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The Convict's Sword: A Mystery of Eleventh-Century Japan
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The Convict's Sword: A Mystery of Eleventh-Century Japan Paperback - 2009

by I. J. Parker

The latest in the "terrifically imaginative" (The Wall Street Journal)Akitada mystery series brings eleventh-century Japan to life

I. J. Parker's phenomenal Akitada mystery series has beengaining fans with each new novel. The latest, The Convict's Sword,is the most fully realized installment to date, weaving history, drama,mystery, romance, and adventure into a story of passion and redemption.Lord Sugawara Akitada, the senior secretary in the Ministry ofJustice, must find the mysterious killer of a man condemned to live inexile for a crime he did not commit. Meanwhile, Akitada's retainer,Tora, investigates the sudden death of a blind street singer, whosepast life is a bigger mystery than anyone thought. Told in Parker'sclever, vivid prose, The Convict's Sword is a must-read for those wholove well-written mysteries in an exotic setting.


Summary

The latest in the "terrifically imaginative" (The Wall Street Journal) Akitada mystery series brings eleventh-century Japan to life

I. J. Parker's phenomenal Akitada mystery series has been gaining fans with each new novel. The latest, The Convict's Sword, is the most fully realized installment to date, weaving history, drama, mystery, romance, and adventure into a story of passion and redemption. Lord Sugawara Akitada, the senior secretary in the Ministry of Justice, must find the mysterious killer of a man condemned to live in exile for a crime he did not commit. Meanwhile, Akitada's retainer, Tora, investigates the sudden death of a blind street singer, whose past life is a bigger mystery than anyone thought. Told in Parker's clever, vivid prose, The Convict's Sword is a must-read for those who love well-written mysteries in an exotic setting.

From the publisher

The latest in the "terrifically imaginative" (The Wall Street Journal) Akitada mystery series brings eleventh-century Japan to life I. J. Parker's phenomenal Akitada mystery series has been gaining fans with each new novel. The latest, The Convict's Sword, is the most fully realized installment to date, weaving history, drama, mystery, romance, and adventure into a story of passion and redemption. Lord Sugawara Akitada, the senior secretary in the Ministry of Justice, must find the mysterious killer of a man condemned to live in exile for a crime he did not commit. Meanwhile, Akitada's retainer, Tora, investigates the sudden death of a blind street singer, whose past life is a bigger mystery than anyone thought. Told in Parker's clever, vivid prose, The Convict's Sword is a must-read for those who love well-written mysteries in an exotic setting.

First line

The fifteenth day of the Fifth Month was the day Tomoe died.

Details

  • Title The Convict's Sword: A Mystery of Eleventh-Century Japan
  • Author I. J. Parker
  • Binding Paperback
  • Edition Paperback Origin
  • Pages 432
  • Volumes 1
  • Language ENG
  • Publisher Penguin Books, New York
  • Date 2009-07-28
  • Illustrated Yes
  • Features Illustrated, Maps, Price on Product - Canadian
  • ISBN 9780143115793 / 0143115790
  • Weight 0.64 lbs (0.29 kg)
  • Dimensions 7.76 x 5.06 x 0.74 in (19.71 x 12.85 x 1.88 cm)
  • Ages 18 to UP years
  • Grade levels 13 - UP
  • Themes
    • Chronological Period: Medieval (500-1453) Studies
    • Cultural Region: Asian - Japanese
  • Library of Congress subjects Mystery fiction, Historical fiction
  • Library of Congress Catalog Number 2008043475
  • Dewey Decimal Code FIC

Media reviews

Publisher's Weekly
"In Parker's compelling fifth mystery set in feudal Japan (after 2007's Islandof Exiles), Sugawara Akitada, now a senior secretary in the ministry of justice,suffers guilt over his failure to fulfill his promise to Haseo, a recently deceasedconvict who saved his life in an earlier book, to exonerate him. As Akitada makes somesmall progress toward finding the truth about the five-year-old murders Haseo was blamedfor, he must also clear his own retainer, Tora, of the murder of a blind street singer. His inquiries on both fronts come at a time of increasing tension with his wife, Tamako, and asan outbreak of smallpox disrupts the captial city, Heian-Kyo. A capricious and unreliableboss, Soga, adds to his woes. Besides smoothly mixing action with deduction, Parker gives herprotagonist an emotional depth that raies her to the front rank of contemporary historical writers,including Laura Joh Rowland, the author of a similar series set in 17th-century Japan (The Fire Kimono, etc.).

Kirkus
An 11th-century Japanese sleuth solves two killings that strike uncomfortably close to home.

The brutal murder of Tomoe, a blind street singer, offers a stark contrast to the beautiful morning thatgreets Lord Sugawara Akitada and his beloved wife Tamako. Akitada, who serves as Senior Secretaryin the Ministry of Justice, has recently been testy and restless at work. The solution, he realizes, is tofulfill a past promise to ferret out the killer of his friend Haseo, even though this could imperilhis position in the royal court. The only clue in the murder of Haseo, a former convict unjustlycondemned, is the weapon: a sword. Tomoe's killing presents a more pressing mystery. The prime suspectis Tora, one of Akitada's three lieutenants, reportedly apprehended near the body with knife in hand. Amazingly, Tora's elder cohort Seimei theorizes that the hotheaded young man might indeed be guilty. Akitada uneasilypresses for Tora's release so that he can help find the killer. The case only grows more complex when it'sdiscovered that Tomoe may have been a prostitute. A rift in Akitada's marriage and a health scare for Seimeiprovide further complications. At length, despite a scarcity of clues, the investigation comes full circle,leading to the solution of Haseo's murder as well.

The elegance and deliberate pace of Akitada's sixth case (Island of Exiles, etc.) are appropriate to thehero's character and satisfying on their own. Abundant historical detail adds interest to the pro forma mystery.

The Daily Beat
Skipping ahead to 11th-century Japan, there's the brutality-beneath-the-silk of The Convict's Sword, I.J. Parker'ssixth installment in her Sugawara Akida mystery series. The scenario is lush and the plot fast-paced; Parker has a truly conflicted hero in her lead detective, who must unravel the enigma behind a promise he made years ago to a dying friend.This historical reads like a modern thriller, due in great part to Parker's keep wit and ability to immerse us in the dazzlingly unfamiliar.
--Christopher Gortner

Citations

  • Booklist, 07/01/2009, Page 36
  • Kirkus Reviews, 07/01/2009, Page 0
  • Publishers Weekly, 06/15/2009, Page 36

About the author

I. J. Parker, winner of the Shamus Award for "Akitada's First Case," a short story published in 1999, lives in Virginia Beach, Virginia. She writes regularly for Alfred Hitchcock's Mystery Magazine.
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