The Samurai’s Wife

by Laura Joh Rowland

Book 5 in the Sano Ichiro Novels series.

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Sano Ichiro and Reiko travel from Edo to Kyoto after a senior court official dies from what witnesses describe as a lethal kiai, a warrior’s concentrated shout. The imperial palace is divided by spies, aristocratic rivalries and resentment of Tokugawa authority, making every possible explanation politically dangerous.

Reiko’s access to women and private households uncovers evidence unavailable to Sano, but their separate inquiries expose them to manipulation by competing factions. The murder threatens more than one courtier: if its purpose is misjudged, conflict between the imperial establishment and the shogunate could spread beyond Kyoto.