cover image Shimura Trouble: A Rei Shimura Mystery

Shimura Trouble: A Rei Shimura Mystery

Sujata Massey, . . Severn, $28.95 (173pp) ISBN 978-0-7278-6601-1

In Agatha-winner Massey’s engaging 10th mystery to feature antiques dealer and part-time spy Rei Shimura (after 2006’s Girl in a Box ), Rei and her father, who’s recovering from a stroke, travel from California to Hawaii for a family celebration with previously unknown Shimura relatives, who turn out to be involved in a legal battle to recover land stolen from them during WWII. After Michael Hendricks, Rei’s CIA colleague and current love interest, arrives in Honolulu, he helps Rei access classified information that may help to resolve the land issue, but something more sinister thickens the plot. Wildfires have been plaguing the leeward side of Oahu, where Rei and her relatives have rented a house. When Rei’s newfound nephew, Braden, is arrested for arson, Rei joins Michael in a risky ploy to get evidence exonerating Braden. An appealing protagonist and memorable supporting characters blend smoothly with lessons in Hawaiian and Japanese history in a tale sure to win new readers for the series. (June)