The Reluctant Ronin
New York: Charles Scribener's Sons, 1988. 1st Edition. Soft cover. 12mo - over 6¾" - 7¾" tall. Near Fine. Item #007885
Uncorrected advanced proof. Orig. red card wraps. 206 pp. Wraps have a few white stains. Spine faded, a few creases to corners. James Melville is renowned for his Superintendent Otani mysteries set in Japan. Melville captures Japan "with the Oriental precision of an expert calligrapher." The Reluctant Ronin, the ninth book in the series, is Melville at his best. A beautiful Dutch woman's body is found in a burned-out warehouse. In her pocket is a picture of Otani and his family. This startling twist to the case becomes more meaningful and more ominous when Otani's wife confesses she once saw the Dutch woman kissing the Otani's son-in-law. With fine writing, memorable characters, and stunning scenes of life in Japan, this is superior mystery fiction in the tradition of such international masters as Georges Simenon and Arthur Upfield.
Price: $30.00