I. J. Parker

2010

Copyright 2010 by I.J.Parker

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Publisher’s Note: This is a work of fiction. All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, without permission of the author or publisher. Names, characters, places, and incidents are a product of the author’s imagination.

This edition published 2015 by I.J.Parker 428 Cedar Lane, Virginia Beach VA 23452

http://www.ijparker.com

Cover design by I. J. Parker.

Cover image by Tsukioka Yoshitoshi

(A version of the story of the lost boy appeared previously in short story form in ALFRED HITCHCOCK’S MYSTERY MAGAZINE under the title “The O-bon Cat.”)

Praise for I. J. Parker and the Akitada Series

“Elegant and entertaining . . . Parker has created a wonderful protagonist in Akitada. . . . She puts us at ease in a Japan of one thousand years ago.”  The Boston Globe

“You couldn’t ask for a more gracious introduction to the exotic world of Imperial Japan than the stately historical novels of I. J. Parker.”  The New York Times

“Akitada is as rich a character as Robert Van Gulik’s intriguing detective, Judge Dee.”  The Dallas Morning News

“Readers will be enchanted by Akitada.” Publishers Weekly Starred Review

“Terrifically imaginative” The Wall Street Journal

“A brisk and well-plotted mystery with a cast of regulars who become more fully developed with every episode.”  Kirkus

“More than just a mystery novel, (THE CONVICT’S SWORD) is a superb piece of literature set against the backdrop of 11^th-cntury Kyoto.”  The Japan Times

“Parker’s research is extensive and she makes great use of the complex manners and relationships of feudal Japan.”  Globe and Mail

“The fast-moving, surprising plot and colorful writing will enthrall even those unfamiliar with the exotic setting.”  Publishers Weekly, Starred Review

“. . .the author possesses both intimate knowledge of the time period and a fertile imagination as well. Combine that with an intriguing mystery and a fast-moving plot, and you’ve got a historical crime novel that anyone can love.”  Chicago Sun-Times

“Parker’s series deserves a wide readership.”  Historical Novel Society

“The historical research is impressive, the prose crisp, and Parker’s ability to universalize the human condition makes for a satisfying tale.”  Booklist

“Parker masterfully blends action and detection while making the attitudes and customs of the period accessible.”  Publishers Weekly (starred review)

“Readers looking for historical mystery with a twist will find what they’re after in Parker’s latest Sugawara Akitada mystery . . . An intriguing glimpse into an ancient culture.”  Booklist

Characters

(Japanese family names precede first names)

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MAIN CHARACTERS

Sugawara Akitada—Senior secretary in the Ministry of Justice

Tamako—His wife

Seimei—An aged family retainer of the Sugawaras

Tora—Another retainer, young and of a romantic disposition

Genba—A third retainer, middle-aged and with a love for food

Kobe—Superintendent of police

CHARACTERS INVOLVED IN THE CASES IN OTSU:

Lord Masuda—An old and wealthy nobleman

Masuda Tadayori—His dead son

Lady Masuda—His daughter-in-law; first lady of his late son

Lady Kohime—His other daughter-in-law; second lady of his late son

Two little girls—Kohime’s daughters

Mrs. Ishikawa—their nurse

Ishikawa—her son, steward to Lord Sadanori

Peony—late courtesan kept by Masuda Tadayori

Little Abbess—her maid

Mrs. Yozaemon—a poor widow in Otsu

Manjiro—her teenage son

Nakano— a judge

Takechi—a warden

The Mimuras—a fisherman and his wife

The deaf-mute boy—the Mimuras’ alleged son

Dr. Inabe—a physician

(also a cat)

CHARACTERS INVOLVED IN A CASE IN THE CAPITAL:

Fujiwara Sadanori—a powerful nobleman and relative of the chancellor

Lady Saisho—his mother

Hanae—a pretty dancer from the amusement quarter

Ohiya—her dancing master

Mrs. Hamada—her nosy neighbor

An elusive monk and assorted prostitutes

(also a shaggy dog)