Rating: 
Summary: The weakest of the series I've read so far, but still solid.
Review: "Black Lotus" is another one of the wife and husband super duo mystery novels by Laura Joh Rowland. Unlike the first two this one brings a lot more questionable material to within its pages. There are a lot of riscae, and even perverted parts of the book that the reader may wish they had been more prepared for.If you do have a solid stomach, and unshakeable resolve to get through even the most 'detailed' of detective novels, then this may be for you. Romanticism, warrior-pride, lust and betrayal is all jam packed into this wonderful 350 page roller-coaster. Definately give it a go, if you are a first time Rowland reader though, read 'Samurai's Wife', or 'Concubine's Tattoo' first.
Rating: 
Summary: Sects and Violence in Samurai-era Japan
Review: "Black Lotus" is the sixth novel set in 17th-century Shogunate Japan starring the Most Honorable Investigator of Events, Situations and People, Sano Ichiro, and his wife Reiko. Now married and the parents of a young boy, they are caught up in the activities of rising Buddist cult with much official support, but also with much to hide. When an arson fire reveals three bodies in a house and a young woman found beaten and unconscious nearby, Sano enlists his wife's help in questioning her. But pressures to solve the case quickly force a split between the couple, as Reiko gradually sympathizes with the orphan who had to choose between entering the temple or becoming a prostitute to support herself, and Sano's need to solve the case quickly. Complicating the case is Sano's cultural upbringing, which taught him that the man is always right and that a woman's shouldn't get involved in anything as nasty as a murder investigation. Much of "Black Lotus" is caught up in the struggle between the strong-willed couple. Rowland invests much of the series into opening the world of medieval Japan, with its unusual customs and deadly palace intrigues. Her previous books are filled with the feeling of falling into a foreign and dangerous culture that readers of "Shogun" will find familiar. But in "Black Lotus," the conflict between Sano and the temple -- which seems inspired by the Aum Shinrikyo sect responsible for the gas attack on the Tokyo subway a few years ago -- permits a much narrower scope. With the villains in place early and seemingly little in the way of a mystery to plumb, "Black Lotus" rings the changes with its characters and situations in an energetic but predictable fashion. The earlier books, particularly "The Concubine's Tattoo," which I reviewed on Amazon, are better introductions to the series.
Rating:
Summary: Sects and Violence in Samurai-era Japan
Review: "Black Lotus" is the sixth novel set in 17th-century Shogunate Japan starring the Most Honorable Investigator of Events, Situations and People, Sano Ichiro, and his wife Reiko. Now married and the parents of a young boy, they are caught up in the activities of rising Buddist cult with much official support, but also with much to hide. When an arson fire reveals three bodies in a house and a young woman found beaten and unconscious nearby, Sano enlists his wife's help in questioning her. But pressures to solve the case quickly force a split between the couple, as Reiko gradually sympathizes with the orphan who had to choose between entering the temple or becoming a prostitute to support herself, and Sano's need to solve the case quickly. Complicating the case is Sano's cultural upbringing, which taught him that the man is always right and that a woman's shouldn't get involved in anything as nasty as a murder investigation. Much of "Black Lotus" is caught up in the struggle between the strong-willed couple. Rowland invests much of the series into opening the world of medieval Japan, with its unusual customs and deadly palace intrigues. Her previous books are filled with the feeling of falling into a foreign and dangerous culture that readers of "Shogun" will find familiar. But in "Black Lotus," the conflict between Sano and the temple -- which seems inspired by the Aum Shinrikyo sect responsible for the gas attack on the Tokyo subway a few years ago -- permits a much narrower scope. With the villains in place early and seemingly little in the way of a mystery to plumb, "Black Lotus" rings the changes with its characters and situations in an energetic but predictable fashion. The earlier books, particularly "The Concubine's Tattoo," which I reviewed on Amazon, are better introductions to the series.
Rating:
Summary: An intriguing angle for an old genre
Review: I am quite a fan of mystery novels and read most of the popular series by various authors. Black Lotus, the sixth novel by Laura Joh Rowland, is my introduction to her series and I will most definitely go back and read her previous novels. The plots and characters of most series get stale quickly and are often derivative of one another, but Ms. Rowland writes mysteries as historical novels set in 17th century Japan and so has found an interesting new angle for her books. Judging by some of the previous reviews, it appears that some readers are quite disappointed that Ms. Rowland's characters do not act in a modern fashion, particularly in regards to gender roles. Keep in mind that this is a historical novel, banish your expectations about societal roles, and enjoy a good mystery and some fine historical writing.
Rating:
Summary: Too much Reiko, too little Sano
Review: I enjoyed this book but, like some of the other reviewers, I found Reiko's behavior a pain in the neck. She struck me has headstrong and intractable, and in a novel about Samurai justice, I prefer reading about Sano. I recognize that Reiko is Samurai class too, but her behavior in this book strikes me as wildly inappropriate -- fighting against her husband, rather than fighting alongside him. Also, is this McMillan and Wife or medieval Japan? On the whole, though, I love Rowland's Sano series and look forward to subsequent books.
Rating:
Summary: Too much Reiko, too little Sano
Review: I enjoyed this book but, like some of the other reviewers, I found Reiko's behavior a pain in the neck. She struck me has headstrong and intractable, and in a novel about Samurai justice, I prefer reading about Sano. I recognize that Reiko is Samurai class too, but her behavior in this book strikes me as wildly inappropriate -- fighting against her husband, rather than fighting alongside him. Also, is this McMillan and Wife or medieval Japan? On the whole, though, I love Rowland's Sano series and look forward to subsequent books.
Rating:
Summary: It's a Mystery to Me
Review: I have dutifully slogged through each of the preceeding Sano Ichiro mysteries, and, as each page turns, my reaction to the books strengthens. I'm not much of a mystery fan, but I do know that the detective figure in a mystery ought to do some dectecting. Sano and his wife, Reiko, do precious little. They are impulsive and rocket to conclusions on the smallest bit of evidence. They spend an inordinate amount of time scanning their own feelings about cases when they could spend that time scanning the evidence. And, when their random dectecting fails to pay off, the deus ex machina happily drops the key evidence or the entire mystery into their laps and everyone goes home happy. Except for the dead figures littering the landscape. What is detection? Well, I can't define it, but I know it when I see it. The Ichiros aren't. So why have I slogged through a series in a genre I care little about. Because the novels' background, the Tokugawa period, is woven enticingly into every scene in the books. Laura Joh Rowland has taken a period and presented it in fascinating detail. At least one other reviewer has asserted that the author's historical facts are inaccurate, but, if so, I don't care. She lays out a culture and milieu that is consistent, pervasive, and convincing. I even have to admit that our two dectectors can be forgiven some of their ineptitude because of social and cultural constraints that don't resonate with this modern American. I often hurry past the background of a novel to chase the protagonist(s) through the plot. In the case of the Sano Ichiro novels, I find myself hurrying past the principle characters to wallow in the background. So, all in all, I find this series compelling, but tedious in the central mystery. And I blushingly admit that I am looking forward to the next read.
Rating:
Summary: It's a Mystery to Me
Review: I have dutifully slogged through each of the preceeding Sano Ichiro mysteries, and, as each page turns, my reaction to the books strengthens. I'm not much of a mystery fan, but I do know that the detective figure in a mystery ought to do some dectecting. Sano and his wife, Reiko, do precious little. They are impulsive and rocket to conclusions on the smallest bit of evidence. They spend an inordinate amount of time scanning their own feelings about cases when they could spend that time scanning the evidence. And, when their random dectecting fails to pay off, the deus ex machina happily drops the key evidence or the entire mystery into their laps and everyone goes home happy. Except for the dead figures littering the landscape. What is detection? Well, I can't define it, but I know it when I see it. The Ichiros aren't. So why have I slogged through a series in a genre I care little about. Because the novels' background, the Tokugawa period, is woven enticingly into every scene in the books. Laura Joh Rowland has taken a period and presented it in fascinating detail. At least one other reviewer has asserted that the author's historical facts are inaccurate, but, if so, I don't care. She lays out a culture and milieu that is consistent, pervasive, and convincing. I even have to admit that our two dectectors can be forgiven some of their ineptitude because of social and cultural constraints that don't resonate with this modern American. I often hurry past the background of a novel to chase the protagonist(s) through the plot. In the case of the Sano Ichiro novels, I find myself hurrying past the principle characters to wallow in the background. So, all in all, I find this series compelling, but tedious in the central mystery. And I blushingly admit that I am looking forward to the next read.
Rating:
Summary: Not the best in the series, but still exciting
Review: I just finished reading this book, after having read The Concubine's Tattoo and The Samurai's Wife. Out of the 3, I'll admit this wasn't the best, but it was still extremely exciting. Some other reviewers argued that the story focused too much on Reiko and her quest to disprove Sano, but I still found their interactions interesting, and I thought the mystery was complemented by this: as a reader, I wanted to see whether Reiko would find enough evidence to prove her suspicions. I also enjoyed the subplot with Hirata and Midori. I was amazed at the lengths to which Midori went to prove her love to Hirata. Even if the story is a little lighter on mystery and investigation tactics than Rowland's others, it still has a lot of action. The final scene in the Black Lotus temple is so riveting, for me it made up for all of the novel's shortcomings. In any case, the story wasn't as strong a mystery as it could have been, but it still was captivating and definitely worth the time to read.
Rating: 
Summary: pseudo samurai tales
Review: i must admit that i often failed not to judge a book by its cover and this is one of the many times. after all the bookcover makes the first all important impression on the impressionable. however. i am not incline to recommand this title if what you are looking for are believable japanese characters or situation. as only a mystery it is fine. i am an avid holmes reader having read and re-read the complete stories many times. i am pretty much into whodunit novels, films, and even tv. also, i'm keen japanese/samurai culture "student". although i cannot say i fully appreciate cross-pollination of the detective genre and the japanese samurai genre i can say i'm somewhat disappointed. i expected more authenticity. more nitty and more gritty of things japanese of that time. which is to say i am not only interesting in whodunit and why and how but more interested in 17th century japan, and how this setting is used to stage this detective story.
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