In The Fire Kimono, Laura Joh Rowland continues her Sano Ichiro series. A long lost cousin of the shogun's is found dead, and Sano is called in to investigate. It turns out his mother was involved with the disappearance of this cousin, during the great fire which consumed the city at that time. Of course, if he can't prove his mother's innocence, Sano and all of his family will be put to death! Another fun entry with details on daily life and customs in ancient Japan.

Tess Monaghan, a former Baltimore Star reporter, is unemployed now that the newspaper has closed. When her rowing buddy, Rock, becomes the primary suspect in the murder of a local attorney, she agrees to investigate. Baltimore very much comes alive and the character of Tess Monaghan is likable and interesting. Baltimore Blues is the first novel in the Tess Monaghan series and well worth reading. Laura Lippman has won numerous awards for her work, such as the Edgar, Agatha, and Nero Wolfe awards.

I had written earlier about Laura Joh Rowland’s Sano Ichiro series, set in ancient Japan, featuring a samurai detective. The Snow Empress is next in the series, and in it Sano travels to the Ezogashima area in search of his missing son. It’s great to read about the native tribes that live in the area, and to enjoy the mystical touches Rowland puts in this novel.