When a devastating earthquake rocks Japan's northeast coast, a tsunami follows and Rei Shimura is swept into her most rugged adventure yet. The mystery begins with an SOS from Rei's friend, the antiques dealer Mr. Ishida, trapped among thousands of displaced and dead on the Tohoku Coast. Rei rushes to Tokyo, where she discovers Ishida Antiques may have been burglarized. Rei takes Mr. Ishida's abandoned dog, Hachiko, on a volunteer bus to the ravaged town of Sugihama. But Mr. Ishida's got more work for her, since he lost sight of his antiques apprentice Mayumi and is frantic with worry. He won't leave Sugihama without knowing the fate of the troubled 19-year-old girl from a famous lacquer-making family. Calling on disaster survivors and volunteers--as well as her knowledge of Japanese manners and history--Rei investigates the suspicious disappearance. From Tohoku's muddy shops and shelters to the buzzing bars and bathhouses of Tokyo, it's a suspenseful journey. But as Rei draws closer to the truth, she realizes that she's being stalked. What is following her--and can she survive the wave of danger she never saw coming? THE KIZUNA COAST is the latest novel in a sexy, smart and humorous mystery series that has won the Agatha and Macavity mystery awards and been nominated for the Edgar, Anthony, and Mary Higgins Clark prizes. It's bound to intrigue new readers and satisfy longtime Rei Shimura fans. "The earthquake and tsunami that devastated Honshu, Japan, in 2011 kick-starts Agatha-winner Massey's moving 11th Rei Shimura mystery . . . Rei, a Japanese-American antiques dealer, and her new husband, Michael Hendricks, a former spy now working for a think tank on Pacific Rim issues, are playing mahjongg at home in Hawaii when they hear the devastating news. Rei ascertains that her family escaped serious harm, but it takes a bit longer to discover the fate of her mentor in the antiquing business, Yasushi Ishida. . . "---PUBLISHER'S WEEKLY "The Kizuna Coast deftly interweaves fiction to history. And, by using the first-person narrative, we enjoy a special, newscaster style reportage of Tohoku even Hemingway would applaud . . . the story is fascinating." --TSUSHIN NEWS "Read this one, and if you like Rei as much as I do, go back and read the other ten books."---Sharon Wildwind, STORY CIRCLE BOOK REVIEWS. "There is an authentic feel to the narrative...It is always a delight to discover an author and enjoy your first read so much."--MYSTERIES IN PARADISE. "Reading The Kizuna Coast is like being reunited with old friends. Rei's character hasn't changed, although she has gotten a bit more mature at times, but her doggedness and compassion remain the same."---IT'S EITHER SADNESS OR EUPHORIA "Rei has always been one of my favorite characters in the mystery world, especially among those who take me to exotic places, and I have missed her...Her quirkiness and humor are infectious, and I'm thrilled to have her back in my life."--Lelia Taylor, BURIED UNDER BOOKS The Kizuna Coast is Sujata Massey's most moving novel in the Rei Shimura series so far. Her and her sleuth's love for Japan and its people are evident in this tale...while Rei follows clues to locate her antiques mentor and later investigate a murder, readers get an authentic look at what it was like for survivors and rescue workers days after the devastating disaster. Bravo to Massey's clear-eyed recounting of a recovery that is still ongoing."--Naomi Hirahara, Edgar-winning author of Snakeskin Shamisen and Grave on Grand Avenue I wrote The Kizuna Coast , the eleventh Rei Shimura mystery, with a number of questions in mind. What was the situation really like on Japan's Tohoku coast after the 2011 tsunami? Cameras could catch images of the massive wave and crushed buildings but not tell every human story. I was so concerned that I wrote a fictional accounting about a village with characteristics of several of the hardest-hit real places.  Here's the set-up: It's March 2011, and the news of the tsunami has spread worldwide. My protagonist Rei Shimura rushes into this devastated area looking for one elderly person but quickly finds herself involved in searching for others. As hard as the work is, she feels duty-bound to continue. When a body is found under suspicious circumstances, a new question arises for her: why is this one death worth investigating among thousands? The police are overstretched and unable to help. Will knowing the truth bring closure...or put Rei's own life in jeopardy? Readers have asked about the significance of the book title. "Kizuna" became a popular word in Japanese right after the disaster. it means "bonds of loving kindness," and was used to describe selfless behavior of people helping each other survive the tragedy. I think it fits this book very well.   After a devastating earthquake and tsunami hit Japan in 2011, Rei Shimura's beloved mentor, Yasushi Ishida, sends an SOS. Rei immediately takes off from her historic cottage