| THE BOOKS |
“Donohue crisply and elegantly blends Japanese martial arts and
urban New York in his assured debut, a thriller about a
vengeance-seeking Ronin, or a 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….
Burke takes the reader deeper and deeper into the arcane world
of the martial arts. 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…Both mystery
buffs and martial arts fans will be well rewarded.”
Publishers Weekly (starred review)
“Strong, story, good writing, colorful setting. Donohue, who has
black belts in karate and kendo, has published extensively on the
martial arts, but this is his fiction debut and an impressive one it
is.” Kirkus Reviews
“The plot is original and crafty….The characters are fresh and
interesting….The dialogue is sharp, the narrative polished far
beyond the usual first-novel quality, and the story is entirely
absorbing.”
Booklist (starred review)
urban New York in his assured debut, a thriller about a
vengeance-seeking Ronin, or a 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….
Burke takes the reader deeper and deeper into the arcane world
of the martial arts. 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…Both mystery
buffs and martial arts fans will be well rewarded.”
Publishers Weekly (starred review)
“Strong, story, good writing, colorful setting. Donohue, who has
black belts in karate and kendo, has published extensively on the
martial arts, but this is his fiction debut and an impressive one it
is.” Kirkus Reviews
“The plot is original and crafty….The characters are fresh and
interesting….The dialogue is sharp, the narrative polished far
beyond the usual first-novel quality, and the story is entirely
absorbing.”
Booklist (starred review)
| One of the top ten best new mysteries by the ALA |
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