Author: Naomi Hirahara
Publication Date: 2 March 2010
Publisher: Minotaur Books
Edgar-winner Hirahara once again provides a sensitive insiders view of the Japanese-American subculture in her fourth Mas Arai mystery (after 2006s Snakeskin Shamisen), though series fans may find this entry less strong than some. When Mas, a Los Angeles gardener who as a boy survived the atom bomb attack on Hiroshima, accidentally drops the gold ring hes supposed to hand to his closest friend, Haruo Mukai, into a fish pond, this is just one of many little disasters plaguing the wedding rehearsal in which Mas is the best man. Haruos elderly bride, Sumako Hayakawa, later calls the nuptials off, accusing Haruo of stealing two hina dolls used in purification ceremonies belonging to her family. Mass inquiry into the theft leads him to drug runners and several murders. The authors simple, expressive prose and her gift for creating memorable characters, notably her unusual detective, elevate this above most other contemporary puzzlers.
