2. Author of the Sano Ichiro Series November, 2008 a new book by:

4. Published by St. Martin’s / Minotaur [ISBN-987-0-312-37948-3 ]

5. A murder mystery set in feudal Japan. History Politics Deception Romance Intrigue Conflict

6. The story unfolds: A storm

7. An uprooted tree

8. Human remains

9. Reiko, the wife of Sano Ichiro, is attacked. Sano suspects Lord Matsudaira, his fiercest enemy. Lord Matsudaira denies any involvement. I didn’t do it

10. I help too Just as Sano and Matsudaira are about to go to war, the shogun orders Sano to investigate the mysterious remains. Swords buried with the skeleton belonged to the shogun’s cousin, who disappeared forty years ago on the same night a cursed kimono started a fire that threatened the city. Suspicion falls on Sano’s mother. The shogun gives Sano and Reiko three days to solve the mystery and clear her name or Sano and Reiko’s families will all suffer the ultimate punishment.

11. “The novel displays Rowland’s gifts for seamlessly incorporating period detail and historical information into the traditional mystery format.” – David Pitt (Booklist October 1, 2008)