If you are a fan of historical novels, set your sights on this series. Sugawara Akitada is an 11th century Japanese sleuth set in a period of rustic adventures, political intrigue of the Heian Period , as well as a time of brutality. Don't let these descriptors throw you. This is a brilliant series with a surprisingly likeable main character. This is the fourth in the Akitada series and the character poses as a prisoner to find out who killed the son of a governor. So as you can imagine in a time of primitive technology, that the sleuth must use brain as well as brawn, and a sharp cunning to solve the crime. This is an exotic world and Parker is a brilliant writer. You feel the waves in the prison ship, you image the unbearable taste of the daily gruel and imagery of a period in Japanese history that is well researched. The author I. J. Parker has a great web site that let's you into the world of that period of history. Originally a short story writer Parker turned Akitada into a profitable and likeable series that now spans several books. I highly recommend this series. I tend to read contemporary novels but found this author by 'accident' a couple years ago and I am a complete devotee. For an unusual sleuth, setting, and crime solver, try Sugawara Akitada. He and his author Ms. Parker will not dissappoint you.
