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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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
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I’m proud and delighted to announce that my publisher, Seventh Street Books, is releasing paperback editions of the first three novels in the Hiro Hattori series: Claws of the Cat, Blade of the Samurai, and Flask of the Drunken Master. Claws re-releases next month, on April 23, but the paperback is already available for pre-order at your local independent bookstore (like Northern California’s FACE IN A BOOK) or at online retailers like Indiebound, Barnes & Noble, and Amazon.com. Hiro and Father Mateo’s first adventure sends them deep into the floating world of the entertainers who would, in the century that followed,
Read moreToday is release day for the newest Hiro Hattori mystery, TRIAL ON MOUNT KOYA! Every book I write becomes my new favorite, and this one is no exception. I consider KOYA my dual love letter to Agatha Christie’s AND THEN THERE WERE NONE (one of my favorite books, growing up) and one of Japan’s most sacred peaks.
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 moreResearch for my upcoming Hiro Hattori novels allows me to travel widely in Japan, and whenever possible I try to stay in traditional Japanese inns (ryokan) and guesthouses (minshuku). People often ask about the difference between ryokan and a minshuku — and although accommodations vary, minshuku are generally more like a family-run bed and breakfast than a full-service inn. For example, guests at a minshuku typically make their own beds, and the bathrooms are often located down the hall (as opposed to having private ones en suite). Minshuku are often (though not always) less expensive, too, though depending on the area and the inn in question, the experience can vary widely. Last autumn, I
Read moreTODAY – FRIDAY, AUGUST 26 (6:30pm): EL DORADO HILLS (SACRAMENTO) CALIFORNIA If you’re in the Sacramento area, I hope you’ll join me tonight (Friday, August 26) at 6:30pm at Face in a Book in El Dorado Hills (4359 Town Center Boulevard: more information here!) for a reading and signing of my newest Hiro Hattori mystery, The Ninja’s Daughter! I’m bringing some special Japanese treats to share, and a katana for a special weapons demonstration. I hope to see you there! TOMORROW – SATURDAY, AUGUST 27 (12pm): SEATTLE, WASHINGTON On Saturday at 12pm, I’ll be at Seattle Mystery Bookshop (117 Cherry Street, Seattle-more information here!) for a
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 moreI’m thrilled and delighted to reveal the cover (and title) of my upcoming Hiro Hattori Novel, which releases August 2 from Seventh Street Books! With no further ado, I proudly present: THE NINJA’S DAUGHTER I’m thrilled with the way my new publisher, Seventh Street Books, captured the theme and atmosphere of this newest novel–this is my favorite cover yet (and my favorite story, too). We’re changing the series title from the “Shinobi Mysteries” to the “Hiro Hattori Novels”–but don’t worry, Father Mateo is just as much Hiro’s partner in crime (solving) as he ever was, and all of the other familiar faces–Ana, Luis, Ginjiro,
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