THE JAPAN TIMES reviews THE CONVICT'S SWORD

[I. J. Parker]

I've always been very grateful to the book reviewer of the JAPAN TIMES, Mark Schreiber, because he has faithfully covered the release of each of my novels. This time he has truly outdone himself:



Sunday, June 21, 2009


Eleventh-century lord cracks Kyoto crimes in the worst of times


By MARK SCHREIBER
THE CONVICT'S SWORD by I.J. Parker. New York: Penguin, 2009, 421 pp., $15 (paper)
In Shamus Award-winning mystery author's I.J. Parker's previous work, "Island of Exiles," Heian Period (794-1185) official Sugawara Akitada embarked on a harrowing undercover investigation of a suspicious death on Sado Island. Assuming the guise of a convict, the scholarly Akitada soon found himself in dire straits, and was rescued from almost certain death by a fellow convict named Haseo, who was fatally injured without ever revealing his full name or family background.

Now back in Kyoto, Akitada has settled down to a mundane life as a bureaucrat, in an office with an overbearing superior and scheming subordinate. Things might have muddled along indefinitely if not for two key developments: Akitada's trusted lieutenant, Tora, is detained on suspicion of murdering a blind female street singer; and Kyoto is fast emptying out, as anyone with the means to leave is fleeing a devastating smallpox epidemic. This gives the story a noir quality reminiscent of Robert van Gulik's 1965 Judge Dee mystery "The Willow Pattern," set in Tang Dynasty China's capital during an epidemic.

Between these predicaments and a serious spat with his wife, Akitada tenaciously tries to piece together information about the man who died while saving his life in Sado. Starting from nothing but the deceased's first name, Akitada badgers officials and pores over old records to reconstruct Haseo's identity (a man of noble breeding) and the circumstances of his exile to Sado (for allegedly murdering his parents).

Akitada dodges the slings and arrows of struggling to salvage his career, springs his assistant from jail, meets the demands of his family, apprehends violent criminals and somehow fulfills his obligation to the man who saved his life. Meanwhile, Kyotoites are dropping like flies from smallpox, with law and order threatening to break down. He survives some vicious assaults and meets with heart-rending personal tragedy; yet Parker does a masterful job of conveying human drama without resorting to melodrama.

Along with a lineup of exotic new characters, the regulars from Parker's previous works — Akitada's wife Midori, his family's elderly retainer Seimei, his gallant sidekicks Tora and Genba, and Kyoto police superintendent Kobe — make reappearances. This cozy continuity is reason enough to recommend the previous works in the Akitada saga, but "The Convict's Sword" can be fully enjoyed on its own. More than just a mystery novel, this is a superb piece of literature set against the backdrop of 11th-century Kyoto.

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The Japan Times
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[I. J. Parker]

Thanks, Jack. Seriously, that will never happen. Not enough people are interested in mysteries set in 11th centutry Japan. I'm reminded the the superb Robert Van Gulik novels set in Tang China never made much of an impression on the general reading public. I'm just one of those people who look for far-out and foreign subjects. There aren't many of us.

[Jack Getze]

Good luck, IJ.

[I. J. Parker]

If any of them ever are, this one is the one that should do it. It's a much better novel than the others.

[B.R.Stateham]

See. . . maybe this will be the 'breakout' novel in the series I suggested earlier.

[I. J. Parker]

Thanks, Pepper. I love reviews. It's probbly the only thing I love about this business with the exception of the actual writing.

[Pepper Smith]

LOL! Very, very nice! Let us know when you get tired of hearing such great things about your books (like that would ever happen!) Congratulations once again!