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5 of 5 people found the following review helpful:
3.0 out of 5 stars
A good one for the beach., 4 Jan 2003
Massey's stories of Rei Shimura attract legions of devoted fans, and it's easy to see why. Shimura is a charming and spunky young woman of bicultural heritage, an expert in Asian antiques, a fearless investigator of irregularities in the business, and a sexually liberated seeker of the right guy with whom to share her life. Here she is hired to act as a courier taking eight priceless kimono from a museum in Tokyo to a museum in Washington, D.C., where one of them quickly disappears. Soon afterward, Rei's passport turns up on the body of a murder victim. Many cultural differences are highlighted here. Flying with a tour group of Japanese "shopping ladies," who plan to mall-shop for four days, Rei comments on the role of women in Japan and the limitations of their lives and relationships. Her museum lecture on the history of the antique kimono illuminates aspects of the Tokugawa reign and the conflicting roles of wife and lover in that period. When Rei reconnects with her own former lover Hugh Glendinning, for whom she still has feelings, her almost-fiance from Japan appears in D.C. as a surprise--and a significant complication. The intricacies of museum power structures here and in Japan are explained, while her rude treatment by Americans on the plane, at the front desks of hotels, and, especially, by the D.C. police allows her to scrutinize American culture. Unfortunately, Rei's behavior sometimes defies common sense. With business class tickets both for herself and her hand-carried kimono, she agrees to move everything to coach because one rude American wants one seat. She "forgets" a priceless kimono in a restaurant and later leaves it and her passport unsecured in her hotel room. She signs documents she cannot read and gets no instructions from Tokyo when the D.C. museum refuses one kimono. If you are looking for something fun to read at the beach, this is different, and the action at the end is exciting, as long as you are willing to ignore clichés and stereotyped characters and to accept an unusual number of coincidences. Mary Whipple
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3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Another book from Sujata Massey that I couldn't put down!, 22 Oct 2001
Sujata Massey is one of the few authors that I've read everything that she has written. In my opinion her writing just keeps getting better and better. Sujata is a brilliant writer and keeps me entertained and in suspense from the beginning until the end. I enjoyed this book in particular because she sent protagonist, Rei Shimura, back to her home country. Her description of the beautiful kimono just leapt of the page as if they were hanging in my own room. There are wonderful twists and turns. If you've never read a Rei Shimura mystery, now's the time!
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1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
A savory book, meant to be read, 31 Jan 2007
Despite some of the reviews, in my opinion, this book is "two thumbs up". Full of entertainment, not because of the luscious details, but by the way the Japanese culture was intertwined throughout the novel. I was fascinated with the way that Sujata Massey was able to combine a medley of problems and unite them as one. It is difficult to give examples without giving away the ending. Although I must admit, "shigastsuhana" is right; I had a hard time putting the book down. Moreover, the vivid details used to describe the three kimonos that Rei's aunt gives her almost seems to be drawn in front of me. Furthermore, there are moments where Massey throws in some humor, making a smile play on my lips, by her witty use of words. In the couple of days that Rei spends in Washington, she learns that the food is cheap and consists of a robust flavor; while indicating a sense of rudeness that she encounters with the hotel receptionist. Massey has mastery skills when describing emotions, terror rose to my throat when I found out that Rei's kimono was stolen. Massey indulges you into Rei's world, making you feel like you were Rei. Lost in a trance of words, lay your hands on this fine masterpiece, sealed shut with a bit of romance, humor and thirst quenching details.
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