Mystery/Thriller Book Reviews
Page Two of TwoThe Informer by Akimitsu Takagi, Translated by Sadako Mizuguchi
Soho Press, July, 2001.Trade paperback, 257 pages.
ISBN: 1569472432.
Ordering information:
Amazon.com
Originally published in 1965, The Informer provides
another fascinating glimpse into post-World War II Japanese
culture by Japan's premier mystery writer, Akimitsu Takagi.
Translated into English by Sadako Mizuguchi, the
book tells the story of a young stock broker named
Shigeo Segawa. Shigeo, desperate because of being laid
off after the large stock market crash in the 1960s, takes a
job as an industrial spy. The new job requires Shigeo to
betray his old friend by stealing his secrets and his wife's
affections. When his friend ends up dead, Shigeo
is the prime suspect. As the prosecutor Kirishima
begins to delve doggedly into the case he finds that Shigeo
may not be the only person with a motive for the killing.
The Informer is a part of Soho Press' plan to bring the works of the talented Akimitsu Takagi to the American mystery-loving public. Sadako Mizuguchi does an able job with the translation, which could not have been an easy task. Many of the customs of 1960s Japan would be incomprehensible to American readers in 2001, and Mizuguchi explains much without ever detracting from the narrative. The Tattoo Murder Case and Honeymoon to Nowhere are also excellent translations which should be added to any mystery buff's collection.
--Claire E. White
Slayer of Gods by Lynda S. Robinson
Mysterious Press, June, 2001.Hardcover, 224 pages.
ISBN: 0892967056.
Ordering information:
Amazon.com
In ancient Egypt, Pharaoh Tutankhamun rules over a
wealthy and prosperous kingdom. But his life is
overshadowed with grief over the news that his
beloved stepmother, Queen Nefertiti, did not die
of a plague, but was poisoned. Queen Nefertiti was the
wife of the heretic Pharaoh Akhenaten, who
abandoned the traditional Gods of the Egyptians for the
worship of the Aten, a minor Sun God. After his death,
Tutankhamun reinstated the worship of the Gods and
set about healing the hurts of the prior regime.
Lord Meren, the Pharaoh's
chief investigator has been charged with finding Nefertiti's
murderer. The Pharaoh has assigned him an assistant
for this case: the beautiful and fierce Anath, known
as the Eyes of Babylon. But as Meren and Anath
move closer to finding the killer, the body count rises.
Soon even Meren's beloved children are being threatened
with harm by the killer, unless Meren agrees to give up the
case and lie to his beloved ruler about the identity of the
murderer.
This is the sixth entry in the outstanding historical mystery series by Lynda Robinson. The holder of a Ph.D. in anthropology with a concentration in archeology, Robinson writes of ancient Egypt with authority and style. She blends historical facts with an imaginative storyline to create an absolutely compelling book, full of rich descriptions, fast-paced action and multi-layered characters. Highly recommended.
--Claire E. White
Sticks & Scones by Diane Mott Davidson
Bantam, April, 2001.Hardcover, 301 pages.
ISBN: 0553107240.
Ordering information:
Amazon.com
Caterer and amateur sleuth Goldy Schultz is
thrilled about her first catering job in a month:
to re-create a fabulous Elizabethan feast
in a real castle which was dismantled and shipped
to Aspen Meadows, Colorado piece by piece.
But bad news follows the good:
when her front window is shot out, Goldy, son
Arch and husband Tom are forced to move into the
castle temporarily. Then Goldy learns that her
abusive ex-husband has been released early from
jail, her husband Tom is shot and a body is found
on the castle grounds. While Tom is
recovering, Goldy must find a murderer,
avoid her ex-husband, fix a delicious feast and
keep an eye out for the castle ghost.
The castle setting for Sticks and Scones provides a great background for Goldy's latest adventure. With a creepy atmosphere, a rather strange host (he pictures himself quite the country squire) and hostess (she's Swedish and cleans obsessively) the return of one of the series' best characters, vegetarian assistant chef Julian Teller, and some of the best recipes yet, this is one of Goldy's most entertaining adventures to date.
--Claire E. White
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