Bridge of Darkness: The Return of the Master Assassin [Hardcover]

Shotaro Ikenami (Author), Gavin Frew (Translator)

Editorial Reviews

Language Notes

Text: English (translation)
Original Language: Japanese

Product Details

• Hardcover: 192 pages
• Publisher: Kodansha Amer Inc; 1st edition (June 1993)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 4770017286
• ISBN-13: 978-4770017284
• Product Dimensions: 8.4 x 5.9 x 0.9 inches
• Shipping Weight: 15.2 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (2 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,336,358 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars The assassin you will like to love., November 8, 2000

By 

Surendra Pratap Singh (New Delhi, India) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Bridge of Darkness: The Return of the Master Assassin (Hardcover)

The Bridge of Darkness (The return of the master Assassin) by Shotaro Ikenami is a collection of four thrilling tales of murder and intrigue, set during the early seventeenth century Japan. The backdrop of the stories is the contemporary Japanese society, which was ruthlessly ruled by the Shogun, which in modern terms means a Dictator. Dr. Fujieda Baian is an accomplished acupuncuturist and is equally adept in the art of assassination. However, he is an assassin with conscience. He uses his needles to save the lives of the innocent and seal the fate of the guilty. He is assisted by his trusted lieutenant, Hikojiro, a toothpicks maker, who sometimes reminds you of Sherlock Holmes and his close friend Dr. Watson, albeit in a different way.

Each of the four stories in the book is a masterpiece in its own right and a gem in this particular genre of story telling. Although, Dr. Baian commits one murder after another, your fondness for him gradually grows as you go along. He is an assassin with whom you cannot avoid falling in love and who you will surely miss after finishing the stories. I am eagerly looking forward to reading Shotaro Ikenami's other book, a novel, namely, The Master Assassin (Tales of Murder from the Shogun's City). Unfortunately, the book is presently not available in India and I intend to procure it through the Amazon.com.

5.0 out of 5 stars Buy this BOOK!, April 22, 2006

By 

Miran Ali "I don't like anonymous reviewers" (Dhaka, Bangladesh) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Bridge of Darkness: The Return of the Master Assassin (Hardcover)

I bought this from the discount rack at Swindon Bookstore in Hong Kong. They were probably going to dump it!!

Amazing tales from the Edo period. Get yourself some grilled eel and a plate of sushi and sashimi and enjoy yourself. That's what I did.