The Ninja’s Daughter: A Hiro Hattori Novel (A Shinobi
Mystery). Susan Spann. Seventh Street
Books. August 2, 2016. 248 pp. ISBN#:
9781633881815.
The
daughter of an actor is found murdered by the side of Kyoto’s Kamo River, and a
man who “thinks” he murdered her comes for assistance to the Portuguese Jesuit
priest, Father Mateo, and his secret body guard, the master ninja Hiro Hattori.
Hiro and Father Mateo are at odds initially as the latter believes there’s a
mystery here to be solved and Hiro believes this is a messy business they
should avoid.
The
latest Shogun has died and various groups are vying for this position, indeed
getting ready to go to war with each other to win the coveted position that
carries so much power, riches and fame with it.
Father
Mateo and Hiro discover that the local magistrates won’t investigate this
murder because the dead girl was the daughter of an actor, a profession
considered shameful in 16th century Japan. Father Mateo, however, values every life and
insists on investigating this murder, helping the family of the murdered girl,
and defying the warning that they would be arrested if they interfered with any
investigation.
The
intriguing parts of this mystery involve a golden coin found attached to the
string that caused the death of Emi, a silent lover Jiro who was with Emi the
night before she died but remembers nothing else, a family whose males acted in
Noh dramas, a sister who knew of Emi’s plans and secret meetings with men at
night, and parents who allowed Emi to act in unseemly ways because they
couldn’t control her fierce passions about her future life.
Besides
being a good mystery, this novel is also intriguing in its presentation of the
Noh actors’ culture, the set standards of communicating with men and women of
different social classes, and the levels of integrity and abuse of the local
clans ruling the area with its codes of behavior for different members in the
samurai hierarchy.
Wonderful
historical mystery, Susan Spann! Highly recommended reading!
Thank you so much! I'm thrilled and delighted that you enjoyed the book! (It's a gift that you chose to spend the time to read it, and I appreciate that, as well as the review!)
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