June, 1565: Master ninja Hiro Hattori receives a pre-dawn visit from Kazu, a fellow shinobi working undercover at the shogunate. Hours before, the Shogun’s cousin, Saburo, was stabbed to death in the Shogun’s palace. The murder weapon: Kazu’s personal dagger. Kazu says he’s innocent, and begs for Hiro’s help, but his story gives Hiro reason to doubt the young shinobi’s claims.
When the Shogun summons Hiro and Father Mateo, the Jesuit priest under Hiro’s protection, to find the killer, Hiro finds himself forced to choose between friendship and personal honor.
The investigation reveals a plot to assassinate the Shogun and overthrow the ruling Ashikaga clan. With Lord Oda’s enemy forces approaching Kyoto, and the murderer poised to strike again, Hiro must use his assassin’s skills to reveal the killer’s identity and protect the Shogun at any cost. Kazu, now trapped in the city, still refuses to explain his whereabouts at the time of the murder. But a suspicious shogunate maid, Saburo’s wife, and the Shogun’s stable master also had reasons to want Saburo dead. With the Shogun demanding the murderer’s head before Lord Oda reaches the city, Hiro and Father Mateo must produce the killer in time … or die in his place.
Blade of the Samurai is a complex mystery that will transport readers to a thrilling and unforgettable adventure in 16th century Japan.
Book One of the Shinobi Mysteries series, Claws of the Cat, was released in 2013.
Praise for Blade of the Samuri:
“The second Hiro Hattori mystery (after 2013’s Claws of the Cat) finds the sixteenth-century ninja—and unofficial investigator—presented with an interesting problem…A strong second entry in a very promising series.”—Booklist
“Hiro and Father Mateo’s second adventure (Claws of the Cat, 2013) combines enlightenment on 16th-century Japanese life with a sharp and well-integrated mystery.”—Kirkus Reveiws
Please welcome Susan Spann to Teddyrose Book Reviews:
How to Hunt a Shogun
How do you stop a plot to kill a man who’s been dead for five hundred years?
In my case, it required a map, a tour guide, and a ninja.
My new Shinobi Mystery, Blade of the Samurai (Minotaur Books, 2014), involves a plot to assassinate the 13th Ashikaga Shogun, who was Japan’s military leader from 1546 to 1565. When the shogun’s cousin is stabbed to death inside the shogun’s palace, master ninja Hiro Hattori (and his Portuguese Jesuit sidekick, Father Mateo) must find the killer and stop the plot – or die.
Writing historical mysteries is a lot like making a feature film. The “sets” and backdrops need to be convincing and period-accurate, but not obtrusive or overwhelming to the story. If the reader needs to spend too much time orienting herself in the world, you’ve lost the game. On the other hand, the details have to be spot-on or readers will call shenanigans and leave the book on the shelf.
Those challenges magnify when the setting is 16th century Japan—an era so rich in culture and detail that it’s easy to make a misstep.
Case in point? Locating the shogun’s palace.
You’d think this would be a simple task. The Ashikaga shoguns lived in elaborate palaces (or “mansions”) in Kyoto—an ancient city which served as the Japanese capital for over a thousand years. The city hasn’t changed that much in centuries, and many medieval mansions remain intact.
The Japanese emperor created the office of “shogun” during the 12th century. Originally a military governor charged with protecting Japan against foreign invasion, the shoguns soon became the de facto rulers of the country. Their palaces rivaled the emperor’s. Their power surpassed his own.
By the 16th century, the Ashikaga family had controlled Japan for over 100 years. Their palaces were landmarks in Kyoto. However, medieval Japanese buildings were often built from wood (with tile roofs) and fires were commonplace in Japan. The shoguns’ palaces burned to the ground on several occasions during the 15th and 16th centuries, making it hard to determine exactly where the shogun lived in June of 1565. In fact, my research revealed two different options … several blocks apart.
The shogun’s palace plays an enormous role in Blade of the Samurai (there’s even a map of the compound in the opening pages of the book) and although most readers would probably forgive me an error of a block or two (assuming they noticed) I felt an obligation to do everything I could to get it right.
Enter the tour guide.
While researching the first Shinobi Mystery, Claws of the Cat, I met a woman named Tomoko, who gives tours of Japanese landmarks through a service called Kyoto Free Guide (http://kyotofreeguide.sakura.ne.jp/index.html). Tomoko helped me with maps of Tofuku-ji (a Kyoto temple) for Claws of the Cat, and was able to track down the proper “version” of the shogun’s palace, and its location, for Blade of the Samurai. She also sent me photographs of 16th century buildings, which I used as models for the houses and a sake brewery in the novels.
I modified the floor plan of the shogun’s palace slightly, for plot purposes, by blending the 16th century version with a 17th century palace called Nijo Castle. Even so, I was glad to have the physical location exactly right.
Most readers will never know that it took me days of work, and outside help, to hunt down a long-dead shogun and try to kill him. But in the end, I believe attention to detail makes a difference—and hopefully, my readers think so, too.
Teddy: Thanks for stopping by Teddyrose Book Reviews today Susan!
About Susan Spann:
Susan Spann acquired her love of books and reading during her preschool days in Santa Monica, California. As a child she read everything from National Geographic to Agatha Christie. In high school, she once turned a short-story assignment into a full-length fantasy novel (which, fortunately, will never see the light of day).
A yearning to experience different cultures sent Susan to Tufts University in Boston, where she immersed herself in the history and culture of China and Japan. After earning an undergraduate degree in Asian Studies, Susan diverted to law school. She returned to California to practice law, where her continuing love of books has led her to specialize in intellectual property, business and publishing contracts.
Susan’s interest in Japanese history, martial arts, and mystery inspired her to write the Shinobi Mystery series featuring Hiro Hattori, a sixteenth-century ninja who brings murderers to justice with the help of Father Mateo, a Portuguese Jesuit priest. When not writing or representing clients, Susan enjoys traditional archery, martial arts, horseback riding, online gaming, and raising seahorses and rare corals in her highly distracting marine aquarium. Susan lives in Sacramento with her husband, son, three cats, one bird, and a multitude of assorted aquatic creatures.
For more information please visit Susan Spann’s website and blog. You can also find her on Facebook and Twitter.
Buy Blade of the Samurai:
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Book Depository
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Follow the Tour:
Monday, July 7
Spotlight & Giveaway at Passages to the Past
Tuesday, July 8
Review at Closed the Cover
Wednesday, July 9
Review at Staircase Wit
Guest Post & Giveaway at So Many Precious Books, So Little Time
Thursday, July 10
Review at Boolover Book Reviews
Monday, July 14
Review at Bibliophilia, Please
Wednesday, July 16
Review at Buried Under Books
Thursday, July 17
Review at Flashlight Commentary (Claws of the Cat)
Spotlight at Reviews by Molly
Friday, July 18
Review at History Undressed
Monday, July 21
Review at Oh, For the Hook of a Book
Tuesday, July 22
Review at Judith Starkston
Interview at Oh, For the Hook of a Book
Wednesday, July 23
Review at The True Book Addict
Thursday, July 24
Interview at Layered Pages
Monday, July 28
Guest Post & Giveaway at Historical Fiction Connection
Tuesday, July 29
Review at Flashlight Commentary
Wednesday, July 30
Review at Princess of Eboli
Thursday, July 31
Review at A Fantastical Librarian
Friday, August 1
Review at Reading the Ages
