Rating: 
Summary: Best in the Series
Review: I enjoyed this book for the historical references and bits of history to feudal Japan along with the plot twists and turns. It may be a standard concept where the hero overcomes all oppositions in seeking justice but the story held my interest regardless. For a good captivating read on a winter evening I would recommend this one. I've read all the others and I must admit, the same story line runs through them all but with enough difference to keep me reading. In this series I was just looking for something to entertain me and Sano Ichiro's adventures did just that. It held my interest to the end.
Rating: 
Summary: Shogun JR
Review: I have enjoyed all the entries to this series. While, I still feel James Clavells Shogun is the best historical fiction about this time period, this series is pretty good. If you liked Shogun or are interested in 17th Century Japan you will like these books. The mystery part is pretty good, but the setting and the details are even better.
Rating:
Summary: excellent thriller - translated into Czech by me
Review: I have translated the book for the publishing house DOMINO - Ostrava, Czech Republic. It is similar to Judge Ti - very popular in the country. Hopefully I will translate Bundori or other books of Laura Joh Rowland.
Rating:
Summary: Very Good - Will read more in this series
Review: I loved Shogun and when I learned of this mystery series I couldn't wait to read them. Although it took me a while to get into the mindframe of the main character and the feudal system of Japan, once I did I enjoyed this book. Although some of the mysteries weren't hard to figure out there were enough plot twists and turns to keep me interested in whether Sino would ever acheive his goals of finding, and proving, the truth. I am just starting the 2nd book in the set and look forward to the rest.
Rating:
Summary: A pleasant read enhanced by the setting and characters.
Review: I picked up "Shinju" prior to a trip to Tokyo, I must say that reading the book while travelling around Tokyo and recognizing the places mentioned added greatly to its appeal. The book is easy to read with a well developed and detailed story. The characters could do with a bit more development but are convincing and realistic. I liked the books enough to have gone on and read the next two in the series. It's not really fair to compare these to the Judge Dee mysteries, they are very different. The only similarity is that they are set in the Far East.
Rating:
Summary: A Five-Star Book!
Review: I was planning to give this book 5 starts until I got to the end, and my opinion quickly jumped to 5 stars! The reason I enjoyed this book so much is that I love stories of private individuals (not police) investigating and solving crimes. With all of the obstacles that befell the main character, I kept thinking, "And how will he get out of this? And this? And this?" I never suspected who the real murderer turned out to be, and the end was increditbly fantastic. I plan to read more of this author's books.
Rating:
Summary: Great page-turner
Review: I've enjoyed Laura Joh Rowland's historical mystery series featuring detective Sano Ichiro. The main characters are appealing, and the action moves along rapidly. Some of her later books are beginning to resemble each other too much--yet they are still page-turners. I'd like to see a little more evolution in the characters. But on the whole, I recommend the Sano series.
Rating:
Summary: good japanese introduction
Review: If you are interested in Japanese folktales, bushido, or just ancient Japan in genral, this is an excellent book, well worth the money. I don't enjoy mysteries at all, and didn't read this book expecting one, so I suppose that is why I could not solve teh mystery until it was revealed to me. The descriptions of 17th century Japan are outstanding, you reallty feel like you are there. The sequel, Bundori, surpasses even this book, but I'd reccomend going in chronological order. The books after Bundori kind of trail off, and the plots become less beleivable, even for a fiction tale. But it is definetly worth it to read about how a common teacher is requested to teh court of the shogun.
Rating:
Summary: Entertaining but not ground breaking.
Review: If you are looking for a good summer book to keep you busy, here is the one for you! Filled with discriptions of an exotic culture, the book will keep you reading until the very end. Very enjoyable. But dont look for anything extra-special. The plot is pretty predictable, and you spend most of the book knowing what happens at the end, but wanting to find out how. It's like watching COlumbo. You know who killed the victim, but you really just want to find the bad guy get punished in the end. But its a great ride anyway, and I am going to read the rest of the series too. You can really relate to the main character, although I did think the bad guys were just TOO bad. Its nice to have a little gray sometimes. Buy the book, you will enjoy it. Congratulations to the author on an excellent first novel. I hope her newer works will only bring her increasing success!
Rating:
Summary: A most worthy introduction of Sano Ichiro.
Review: If you enjoyed James Clavell's "Shogun," then this series of books by Laura Joh Rowland may appeal to you. Her descriptions bring to life the world of 17th Century Japan under the rule of Tokugawa Tsunayoshi, both the noble and the gritty. Her protagonist Sano Ichiro is a creation of his family's circumstances, serving as yoriki, a senior police commander for the city of Edo. Small quibbles aside, this is novel is a quite enjoyable read and definitely gives you a wonderful introduction into the characters and settings that follow up in later books of the series. Keep up the good work, and bring us more in this excellent series.
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