Island of Exiles

This historical mystery is set in feudal Japan. Parker does an excellent job of setting the scenery of life in Japan during conflicts between the Emperor and various uprisers. The mystery was interesting as well because there were many characters who had a motive. The main character, Akitada was very human and I felt like I could relate to him as he was puzzling out the murder of the exiled prince. But, Parker wrote an ending that stunned me. I never saw the resolution coming.

This was a particularly fun read for me because of my own personal history with Japan. Growing up in Japan, I have toured many of the small islands near Yamaguchi. I actually remember stopping by Sado Island as a child with my parents on our way to Oshima Island show more to go mikan picking (manadarin oranges). I could truly visualize Parker's descriptions as they were unfolding throughout the story. I will definitely continue this series. It was fun learning the history of places I had seen as a child, but was too young to appreciate. show less

While this book may be number five in the series, it falls after Black Arrow and before the Hell Screen in chronological order. I think the writing is probably some of the best so far. Sugawara goes undercover in this story to get to the truth in the murder of a princely exile on the island of Sadoshima. The author does a good job of writing a story that stands on its own, but if you have read the earlier books (chronologically) you will have a more in depth understanding of the main character.

One of the things I like about Parker's writing is that the story of medieval Japan comes to life without the author beating the reader over the head with "look at all I know about this period of history" details. I am looking forward to the next show more installment of Sugawara Akitada and his trusty sidekick Taro. (I hate to say it, but sometimes I think of the Lone Ranger and Tonto riding in over the hills to save the day for truth, justice and the Confucian way). show less

Medieval Japanese: what's not to like? Rich in details, but perhaps too rich and not all of it hung together that well. The focus seems to be on moral character - and while the figures are not black and white, their complexity did not quite ring true. There it is: I'm looking for stories which ring true. This was my first dip into this series. I won't try another. Not a bad book; just not good enough.

Our Hero experiences life on the lowest possible rungs of Heian-era Japan's social ladder (Judge Dee never dreamed of enduring such indignities in the course of upholding the Confucian Way), while investigating the murder of an exiled prince. The climax is worthy of Kurosawa. While the latest book published in the series, narratively it falls between The Black Arrow and The Hell Screen.

A very fine tale of 11th Century Japan. The series character is Sugawara Akitada,who is a relatively minor official. As the book begins,Akitada is sent on a secret mission to the penal colony on a remote island. He goes disguised as a prisoner to attempt to discover who has killed Prince Okisada. His mission is one that puts him in great danger and he is forced to overcome all sorts of privations before discovering the clever solution.

Terrific novel! The setting in 11th century Japan is fascinating, as is intricate murder investigation. I would recommend it to both mystery fans and historical fiction fans.

Very entertaining and interesting. I will definitely read more in this series.