Author of the Hiro Hattori (Shinobi) mysteries
Books have played an important role in Japanese culture for centuries, which is one of the major reasons I decided to set the newest Hiro Hattori mystery, FIRES OF EDO, in the world of books, and the people who make and sell them.
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Today is Release Day for my newest Hiro Hattori novel, Fires of Edo! You can find it anywhere books are sold!
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Edo, February 1566: When a samurai’s corpse is discovered in the ruins of a burned-out bookshop, master ninja Hiro Hattori and Jesuit Father Mateo must determine whether the shopkeeper and his young apprentice are innocent victims or assassins in disguise. The investigation quickly reveals dangerous ties to Hiro’s past, which threaten not only Edo’s fledgling booksellers’ guild, but the very survival of Hiro’s ninja clan. With an arsonist on the loose, and a murderer stalking the narrow streets, Hiro and Father Mateo must save the guild—and themselves—from a conflagration that could destroy them all.
Read moreToday marks the release date for the seventh Hiro Hattory mystery – with my favorite cover to date. This time, Hiro and Father Mateo find themselves facing their strangest killer yet . . . When a vengeful spirit terrorizes a mountain village, Hiro and Father Mateo must save the villagers from the phantom’s wrath. January 1566: En route to Edo, Master ninja Hiro Hattori and Portuguese Jesuit Father Mateo spend the night in a rural mountain village whose inhabitants live in terror of a legendary vengeful ghost. When the innkeeper’s wife is murdered and Father Mateo’s housekeeper, Ana, is blamed
Read moreTomorrow morning (July 3 in Japan, though it’s only dawning July 2 in the U.S. now) I’m traveling to Koyasan (Mount Koya), in Wakayama Prefecture — one of Japan’s most sacred peaks and the setting for my newest Hiro Hattori mystery, Trial on Mount Koya, which releases July 3. As part of my ongoing project to climb 100 of Japan’s most famous peaks in a single year, I’ll be climbing and hiking on and around Mount Koya on July 3 and 4, to celebrate the release of this new novel.
Read moreOK, it’s actually the release day for my newest Hiro Hattori novel, BETRAYAL AT IGA – but since Hiro is a ninja (who solves mysteries along with his partner-in-crime-solving, Father Mateo) I think it’s fair to declare today Official Ninja Day too!
Read moreCurious about ninjas–either the real, historical ones or the fictional ones that appear in my Hiro Hattori mystery novels? I recently had the opportunity to talk about ninjas, fiction, and my upcoming mystery, BETRAYAL AT IGA, with one of my favorite podcasts: Beyond the Trope. Check out the podcast here, and when you finish take a look at the archives for more fantastic podcast content!
Read moreThe blog was more silent than usual last week; I was finishing up a project and out of town for the Left Coast Crime conference – a fantastic West Coast mystery convention, organized by volunteers, that takes place in a different location every year. This year’s conference, “Honolulu Havoc” — took place at the Hilton Hawaiian Village Resort in Waikiki (O’ahu, Hawaii) Later that morning, I spoke on the Historical Mystery panel with Rebecca Cantrell, Ovidia Yu, Ann Parker, and fantastic moderator Noel Hynd: Later in the weekend, I moderated a panel on Religion in Crime Fiction, attended even more
Read moreIt’s finally here! I’m proud to announce that THE NINJA’S DAUGHTER, the fourth Hiro Hattori Novel (Shinobi Mystery) releases today from Seventh Street Books!
Read moreSince it’s Friday, I’m sharing some excellent news:
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