Japan, 1709. The shogun is old and ailing. Amid the ever-treacherous intrigue in the court, Sano Ichiro has been demoted from chamberlain to a lowly patrol guard. His relationship with his wife Reiko is in tatters, and a bizarre new alliance between his two enemies Yanagisawa and Lord Ienobu has left him puzzled and wary. Sano's onetime friend Hirata is a reluctant conspirator in a plot against the ruling regime. Yet, Sano's dedication to the Way of the Warrior―the samurai code of honor―is undiminished. Then a harrowing, almost inconceivable crime takes place. In his own palace, the shogun is stabbed with a fan made of painted silk with sharp-pointed iron ribs. Sano is restored to the rank of chief investigator to find the culprit. This is the most significant, and most dangerous, investigation of his career. If the shogun's heir is displeased, he will have Sano and his family put to death without waiting for the shogun's permission, then worry about the consequences later. And Sano has enemies of his own, as well as unexpected allies. As the previously unimaginable death of the shogun seems ever more possible, Sano finds himself at the center of warring forces that threaten not only his own family but Japan itself. Riveting and richly imagined, with a magnificent sense of time and place, The Iris Fan is the triumphant conclusion to Laura Joh Rowland's brilliant series of thrillers set in feudal Japan. “Rowland offers the usual high-stakes suspense, convincing period detail, and nuanced characters you care about. Readers will be sorry to see the last of Sano.” ― Publishers Weekly on The Iris Fan “A rousing, fitting conclusion to this long-running series.” ― Booklist on The Iris Fan “In addition to intricate plotting, Rowland's consistent strength throughout her series has been the authority she brings to her portraits of her idiosyncratic characters and their world. Her descriptions of the rituals, fixtures and worldview of feudal Japan never seem like mere wallpaper, but rather are elements crucial to the crimes that bedevil her characters.” ― Maureen Corrigan, The Washington Post “Fascinating . . . there are few things as delicious as a good old-fashioned power struggle--especially the costume-drama variety, involving sword battles and perfectly timed barbs exchanged by witty women pretending that they're just drinking tea.” ― Oprah.com on The Incense Game “Stellar . . . Once again, Rowland sets the bar high for her hero, who must navigate treacherous political shoals as well as deduce the killer's identity.” ― Publishers Weekly (starred) on The Incense Game “Excellent. . . . With mystery, excitement and a bang-up ending, this is one you won't be able to put down!” ― RT Book Reviews (Top Pick) on The Incense Game LAURA JOH ROWLAND, the daughter of Chinese and Korean immigrants, was educated at the University of Michigan. She is the author of seventeen previous Sano Ichiro thrillers set in feudal Japan. The Fire Kimono was named one of the Wall Street Journal's "Five Best Historical Mystery Novels"; and The Snow Empress and The Cloud Pavilion were among Publishers Weekly's Best Mysteries of the Year. She lives in New York City. Iris Fan A Novel of Feudal Japan By Laura Joh Rowland St. Martin's Press Copyright © 2014 Laura Joh Rowland All rights reserved. ISBN: 978-1-250-04706-9 1 “IT’S A BAD night for a trip to the pleasure quarter,” Detective Marume said. “It’s a good night when we’re following up on the first lead we’ve had in this investigation in more than four years,” Sano said. They rode their horses along the Dike of Japan, the long causeway above the rice fields northeast of Edo. Metal lanterns swung from poles attached to their backs. On this winter night just after the New Year, they had the road to Yoshiwara to themselves. Their cloaks were drenched by sleet that lashed and stung their faces. Ice coated their metal helmets. Cold wind seeped through the heavy padding in Sano’s cloak, under his armor tunic and his kimono. As sleet turned to snow, a veil of white crystals obscured the distance. “How did you get us assigned to patrol the dike tonight?” Marume asked. “I didn’t even have to try. You know the captain likes giving the worst assignments to the shogun’s disgraced former chamberlain and second-in-command.” Bitterness edged Sano’s wry tone. In four years he’d been demoted four times, from chamberlain down to patrol guard, the Tokugawa regime’s lowest rank. His son, Masahiro, aged seventeen, was also a patrol guard, with no prospects for advancement, and their family had been evicted from their estate inside Edo Castle. It was a great humiliation for Sano, but he was lucky to have a position at all. For more than four years he’d been pursuing a forbidden investigation, a thankless mission of honor. Marume laughed. “He did us a favor without knowing it.” The big samurai relished humor in any situation. “How do you know our new suspects are in Yoshiwara tonight?”