In every case, the modus operandi is the same, and the only clue available is a cryptic message scrawled on the wall bearing the signature "Ronin" - the Japanese name for a masterless samurai. Connor Burke, a part-time college teacher with a passion for the martial arts, is called in to help out with the investigation by his brother, an NYPD detective. With the help of his teacher, the master warrior Yamashita Sensei, Burke begins to follow the trail of clues that stretches across time and place, ultimately confronting his own fears, his sense of honor, and the ruthless killer who calls himself "Ronin". Combining the exotic world of the Japanese martial arts with the gritty nuts-and-bolts aspects of a murder investigation, Sensei is a fast-paced, riveting thriller that explores the links between people as they struggle for mastery, identity, and a sense of belonging. *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. David Pitt Copyright © American Library Association. All rights reserved John Donohue holds black belts in both Karatedo and Kendo and has studied various Asian martial arts disciplines, such as karate, kendo, judo, aikido, iaido, and taiji, over the past 25 years. A nationally recognized authority on the topic, he is also an associate editor of the Journal of Asian Martial Arts and has written four non-fiction books on the martial arts. In addition, he has been a featured speaker at national and international conventions, as well as on television and radio.