The Kizuna Coast

When a devastating earthquake rocks Japan's northeast coast, a tsunami follows and Rei Shimura is swept into her most rugged adventure yet. The mystery begins with an SOS from Rei's friend, the antiques dealer Mr. Ishida, trapped among thousands of displaced and dead on the Tohoku Coast. Rei rushes to Tokyo, where she discovers Ishida Antiques may have been burglarized. Rei takes Mr. Ishida's abandoned dog, Hachiko, on a volunteer bus to the ravaged town of Sugihama. But Mr. Ishida's got more work for her, since he lost sight of his antiques apprentice Mayumi and is frantic with worry. He won't leave Sugihama without knowing the fate of the troubled 19-year-old girl from a famous lacquer-making family. Calling on disaster survivors and volunteers--as well as her knowledge of Japanese manners and history--Rei investigates the suspicious disappearance. From Tohoku's muddy shops and shelters to the buzzing bars and bathhouses of Tokyo, it's a suspenseful journey. But as Rei draws closer to the truth, she realizes that she's being stalked. What is following her--and can she survive the wave of danger she never saw coming? THE KIZUNA COAST is the latest novel in a sexy, smart and humorous mystery series that has won the Agatha and Macavity mystery awards and been nominated for the Edgar, Anthony, and Mary Higgins Clark prizes. It's bound to intrigue new readers and satisfy longtime Rei Shimura fans.