Mystery/Thriller Book Reviews
Page Three of ThreeThe Floating Girl by Sujata Massey
HarperCollins, April 2000.Hardcover, 320 pages.
ISBN: 0060192291.
Ordering information:
Amazon.com.
Japanese-American antiques dealer Rei Shimura
sometimes supplements her income by writing
antiques articles for the Gaijin Times, an English language
newspaper aimed at Americans and English living in
Japan. When new management takes over the paper,
Rei is assigned a piece on the growing cult of manga in
Japan: specifically on the written form of anime -- the
vividly illustrated comic books which are a national
obsession. Rei attempts to find a brilliant young manga
artist to interview him for her magazine article, but he
is singularly elusive. When one of the young artists she
interviews ends up dead, Rei realizes that something very
odd is going on in the manga world. Determined to find out
what is happening and to make good on her assignment,
Rei is drawn further into the world of comics. Soon she's
meeting rabid fans who walk the city
streets dressed as their favorite characters, the owner of
a popular ladies' club and even a powerful yakuza (think
Japanese Mafia) who seems to be keeping a watchful
eye on Rei's activities.
From the hilarious opening scene to the exciting denouement, The Floating Girl hums along with energy and crisp, crackling prose. Sujata Massey's books have taken us into the Japanese worlds of antique dealing ( Zen Attitude), Flower Arranging ( The Flower Master) and now into the world of comic books. Rei Shimura is never totally at home, either in San Francisco or in Japan, and her outlook on the Japanese culture is a unique and fascinating one. The prejudices against gaijin (foreigners) are illustrated with insight and gentle humor; Rei is determined to fit into her adoptive home, whether the locals want her to or not. This is a sexy, intriguing and immensely entertaining novel in a series that seems to get better with each new entry. Highly recommended.
--Claire E. White
Worst Fears Realized by Stuart Woods
HarperCollins, April 2000.Paperback, 406 pages.
ISBN: 0061013420.
Ordering information:
Amazon.com.
In his former career as a cop, lawyer Stone Barrington
made lots of enemies. Now it appears that someone that
he and ex-partner, Dino Bacchetti (now head
of detectives in the 19th precinct) sent to jail for murder is
systematically killing off Stone's and Dino's closest
friends and family members. While trying to track down the
killer, Stone's love life is heating up as well. Painter Sarah
Buckminster makes such an impression on Barrington that
he starts having domestic thoughts, and even buys a house
in upstate New York. But Stone's former love, Arrington,
now Mrs. Vance Calder, is never far away, nor is a beautiful
Mafia princess who seems intent on bagging Stone as one
of her legendary trophies.
A new Stone Barrington novel is always cause for rejoicing. Sort of a cross between James Bond and The Equalizer, with a touch of The Saint thrown in, Stone Barrington is one of the most entertaining series characters in print today. The books are written in a wry, tongue-in-cheek style with lots of heart pounding action and panache. A new contract with Putnam has Woods committed to two more Stone Barrington novels in the next 12 months -- and that's nothing but good news for his fans.
--Claire E. White
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