Rating: 
Summary: Good, but missing the action
Review: This is a great thriller, let me say that first up. If you're wanting a suspense novel, this is a good choice, but if you're expecting incredible action throughout it, you're going to be disappointed. The premise is fantastic: great martial artists are being killed by a superior warrior. You can easily see Jet Li playing the part of Ronin in this one. The problem is that this story is told from the first-person perspective ("I walked into the room and..."). While this wouldn't be a problem if you were telling it from the killer's POV, it's a big disappointment if you're telling it from someone else's. As a result, we see the aftermath of the three killings (the body, the crime scene, etc.), but what could have been a series of incredible fight scenes are never developed. In actuality, there are only two real fight scenes in the whole book (one more if you count one told in retrospect), and that's just not what you expect from a book about martial arts masters being killed. Ronin is only seen fighting in one scene in the end, and even that one is cut rather short for a guy who's supposed to be such an incredible fighter. I enjoyed the book, but it was definitely more about character development than action (imagine John Woo directing "High Noon" and you'll get the idea). If this had been told differently (from the third person perspective of most books...or even from the combination of the two like James Patterson does with the Alex Cross stories), it could have been a blockbuster. As it is, it's very informative (the author obviously knows what he's talking about) and full of suspense, but still missing something. I'll gladly grab his next one though and give it another try, as he shows great potential as a fiction writer.
Rating: 
Summary: Engaging
Review: Well done martial arts mystery. Surprised? Me too. The author is skilled and the hook is set early, and we are not disappointed.
Rating:
Summary: Intense plot drive thriller
Review: What happens when some of the top Japanese martial arts instructors are killed by a mystery man, known only as Ronin? Follow Connor Burke, a long time student of the martial arts, as he works to uncover the mystery and determine how his sensei fits into the picture.John Donahue brings a wealth of understanding of both Japanese culture and the martial arts community to the novel. Unlike many martial arts books (and most martial arts movies) the book captures much of the spirit, discipline and realism of martial arts training. The book also captures the enigmatic sensei/student relationship inherent in martial arts graining. The book weakens when some of the major players act off-character to advance the plot. The story is intricate and gripping, but it's a shame that some of the character realism had to be sacrificed. Many times you're left wondering, "Why doesn't anyone see what's really happening?" or "Why doesn't he just make a call on his cellphone?" Despite the shortcomings, I'm looking forward to reading the upcoming sequel.
Rating:
Summary: Intense plot drive thriller
Review: What happens when some of the top Japanese martial arts instructors are killed by a mystery man, known only as Ronin? Follow Connor Burke, a long time student of the martial arts, as he works to uncover the mystery and determine how his sensei fits into the picture. John Donahue brings a wealth of understanding of both Japanese culture and the martial arts community to the novel. Unlike many martial arts books (and most martial arts movies) the book captures much of the spirit, discipline and realism of martial arts training. The book also captures the enigmatic sensei/student relationship inherent in martial arts graining. The book weakens when some of the major players act off-character to advance the plot. The story is intricate and gripping, but it's a shame that some of the character realism had to be sacrificed. Many times you're left wondering, "Why doesn't anyone see what's really happening?" or "Why doesn't he just make a call on his cellphone?" Despite the shortcomings, I'm looking forward to reading the upcoming sequel.
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