The Dragon King's Palace / Laura Joh Rowland Eighth in Laura Joh Rowland's Sano Ichiro series, The Dragon King's Palace is perfect for the mystery fan with a taste for the exotic. At its heart, the series is a police procedural, but Rowland sets her books in 17th century Japan. The detective of the series is Sano Ichiro, a samurai in the service of Edo's shogun.
Early in the series, Ichiro marries Lady Reiko, a whip-smart and resourceful woman with some keen detecting skills of her own. The first book in the series is Shinju, but I don't think it's necessary to read this series in order to be able to follow the plots.
The Dragon King's Palace focuses on Lady Reiko and the dynamics of the women associated with the shogun's palace. While travelling to Mount Fuji with the shogun's mother, her immensely pregnant friend, Midori, and the chamberlain's mentally unstable wife, Reiko is abducted by a small army of unknown assailants and spirited off to a decrepit palace on an island. Reiko employs all of her detecting knowledge, her quick wits and her physical strength trying to plan an escape.
Meanwhile, her husband Ichiro is forced to cooperate with his enemies in his attempt to rescue the women. He must deal with palace politics, deceit and disobedience within the ranks of his own men. The author throws in plenty of period detail and delves into the complicated politics of 17th century Japan. The book combines suspense, a plot that moves and a sense of the sweetness of the relationship between Ichiro and Reiko in a very satisfying way.
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