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Summary: Wonderful! The gaijin community is thrilled!
Review: Sujata Massey's "The Salaryman's Wife" is a wonderfully witty and insightful suspense novel which looks into the cross-cultural differences between Japan and the West. It does so by comparing the ancient and isolated Japan to the ultra modern and commercial Japan, a distance which is not only measured by time, but to the extent that beyond the highrises of Tokyo not all that much has changed. The eyes of the reader are those of Rei Shimura, an American teaching English in Tokyo. What makes Rei a more creditable witness to the events of this thriller is that she is more than "gaijin" (Japanese word for foreigner), she is "konketsujin" (Japanese word for one who is half Japanese and half foreigner). The basic plot as explained by the synopsis above is correct. Rei Shimura finds herself inadvertantly involved in a murder mystery by accidentally discovering the corpse of a woman staying at the same inn that she is staying at for the holidays. By way of misunderstandings and mistrust she is lumped into the murder investigation and by use of her western upbringing she doubts the outcome of the initial findings of the police. The plot twists on from this point and the reader is ensnared in the escapades that Rei Shimura finds herself involved in to prove that more exists to the death of "the salaryman's wife".As a foreigner living in Japan, I have to say that the characters of Rei, her gay roommate, her love interest, the foreigners shown in Tokyo and Yokosuka, the Japanese outside of Tokyo and in smaller more isolated areas of Japan, and locations are depicted by an intimate acquaintance. As I read this novel I saw myself in the heart of Tokyo, at the Japanse Alps as I was this past winter, walking through a checkpoint I go through everyday, shopping at a specific shoppers plaza, in intense Engish language tutorials as the teacher thrust on the mercy of her students whom are never shy about asking personal questions. This is what makes the novel work. The plot is good and while obvious to some, the reader is caught up with images of Japan, Tokyo and it's culture that to someone who has never been to Japan should not take lightly. This suspense thriller breathes this story. The only sense that this book does not attack is the sense of smell. Japan is a place unto itself which holds a special scent all it's own, part exotic spice carried in the wind and the modern scents of cities and industrialization. As you read this thriller close your eyes at certain points and see if you can imagine yourself in the ancient and modern world that is Japan.
Rating: 
Summary: Good writing, but not much of a mystery.
Review: This book is well written, but "whodunnit" is very obvious. A mystery is more fun if it keeps you thinking and guessing. The setting for the book is great. It is interesting to read about the cultural differences to which Rei must adapt. It may have been more interesting if the book had started when Rei first arrived in Japan so that we could have learned along with her. Rei and her roommate Richard are great characters, though the love story is run of the mill. There are definitely problems here, but it is a first novel. Because it is well written I will try the next Massey book.
Rating: 
Summary: I'd say enjoyable, not compelling reading.
Review: I liked the presentation of contemporary Japan and some of the social nuances. Rei and Richard's characters are pretty well drawn and fun; but the other characters in the book seemed one-dimensional. The connection between Rei & the handsome Scot, Hugh was flat. I'd bet that Rei & Richard are based on real people, and the other characters were drawn to make the mystery "work". It was hard to get into the characters enough to care about the crime.
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Summary: It could've been better...
Review: I really wanted to like this book, especially considering that the author lives in Baltimore where I grew up. There seemed to be too much of an overreliance on what I consider a "Cosmo" feel to the novel, along the lines of the "sex and glamour" one might expect from a Danielle Steele or Jackie Collins "book." Most of the central characters are either wealthy, beautiful, or otherwise have an inordinate affinity with high-end brand name merchandise, particularly clothing (all in an at times smug, wink-wink, inside-joke sort of way; I mean, look, it couldn't just be an ordinary evening dress...no, it's an Herve Leger! Whatever that is...or as if we care.). It's little things like this that seemed to take away from, not add to, the book. The mystery part sometimes just got lost in these types of details and as for flow, it appeared to be disjointed at times. Rei Shimura is not a bad character, but the author certainly seems to want her to be a Kinsey Millhone-type of character (a la Sue Grafton) with a Japanese twist, but, unfortunately, it doesn't work as well.
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Summary: Absorbing, fast-paced mystery with fun main character
Review: I liked this book a lot. I have read many mysteries and this "domestic" variety is my favorite kind. The characters are realistic (for a mystery novel) and the setting is exotic. I liked the main character and look forward to reading another book about her. Problems were (1)less-than-realistic romantic interest with cliched "is he naughty or nice" theme. (2) Some of the people who helped the main character were rather unbelievably willing. (3) There was a clue that the main character had mixed up when it was obvious to the reader and should have been to her. Oh, well. It kept me entertained during the time I had for reading over Christmas. That's what counts.
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Summary: Japanese Nancy Drew, with Sex
Review: The relatively high rating is based on excellent characterization, a reasonable plot and mostly, great descriptions of contemporary Japan, the country, customs, daily life. Without tedious histories, the author presents well-rounded individuals instead of a batch of mix and match suspects. Her Japan sounds real, not a pretty woodblock print, but definitely a place you'd like to visit. What made it less than a great read for me is that there is no atmosphere, no sense of mystery or "noir". The roots of the crime go back in time and relationships, a la Chandler, but there is no slightest tragic feel. There is a silly romance with a bodice ripper-type hero. The heroine is reminiscent of Evanovich's protagonist, gone East of Jersey.
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Summary: PEOPLE Magazine Page-Turner of the Week
Review: In her first novel, former journalist Massey offers a sprightly, engaging tale by setting a classic English-style whodunit in contemporary Japan. After the coldly beautiful Setsuko Nakamura is murdered in a vacation inn, California-raised Japanese-American teacher Rei Shimura is drawn to investigate the death. Rei is no prim Miss Marple. This young, hip, sake-sipping sleuth leads a reader into a Tokyo that doesn't make the guidebooks. She tells you where to get cold rice balls for breakfast when you're on a tight budget and what to wear to a Buddhist wake in the upscale suburbs. Sly, sexy and deftly done, WIFE is one to bring home.
PEOPLE, NOV. 17,1997
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Summary: The story behind The Salaryman's Wife
Review: I wrote my first mystery novel while working as an English teacher in the Yokohama area. I had the time of my life hanging out with wonderfully funny, kind Japanese friends and diverse gaijin who gave me the perfect motivation for...murder! I live in the US now, but the best thing about writing a mystery series set in Japan is I can visit annually to research everything from police procedure to the rising cost of my and Rei's favorite canned drink, Pocari Sweat. Rei will be back in July 1998 in a sequel called ZEN ATTITUDE.
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Summary: A sure-fire winner! A can't-put-down read!
Review: Rei Shimura is the kind of young woman who nicks both knees when she shaves her legs. She's described by an ex-boyfriend as having been nice at first, before she turned bossy. In other words, her looks may be part Japanese, but she's utterly American and completely charming as the amateur detective in Sujata Massey's The Salaryman's Wife, issued by HarperCollins as an original paperback. The reviews to date have been raves and Massey deserves them, start to finish, for this terribly entertaining mystery story. There are no stock characters here, but each personality is completely detailed, believable, and fun! And to add a whole hell of a lot to the mix, the plot is intricately wonven, unwinding at a lesurely, perfectly paced tempo. Those elements would be plenty to give a reader, of course, but Massey provides a great deal more--she throws in contemporary Tokyo and gives it to us on an antique platter. In other words, take the novel with you on the plane and you should be able to browse successfull
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Summary: A brilliant debut novel that has whetted my appetite for mor
Review: The Salaryman's Wife had me gripped from page one. Having lived in Japan for most of my adult life, it was a pleasant surprise to come across a book in which the slightly more shady side of life over here had been expertly depicted; instead of the normal, run-of-the-mill, sickly sweet fare churned out by most modern authors who seem to prefer their Japan to be traditional, honorable, polite and generally squeaky-clean. Sujata Massey wielded her brush masterfully in painting the two-tone personality of Rei Shimura, the main character, and the brush-strokes are invisible. The manner in which Shimura was able to fully exploit the demureness of her Japanese heritage while relying on the tenacious self-confidence of her American background to carry her through her ordeal added a dazzling three-dimensional edge to the character and brought her soaring off the page in full technicolor. Writing the story in the first person was a stroke of genius that enhanced the plot immeasurably. The storyline is vivid and sticks in the mind; so much so that even now I find it difficult to recall whether I actually read the book or had the tale related to me personally by Rei herself over a few drinks in the back streets of Kabukicho. I can't wait to meet up with Rei again next June when the second book in this series hits the stores. Christopher Belton (author of Crime Sans Frontieres)
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