She’s lost her mother and her memory. And if she fails to escape… she’ll lose herself. Meiko Wright wants nothing to do with the mother who abandoned her nine years ago. Spending a year in Tokyo, where her mother lives, won’t change that fact. But when she takes a nasty fall in a Shinto temple, she wakes with no memory of her mother… or anything of her past life. Without any idea who she is, she must rely on the kindness of a local priest who offers to help her as best he can. When the amnesiac Meiko wakes with a strange suspicion that something isn't right, she vows to escape from a bond she doesn't truly understand. After years apart, Meiko’s mother Chieko is determined to make up for lost time. But when her daughter mysteriously disappears, Chieko promises she won't lose her again. Along the trail of clues, the detectives working Meiko’s case discover a pair of suicides linked by a strange seductress and matching fox tattoos. Afraid her daughter may be next, Chieko visits a local shaman who tells her dark spirits could make her attempt for a rescue impossible. With time running out, Meiko and her family must uncover the mystery of her mental captivity before she loses herself and her only way home forever. Spirit of the Fox is a cerebral mystery novel. If you like Japanese culture, riveting suspense, and the power of family, then you’ll love Matthew O’Connell’s intersection of science, spirituality, and folklore. Buy Spirit of the Fox to puzzle out a mind-bending mystery steeped in Japanese folklore today! Matthew O'Connell combines ancient Japanese folklore with modern-day life in this fast-paced mystery. O'Connell beautifully and vividly describes the Japanese cityscapes, food and culture; for example. The main characters are likeable, caring and believable. As this story pitting myth against reality unwinds, murder, suicide, deceit and Meiko's clever grandmother conspire to make it an indelible page-turner. - Blueink Review ********** Spirit of the Fox is a gripping, culturally immersed mystery. Matthew O'Connell's intriguing and compelling mystery, Spirit of the Fox, draws on the culture and history of Japan. Atmospheric descriptions of Japan's spiritual landscape help to set the scene. Breaking with form, the novel gives readers much more information than any one character possesses through expository scenes that implicate the culprit early on. The technique is both frustrating and delightful, drawing connections that the characters themselves cannot yet make. The appearance of Hana as a character is jarring and unclear; the revelation of the mystery speeds up the story. Once Hana is established as a character, her schemes are gut-wrenching and impressive. The resolution of the mystery is deliberately unclear, but satisfying and appropriate. The writing is precise; descriptions are terse, moving quickly between action and dialogue, with some mouthwatering descriptions of food and drink coming between. - Clarion Review Spirit of the Fox is thrilling, captivating and will take your breath away. - Chicago Tribune