Moderately interesting mystery, with new "players" being introduced throughout. Melville, an English cultural diplomat, displays his affection for traditional Japanese ceremonies and customs. Inspector Tetsuo Otani is a middle-aged police inspector, who takes an interest in a murder that occurs on the grounds of a Zen Buddhist temple that caters to foreign students. We see Otani interacting with his subordinates as well as peers from other agencies. Scenes with his wife are endearing. Several of the characters are somewhat developed, although none are particularly strong. The style is competent, neither distracting nor enhancing the reader's pleasure. ( )

This book seems to hover somewhat between detective fiction and crime thriller. Central to the book (though not so much to the plot) is the presentation to a Western readership of Japanese cultural expectations, and in particular Japanese reaction to Western culture. This is focused mainly in the endearing character of Superintendent Otani, a middle-aged Japanese policeman trying to reconcile open-mindedness with old-fashioned prejudices. But the technique is often a bit clunky, and the gratuitous combination of lesbian sex in a Zen temple is perhaps a little over the top. MB 8-v-07 ( )