I’m going off the beaten track in the company of a new-to-me author; going to Japan with Japanese-American Rei Shimura.

It seems a solid first novel with, for the most part, good characterisation and plot. I like the protagonist a lot and my only complaint would be that the Japanese setting isn’t really coming alive for me for some reason that I can’t quite pinpoint. There’s plenty of cultural details but somehow whenever something Japanese specific happens I have to remember that we’re in Tokyo.

The ending blew me away! I was expecting a sensible conclusion with all the right things happening but Massey did brilliantly in pulling off a surprise that I wasn’t expecting. A twist in the tail that’s made me want to rush straight out and get book two.