Customer Reviews

Rashomon Gate

5 star:		(11)
4 star:		(10)
3 star:		(4)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

When it comes to Japanese detective stories tailored for Western readers, Laura Joh Rowland leaps to mind. Here stories of Sano Ichiro, set during the 17th Century Shogunate have become a staple of what is admittedly, a niche genre. Now a new writer, I. J. Parker has appeared (her short story, "Akitada's First Case," was published in 1999. and promptly won a Shamus award). Parker's stories feature Sagawara Akitada, a low ranking noble in the service the Emperor in Heian Kyo (Kyoto). The time is 600 years earlier than Rowland's books, and the culture immensely different. Japan was still heavily influenced by all things Chinese, and still forming its own social and political architectures.

As Parker ably demonstrates in Akitada's first adventure, there was nothing primitive about the Heian period, regardless of its antiquity. Akitada, whose career in the Japanese bureaucracy has come to a standstill, accepts a request from an old mentor to come to the University as an instructor while investigating an attempt at blackmail. Akitada and his servant, Tora, find themselves enmeshed in a web of plots including the murder (or transcendence) of a prince of the realm, the strangling of a joy house musician, and a series of deaths at the University itself.

Both Akitada and Tora have their own romantic interests, which are fleshed out by Parker's careful sense of detail and character development. There are countless things that can be gotten wrong in historical fiction of this sort, but Parker manages to avoid all but trivial errors. Partially because she does not delve into the politics of the times the way Rowland does. Akitada is not a 'player' in the same class as Sano Ichiro. His frustrated ambition keeps him on the outer edges of polite society.

This is an excellent first novel. Indeed, the only clue that it is a first novel is that the publicity says it is a first novel. The writing lacks the uneasiness that often mars early efforts. There is every reason to look forward to the next volume in what is giving all the signs of a successful series.

In eleventh century Heian Kyo, Japan, Sugawara Akitada knows that he has attained his career ceiling in the Ministry of Justice as a minor bureaucrat. Clerking is simply boring, but that is what Akitada does now and he realizes will continue to do until he is retired. Having no permanent woman in his life except his disappointed mother, Akitada's only passion is solving crimes, a task that he actually has had success at solving.

Akitada's former law professor at the Imperial University asks his one time student to investigate an apparent blackmailing scheme that needs thwarting before it becomes public knowledge and damages the schools' reputation. Seeing a chance to escape the doldrums of his work, Akitada accepts the assignment. Pretending to be a newly appointed teaching assistant, Akitada begins his investigation into who his blackmailing a professor. However, a seemingly separate second case surfaces that places Akitada in danger from wrong doers with high level connections. On the other hand the obstinate Akitada finds romance too.

The key to enjoying this strong eleventh century Japanese mystery is the names that though add realism to the locale take a bit of adjusting by westerners so as to not lose track of who does what to whom. The story line is brimming with imagery that enables the audience to feel like a visitor to what was once Kyoto. Akitada is a fascinating character disenchanted with his present life with no hope for the future yet gives everything to solving his cases. I.J. Parker writes an appealing tale that showcases her talent to paint quite a picture for historical mystery fans to enjoy.

Harriet Klausner

I.J. Parker takes readers back in time with her debut novel, "Rashomon Gate," a tightly-wound mystery taking place in 11th-century Japan. With likable characters and plenty of different plot threads, Parker does an excellent job of making Heian-era Japan come alive.

Minor bureaucrat Sugawara Akitada gets a request from his former teacher/foster father, Professor Hirata. Hirata reveals that someone in the university faculty is blackmailing someone else. So Akitada takes a job as a teacher at the university, and begins to investigate the possible motives and criminals. But then a body shows up -- a young pregnant girl with ties to people at the university.

Soon Akitada uncovers a sinister web of corruption, blackmail, and suicide from the year before. Then another body shows up -- an antisocial poetry professor, whose half-naked body is hung from a statue of Confucius. Now Akitada must sort out different crimes -- the dead professor, the pregnant girl, and a vanished elderly prince -- but finds that he may be the next victim...

Parker's debut is a polished one -- she manages to juggle a bunch of interconnected plot threads without dropping any of them. And without being too obvious about it, she gives a strong feel for the culture, hierarchies, complexity and accomplishments of Heian-era Japan.

Parker's writing is solid and descriptive, with some light moments sprinkled through the book. Her dialogue is a bit too "modern American," but not so much that it makes the book seem unrealistic. She includes some humor from sidekick Tora and his fact-finding missions (which usually involve lots of booze), and a bit of romance when Akitada desperately tries to woo Hirata's beautiful daughter.

Akitada is the model of a nice guy; while not perfect, he tries to do the right thing, and has plenty of brainpower to back it up. Tora is a good sidekick, a bandit-turned-valet/handyman/snoop who likes women, wine, and making kites with little princes. The supporting cast is well-drawn and likable, from the grandfatherly Hirata to imperious little prince Minamoto to the rough but kindly outcasts that Tora befriends.

"Rashomon Gate" is a solid, well-written mystery with humor, romance, and likable characters. Complex and informative, this is an excellent debut.

Clearly the author has borrowed from the ever-popular Judge Dee series about a detective in Tang Dynasty China. But so what? If you liked Judge Dee, you should also like this similar incarnation in old Japan. And if you have never read the Judge Dee books, the novel stands on its own as a well-paced and well-plotted mystery, with romance, exotica, and a wide range of well-drawn characters.

It's a fast and enjoyable read. Chapters are short, so I found I kept reading "just one more" before calling it a night. The result was I read the whole novel in about three evenings. Perhaps the beginning is a bit slow as the stage is set, but once the action picks up it never lets up. There are enough twists, turns and surprises to keep anyone happy. There are also passages of genuine emotion in the latter part of the novel. So be prepared to really feel for and like some of the charcters.

The end of the novel clearly points to more novels to come. I look forward to following Akitada and friends as he makes his career as a crime solver in old Japan. Wouldn't it be wonderful if the author did write a series. As I find myself re-reading the Judge Dee books from time to time, I hope I can look forward to reading and re-reading this series as well.

A truly enjoyable mystery from an imaginative and gifted author!

This novel is a refreshing departure from the typical mystery/whodunit. The author gives us insight to Japanese society as it must have been in ancient times, but more than that, gives us a terrific read!
You may not have the pleasure, as my Book club members and I did, to meet the author in person, but this book is time well spent. We're looking forward to reading the rest of the series.
Meeting the author, impressed all of us, with her scholarly research to ensure historical accuracy in addition to the excellent narrative. The characters are richly developed; the scenery beautifully described; the story unfolds delightfully unpredictably!
In addition to the mystery, it's also a love story, with tenderness and depth. Ms. Parker tells from a male narrator's perspective, and captures that voice accurately.
Tired of the current offerings? Try this engaging story!

Sugawara Akitada is young Japanese nobleman whose family has come upon less aristocratic times. He works as a law clerk in the Ministry of Law to support his mother and sisters and small household. A former, and very beloved professor, comes to him with a perplexing problem--someone at the university is being blackmailed. Being known for his acumen and problem-solving abilities, Akitada is asked to help. Soon, by being in the wrong place at the wrong time, Akitada is involved not only with blackmail. He's gottwo murders and another suspicious death to solve.

Far from being overwhelmed by too much going on, the novel is an excellent mystery and maintains a good balance between all the plot facets. More importantly, Parker didn't take all these various mysteries and tie them together in one nice solution. I hate it when an author takes two different mysteries and makes the connect together in the end. . . it always seems to me that the author got tired of writing and made a quick and easy out, at the reader's expense. Parker does not do this. All the problems are complex and solved mostly independent of each other.

Though this is the first novel featuring Akitada, he already has a reputation. I don't know if Parker means to slowly let us in on Akitada's past, or if it was all revealed in the Shamus Award winning short story "Akitada's First Case", published three years prior to this novel. Not having read the short story, or any other Akitada novels, I'm not sure of the author's intention. I found it confusing at times, when, for example, Akitada knew some characters well, and yet the reader was not let in on the relationship. This, for me, detracted some from my enjoyment

Despite that, this was a really good novel. Akitada and the other characters--especially Tora, his servant and fellow problem solver--were well written, and the subtle touches of Ancient Japan made for interesting reading. Parker's intelligent and sometimes humorous writing and plot made for an excellent mystery.

[Note: Correction w/minor spoiler below...]

I'm roughly halfway into Rashomon Gate and feel like I've stumbled onto buried treasure. It was a link on a page for one of Laura Joh Rowland's novels that turned me onto Parker's work (hats off to Amazon,) and fortunately I decided to take a stab at an unfamiliar (to me) author.

I've been reading Rowland's Sano Ichiro novels slavishy for years and will continue to despite their virtual carbon-copy formulaic nature and some other gripes - but Ingrid Parker's "Rashomon Gate" has put me in a state of angst throughout this daily period we commonly call "work." I love my work, seriously, but I've become a clock-watcher, anticipating the moment I can get back to the grand and wonderful place Parker creates in her prose.

Aside from that unwillingness to put a book down, the litmus test I have for the value of both literature and cinema is the simple question: "Do I find myself thinking about the people and events in this story even when I'm far removed from them?" Rashomon Gate succeeds in spades. It's not just a great, refreshing escape from an increasingly ominous modern world, it's an incredibly well-crafted plot (so far,) traversed by a hero who is genuinely admirable and likable. "Rashomon Gate" seems less like reading about a detective of ancient Japan than spending a fortnight with a dear old friend.

The tone of this novel too is a pleasant surprise. Where Rowland's books are fairly dripping with a bizarre contempt for Japan, never missing an opportunity to rub the reader's nose in every puddle of sewage imaginable (see my review of Rowland's "Pillow Book of Lady Wisteria",) Parker, like Clavell and to a degree Yoshikawa, succeeds in maintaining a sense of respect and wonder for ancient Japan even as she illuminates negative aspects of that period. There is indeed a strong resemblance to Yoshikawa's "Musashi" here in Parker's subtle but powerful mood of benevolence, but where the former was fable-like and episodic, Rashomon Gate's refreshing lightheartedness is counterbalanced nicely by the weight of evil deeds, hidden motives and the expertly-crafted plot into which they're woven. The result is an irresistible brew, one of which I hope to imbibe long and deeply.

The only negative I can think of is that the characters come at you a bit more rapidly than can be integrated into memory for later reference, but that may have more to do with this reader's mental limitations than the book itself. The character glossary at the front of the book takes care of that handily in any case.

[Late correction: I had originally assumed "Rashomon Gate" to have been the second in the Sugawara series and the Booklist review by Carrie Bissey, above, to have erroneously described it as Parker's debut. 'Turns out Bissey is right and I am wrong, with copious thanks to reviewer Mary Whipple's clarification in her review of "The Dragon Scroll." As Ms. Whipple points out, "Dragon Scroll" was indeed published third but takes place prior to both "Rashomon Gate" and "Hell Screen" in the stories' chronology - note that Akitada is still single in "Dragon Scroll," marries by the end of "Rashomon Gate" and is a father by the beginning of "Hell Screen." Hence my confusion ~ groan ~]

So next it's "The Dragon Scroll," which takes place earlier and which I expect will be every bit as enthralling. I'm hoping Parker will become as prolific a mystery writer as Nora Roberts - this is excellent, can't-put-it-down reading from a talented writer with a refreshingly benevolent sense of life.

Historical mysteries are like comedy -- either they work or they don't, and there is no middle ground. This mystery, the sequel to the admirable THE DRAGON SCROLL, is the second of what I hope will be a long series. Like its predecessor, it works wonderfully well. It says nothing to diminish THE DRAGON SCROLL to say that this book is, in its own way, even better than that fine mystery. Like that book, RASHOMON GATE is thoroughly grounded in the world of early medieval Japan, and it carries its immense learning and scholarship so lightly that only if you've read Japanese history for this period will you realize just how sound its view of Sugawara Akitada and his world is. The writing is always clear, amusing when it wants to be, and deeply moving at the right times. The plotting is sure and sensible, and the mystery unfolds at just the right pace. In particular, the author -- who I gather is a veteran academic -- recreates an ancient Japanese university that eerily echoes the academic infighting of modern institutions of higher learning and yet is totally true to its period. Also, the author took a bold risk in using the word RASHOMON and the locale of the Rashomon gate, the setting of one of the most famous Japanese movies of all time -- but, again, the risk paid off. A joy to read, and I have now ordered the third and can't wait for the fourth to be published.

I.J. Parker's "Rashomon Gate" starts in chilling style . . . with beggars scrabbling over a decapitated corpse. From this promising beginning Parker spins a complex tale of murder, deceit, and betrayal all bound up in the taut social mores of 11th century Japan.

Our hero is Sugaware Akitada, a recent top graduate of the local university, an institution that is sadly falling into decline. Bored with his official duties as a minor clerk in the Justice Ministry, Akitada is intrigued when approached by his beloved former professor and surrogate father Hirata with an offer. Hirata found a note stuck in his robe, apparently by mistake, that indicates that one of the professors is being blackmailed. Would Akitada mind posing as an assistant law professor at the university while investigating who is doing the blackmailing and who is being blackmailed?

Akitada leaps at the chance to inject some vitality into his hum-drum days. To his surprise, the investigation of blackmail soon evolves into a murder investigation. This investigation, through its coils and ellipses, keeps brushing up against a recent miracle -- a wealthy nobleman was whisked away by the gods during his devotions as a reward for his piety. Akitada, not a religous man, finds this explanation of the nobleman's disappearance less than convincing, particularly after he learns that the nobleman's heir is both a student in Akitada's class and also in dire danger.

Working simultaneously to solve both the blackmail (as well as the mounting tangential murders) and also trying to find evidence of a crime in an Emperor-sanctioned miracle, Akitada has his work cut out for him. Fortunately, in addition to his own talents, Akitada has a rag-tag bunch of friends and assistants who are able to work in the less-refined streets and avenues of 11th-century Tokyo.

Parker has a lot of fun by taking a sort of "Upstairs-Downstairs" approach to this story, as Akitada's investigation generally deals with the upper crust and his henchmen deal with the lower classes of the rigid Japanese culture. Together they make a fine team as they sift through clues and race against villains who are only too eager to add to their body count.

While there is an obvious comparison to the works of Laura Joh Rowland and her excellent series of thrillers set in feudal Japan, I found "Rashomon Gate" more similar to the medeival mysteries of Sharon Kay Penman, set in the later years of the life of Eleanor of Aquitane and during the imprisonment of King Richard. Both Parker and Penman have a fond affection for the characters to be found in the lower orders of Japan's and England's caste system, even though their protagonists are both young men much higher up the social food chain. Both authors have a command of their time period, and while they both may take a while getting to the thrills and chills of their mysteries, they describe their settings and times with such detail and verve that you don't really mind that the story languishes from time to time. (It also helps that once you get to the meat of the mystery, both authors bring the goods in fine style.)

This novel is apparently the first in a series, and Parker has created many characters in addition to Akitada who will be worth following and discovering in further works. An excellent kick-off to a series that promises to be both edifying and compelling. Check it out.

A pretty good whodunit set in 11th century Japan. Akitada Sugawara, a minor clerk from the Ministry of Justice, initially endeavors to solve a blackmail plot at the Imperial University. But shortly thereafter he becomes drawn into a series of seemingly unrelated multiple murders. A nobleman of high integrity and with a penchant for solving crimes, Akitada finds himself entangled in a mysterious web of treachery and conspiracy.

Author IJ Parker does a fairly decent job keeping the storyline moving with very few dead spots. The feudal Japanese setting is befittingly presented but the characters' behavior and dialogue seemed to be more contemporary Western than colloquial Eastern. And, at times, the action and the dialogue got a bit corny. However, this shouldn't overly dissuade readers from enjoying this engaging tale.