REVIEWS
SENSEI
SENSEI will hit you like the kick of a black-belt karate
champion. You'll enter the elite world of modern martial
arts where ancient rituals of honor-and revenge-are
acted out in nondescript practice rooms in New York and
Los Angeles. While chasing a ruthless killer, Connor
Burke is forced to also take the inner journey of the
warrior, where courage and honesty matter far more than
simple issues of life and death. - Dale Furutani , award-
winning author of the Samurai Mystery Trilogy
Donohue's SENSEI is a page-turning, character-driven
thriller that gives the reader an entertaining, clear window
into the best elements of the much-abused culture of
martial arts in America. - James Grady , author of
Six Days of the Condor
SENSEI is not only a thoroughly enjoyable thriller, but
also an intriguing contribution to what Yukio Mishima
called Bunburyodo, the fusion of martial and literary arts.
John Donohue's budo mystery gives us page-turning
suspense, humor, appealing characters, and an insider's
hard-won knowledge of the Asian fighting arts. - Charles
Johnson , martial artist and National Book Award-
winning author of Middle Passage
SENSEI is a great read. Donohue journeys deep into the
arcane arena of martial arts and reveals the real magic
and mysticism of that exotic world. Only someone who
has 'been there, done that' could have made this book
work. In Donohue's expert hands, SENSEI just sparkles."
- Warren Murphy, creator of
the DESTROYER series
Publisher’s Weekly - Starred Review
Donohue crisply and elegantly blends Japanese martial
arts and urban New York in his assured debut, a thriller
about a vengeance-seeking Ronin, or masterless
samurai. Dr. Connor Burke is an adjunct history instructor
at a small Long Island university, a protégé of Yamashita
Sensei, a reclusive but renowned martial arts teacher--
and a likable lead character. When it becomes clear that
the murder of another sensei (a teacher) is part of a
pattern, Burke becomes doubly involved because he’s a
suspect and his cop brother Micky is one of the
detectives investigating the case. As the novel whips
along with the Ronin’s motivation only gradually
emerging, Burke takes the reader deeper and deeper
into the arcane world of the martial arts: its techniques,
disciplines, and weapons; its spiritualism, customs, and
traditions. Lucid and dramatic fight scenes avoid the
absurd hyperbole typical of a lot of martial arts fiction,
while even minor characters, such as the university
president and the members of Micky’s family, are skillfully
sketched. The author may telegraph the climactic scene
too early, but he does a masterful job of depicting the
ultimate struggle to capture or contain the Ronin. Both
mystery buffs and martial arts fans will be well rewarded.
Forecast: As a black belt in both Karatedo and Kendo,
and an associate editor of the Journal of Asian Martial
Arts with four non-fiction martial arts books to his credit,
the author is well poised to push this novel to the
initiated. Blurbs from Charles Johnson, Dale Furutani,
and James Grady (author of Six Days of the Condor) will
help catch the attention of the uninitiated.
Kirkus Reviews
Every good martial-arts student knows that "you don't talk
back. You don't ask rude questions. You don't cop an
attitude-that's the sensei's prerogative." The sensei, or
teacher, in this case is the iconic Yamashita, master
warrior. The student is Connor Burke, who's been at it-
the demanding, humbling process of martial-arts training-
long enough to acquire extraordinary competence. He's
going to need it, because things are about to get hairy
indeed around Yamashita's dojo. In California, a famous
karate teacher is found dead; a short time later, there's a
second martial-arts-related death, and then a third, this
time in New York. In each case, the killer leaves his
bloody signature behind: Ronin, Japanese for a
gunslinger with a grudge. Connor and his brother Mick,
an NYPD homicide detective, become convinced that the
object of Ronin's antipathy is none other than Yamashita,
and that the killings are a deranged and convoluted way
of stalking him. They're right. "From hurt to hate is a small
step," the sensei acknowledges. He understands that the
blow he long ago inflicted reluctantly on a supersensitive
ego was severe and that the immeasurably talented
Ronin craves payback. But no one realizes until it's
almost too late the complexity of Ronin's revenge
strategy, and the lethal role it includes for Connor. Strong
story, good writing, colorful setting. Donohue, who has
black belts in karate and kendo, has published
extensively on the marital arts, but this is his fiction debut,
and an impressive one it is.
From Booklist - Starred Review
Martial-arts expert Donohue's first novel is so good that
readers may find themselves hoping it won't become a
series. Here's why. The plot is original and crafty:
someone who calls himself Ronin-- masterless Samurai--
is apparently killing off martial-arts masters across the U.
S., and Connor Burke, a university professor and martial-
arts student, is brought into the investigation by his
brother, a New York detective assigned to the case.
Connor recruits his own sensei, Yamashita, and this
unusual pair uncover the facts with a combination of
mental skill and good, old-fashioned (amateur) detective
work. The characters are fresh and interesting: in
addition to the snappy-dialogue-spouting cops, who love
to fire off allusions to old movies and TV shows, we have
a martial-arts master and his student (shades, but only in
a good way, of Kung Fu ), an arrogant martial-arts
promoter who now fancies himself an art expert, and a
host of supporting players. The dialogue is sharp, the
narrative polished far beyond the usual first-novel quality,
and the story is entirely absorbing. So why not look
forward to more in the series? Because subsequent
novels might drain the premise of its freshness, leaving
only a series of predictable adventures. This one just
may be too good to duplicate.
DESHI
Publisher's Weekly
"Using an economy of words that echoes the uncluttered
atmosphere of the dojo. the traditional Japanese training
hall, Donohue glides effortlessly between the disciplined,
mystical culture of the martial arts community and the
chaotic thrum, of the streets. Peppered with musings of
Eastern philosophy, gritty cop lingo and occasional
understated humor, this mystery with its flesh protagonist
will appeal to all kinds of readers, not just martial arts
aficionados."
David Montgomery in the Chicago Sun-Times
An “… excellent tale of clashing cultures, an exquisitely
flavored and nuanced mystery…Donohue's story is also
one of insight and reflection, written by an author who
understands the dichotomy between East and West and
uses that knowledge to flavor his already compelling
prose.”
John Keenan in the Omaha World-Herald
"For those unfamiliar with the martial arts or Eastern
culture, be careful - Donohue is so informative and
compelling on these subjects, after finishing the book,
you're liable to seek out a martial-arts school or
calligraphy class. . . a thought-provoking, fun mystery.
More importantly, Burke is a great protagonist, a bit
reminiscent of Robert B. Parker's Spenser - just as
sensitive, a little less of a wise guy, but certainly a
character with three dimensions and the potential to grow
ever more interesting over the course of the long series
he undoubtedly deserves. "
|
