MYSTERY

Flask of the Drunken Master: A Shinobi Mystery

by Susan Spann
Minotaur: St. Martin's. Jul. 2015. 304p. ISBN 9781250027061. $26.99; ebk. ISBN 9781250027078. M
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Hiro Hattori is a shinobi assassin (ninja) who masquerades as an interpreter for a Jesuit priest, Father Mateo Avila de Santos, who is from Portugal. One morning in Kyoto, the two men come upon Ginjiro, a sake brewer, as he is arrested for killing another brewer, Chikao. Hiro and Father Mateo only want to see justice served and begin an investigation of the murder. It is 1565, and the shogunate is under siege from the daimyo, feudal lords. The samurai are trying to figure out which leader they should back and tempers are volatile at best.
VERDICT Spann's third historical set in 16th-century Japan (after Blade of the Samurai) offers an accessible entry into the country's fascinating history and culture. Now that Laura Joh Rowland has finished the "Sano Ichiro" series, Spann's mysteries, as well as the excellent historicals of Dale Furutani and I.J. Parker, will fill the gap. An added draw are Hiro and Father Mateo, who make a remarkable crime-solving team.
Reviewed by Viccy Kemp , Jul 01, 2015
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