The Perfumed Sleeve

A deadly power struggle in feudal Japan threatens to ignite a civil war as Sano Ichiro navigates a treacherous political landscape to solve a murder mystery.The Perfumed Sleeve is the ninth book in Laura Joh Rowland's captivating mystery series set in feudal Japan, featuring the honorable investigator Sano Ichiro. In November 1694, the streets of Edo are erupting in violence as two factions vie for control over the ruling Tokugawa regime. Sano finds himself caught between the rival camps, each pressuring him to join their ranks.When one of the shogun's most trusted advisers is found dead, Sano is obliged to fulfill the man's posthumous request for a murder investigation. Makino, the Senior Elder, suspected his death would be the result of assassination rather than natural causes. Despite their bitter rivalry, he knew the incorruptible Sano would honor his final wish.Under the watchful eyes and thinly veiled threats of the two opposing factions, Sano must tread carefully as he investigates the death. Each side is eager to implicate the other, and Sano must determine if the death was indeed murder, and if so, whether it was motivated by politics, love, or sex. The discovery of secret alliances, both romantic and military, further complicates the case.As Sano's investigation progresses, another of the shogun's favorites falls victim to violent death. With his wife, Reiko, working undercover and his chief retainer, Hirata, by his side, Sano races against time to solve the murders and prevent the outbreak of a devastating civil war in this gripping historical mystery set in ancient Japan.