Search - The Concubine's Tattoo (Sano Ichiro, Bk 4)

I thought this book was somewhat captivating. There was definitely a mystery of "who done it" that left you guessing right up 'til the end. I appreciated the power that the author gave to Sano's wife. There any many sexually charged relationships in this book, some not for the closed minded. Over all, I couldn't put the book down and found that I truly enjoyed Sano, his wife and many of the characters in this book. I am anxious to read the other books in the series.

This is Rowland's 4th book published in 1998.

I prefer these earlier books - Shinju (1994); Bundori (1996); The Way of the Traitor(1997); The Concubine's Tattoo(1998), The Samarai's Wife(2000). Like all series - they become predictable after awhile. I tend to prefer an unmarried Sano. They feel more western and less eastern after Sano marries.

The author maintains a personable website. At this time, she has some of her photos from her recent trip to China. http://www.laurajohrowland.com/books.html The Internet has made learning about authors a piece of cake.

A story set in seventeenth-century Japan - full of lovers, rivals, schemers, political intrigue and surprises.