Ghost of the Bamboo Road by Susan SpannMy rating: 5 of 5 stars
Love traveling along with Father Mateo, the Portuguese Jesuit, and his " scribe " , Hiro, who is really a samurai on a mission to locate other spies and send them back to their master for reassignment. The men are on their way to Edo but must locate a female samurai living in the foothills of the Hakone mountains. It is winter, the town is almost deserted and on the evening of their arrival the owner of the guest house is murdered while visiting her daughter's grave after dark. The superstitious residents of the town believe the ghost of the daughter, who was brutally raped and beaten and left to die in the woods, has returned and is taking vengeance on those who left her to die. Naturally, Hiro and Father Mateo, who do not believe in ghosts, think the murderer is very human. Still, they must find the spy and move on to Edo without delay. Unfortunately, the theft of the family's silver and the accusation that Father Mateo's housekeeper, Ana, is the thief, prevents their departure. As long as they must remain and prove Ana's innocence they may as well figure out who the murderer is, right?
As usual, the mystery is multifaceted and the setting is captivating--high in the mountains of Japan, snow covered ground, foggy days and nights and a hermit who lives in a cave and communes with foxes. A wonderful escape on these late Spring rainy April days.
View all my reviews
No comments:
Post a Comment