Red Chrysanthemum

Name: Red Chrysanthemum
Rating: 3.95 (1116 reviews)

by Laura Joh Rowland

Book 11 in the Sano Ichiro Novels series.

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Edo, July 1698. Lord Mori is found murdered and mutilated in his bed, with the pregnant Reiko lying beside him and a blood-soaked chrysanthemum at the scene. She claims she entered the estate to investigate allegations that Mori abused and killed boys, but physical evidence appears to contradict her account.

Witnesses offer incompatible versions of the night, and Mori is made to accuse Sano through a spiritual medium. Unless Sano can establish what happened, Reiko, their unborn child and Sano himself face execution for treason. The case turns on memory, staged evidence and the political value of a story repeated with sufficient authority.