Fires of Edo by Susan Spann

First Sentence:  FIRE!

Samurai Hiro and the Portuguese priest, Father Mateo, who Hiro has been assigned to protect, have arrived in Edo to warn their fellow spies to return to Kyoto since their lives are in danger. A fire sends them to assist the fire brigade, headed by Daisuke, a fellow member of Iga Ryu who bullied Hiro when they were children.  This is the third recent fire, yet this one reveals the partially dismembered body of yet another samurai. A bookshop owner and his apprentice are arrested and may die unless Hiro and Father Mateo can save them, the guild, and even their own lives which are now at risk.

What a wonderful look at 16th Century Japan, its villages, and its technique for fighting fires.  But this was no gentle time.  Spann makes clear how harsh feudal life, and law, could be.

Hiro and Father Mateo Ávila de Santos, along with their delightful housekeeper Ana, and her cat Gato, are characters one enjoys spending time with, as well as they do with one another.  As usual, it is best to start this series at the beginning to understand the character development.  Part of the intrigue is in following their travels to the Portuguese colony at Yokoseura where Father Mateo can be kept safe until Japan names a new shogun, a matter fraught with danger and spies from rival sides.  Yet it is in their travels that they find themselves embroiled in murder and great danger.

One can’t set a book set in Japan without talking about the food—“Paper-thin slices of fresh sashimi rested on delicate, palm-sized dishes glazed the color of autumn leaves.  Nearby, a pair of whole grilled fish sat side by side on a rectangular, black-glazed plate.  Coils of pale, fragrant steam rose from the covered soup bowl and the heaping of rice on the far lacquered tray.  Beside the rice, two tiny plates of bite-sized tsukemono rounded out the meal.”

But it’s the mystery, and the characters involved that keep the pages turning.  You have Daisuke, commander of the fire brigade, and Hiro’s long-time adversary Hanzō, a famous ninja commander and leader of the Iga ryu, and Hiyoshi who is politically ambitious and wants to be the new head of the fire brigade. One wishes the Cast of Characters was at the beginning of the book, rather than the end. 

FIRES OF EDO is suspenseful, with plenty of twists and a very dramatic climax. It is educational as Spann includes actual historical figures.  It’s a quick, engrossing read and a very good addition to the series. 

FIRES OF EDO
HistMys/Hiro Hattori/Fr.Mateo-Japan-1566
by Susan Spann – 8^th in series
Seventh Street Books, Feb 2022, 265 pp.
RATING: VG+/A