely given a bigger role and seems to be in his element when it comes to dealing with the natives, and he doesn't seem to rely on Hiro Hattori as much as he used to. He also seems to try to make up his own mind. Hiro Hattori seems to have remained himself and while traumatic memories are hinted at, they don't take center stage. In general Hiro Hattori is passing himself off as a ronin ( samurai without master) but in reality he is a shinobi of the clan at Iga, hired to guard Father Mateo. Hiro Hattori trusts his instincts, although he attempts to follow Father Mateos advice about forgiveness. 

Theme:

Things are not as they seem 

Plot:

THE story is written in third person narrative from Hiros point of view. At long last Father Mateo and Hiro Hattori are on the cusp of finishing a task given by Clan Iga, warning certain individuals that they are in a Shoguns bad graces. Yet while they are in the town of Edo, they have to deal with fire as well as figuring out if there are any connections between this particular fire and the past fire incidents. It often seems as if in every mystery Susan Spann deals with a topic of 16th century Japan be it temples, shinobi, sake, and FIRES OF EDO is no exception as the topics she deals with are dangers of fire and the fire brigades as well as the world of books. The characters and plot and mystery are well done and engaging and one hopes she will continue to write about Hiro Hattori and Father Mateo's travels as well as presenting to the readers diverse topics of 16th century Japan. 

Author Information:
(From goodreads)

Author of the Hiro Hattori Novels (Shinobi Mysteries), featuring ninja detective Hiro Hattori and his Portuguese Jesuit sidekick, Father Mateo.

CLAWS OF THE CAT (Minotaur Books, 2013)

Library Journal Mystery Debut of the Month

Silver Falchion Finalist: Best First Novel

BLADE OF THE SAMURAI (Minotaur Books, 2014)

FLASK OF THE DRUNKEN MASTER (Minotaur Books, July 2015)

THE NINJA'S DAUGHTER (Seventh Street Books, August 2016)

BETRAYAL AT IGA (Seventh Street Books, July 2017)

Opinion:

At long last I got a chance to read and continue my adventures with Hiro Hattori and Father Mateo! ( Last time was in 2019 before the end of the world...) just like her previous mysteries, FIRES OF EDO was fascinating, well-written with captivating characters and a mystery that's hard to figure out. So yes, I have truly enjoyed it. Also the story focuses on book business, which I found fascinating and development of fire brigade. While FIRES OF EDO acts as a stand-alone if the reader comes into reading Susan Spanns series for the first time, I think it's best to read previous mysteries for enrichment and understanding dynamic between Hiro Hattori and Father Mateo. Also, looking forward to Book Nine whenever it comes out!  

This was given for 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.)