This fourth in the series of Mr. Moto books is decidedly more political than the earlier three. And, in fact, that is the real reason to read these books today. They provide historical insight into the views and fears of people across the world on the cusp of war. That war would come. But in Mr. Moto Is So Sorry, the aim is to avert it. All forces arrayed in China appear: the Russians, the two rival factions of the Japanese--the army war party and those not eager to fight-- the Mongols, war lords, the opportunists, the soldiers of fortune, and the unaware Americans caught between them all.

Another turn in the series takes place with the characterization of Mr. Moto. In the first book, Moto was deadly, although polite. During books two and three, he became decidedly more likable. Seemingly aware that he was in danger of turning Moto into another Asian version of the genial Charlie Chan, Marquand, therefore took Moto back to his roots. Mr. Moto Is So Sorry has the Japanese agent more duplicitous and conniving than ever. He is also much more deadly, atlhough he has graduated from the rough stuff. He no long has blood directly on his hands. He maneuvers his victims into place as if they are rats being run through a maze.

Finally, once again, Marquand expresses sympathy for Japan in China, referring to its "Manifest Destiny" to control the large Asian land mass lest it turn upon Japan. Once again, the plot devices are the same as anyone reading the first three Moto books would expect: a young naive American unexpectedly gets himself into trouble because he falls for a beautiful woman and feels he has to do the right thing.

I really think that if these central characters would just listen to Mr. Moto in the first place when he tells them to stay out of things and the situation will resolve itself, then they would all get back home safe and sound all that much earlier. But the reader would miss out on the exotic locales Marquand brings to the page, as he does in this book, with the action moving through Korea to Manchuria and into the wilds of Outer Mongolia. It all makes this a wonderful part of the Moto series. A quick read that takes you right back to the late 1930s and the international intrigue rampant in Asia during the era. ( )

This book follows the Mr. Moto formula for the most part, a brash callow young man and a strong-minded independent young woman, whom the young man thinks needs his protection, never mind that he's much more of an idiot than she is, find themselves inadvertently enmeshed in the middle of international intrigue in an Asian country, this time Mongolia. Mr. Moto, the Japanese secret agent, is pulling the strings in the background so that all will end up very, very nicely. The time is a few years before WWII, and the Japanese and Russians are vying to control northern China. The gateway between Russia and northern China is through Mongolia, and so both the Japanese and Russians are scheming to subvert a Mongolian prince into joining their side. Essentially, the issue is which of the two countries gets to have their armed forces "cooperate" with the prince in the defense of his own little bit of Mongolia.

This is a pretty good tale, and differs a bit from some of the previous Mr. Moto books in that Moto himself is a bit more prominent in the overall plot. In the first Mr. Moto book, he was barely present at all. As things have progressed through subsequent volumes, it seems that Mr. Moto becomes more central to the basic action and we get to know him a bit better each time. So there are two more Mr. Moto books, and there's zero chance I won't have read them by the time the New Year rolls around. ( )