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Originally Posted by Steve Anderson
Also by Martin Cruz Smith is one titled December 6. It's similar to Casablanca but set in Japan right before Pearl Harbor with an American nightclub owner caught between two worlds. I thought it was great. Also, I have to mention Alan Furst's books for more literary, espionage-flavored mysteries. His plots aren't always cooking on high but he makes up for it (for me) with the characters and period detail.
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Good take there by Steve Anderson. How could I have missed Alan Furst when making a recommendation for Espionage? His atmosphere is par excellence.
December 6 (aka
Tokyo Station) by Martin Cruz Smith is a good novel as well, and I did enjoy it a great deal, but I hesitated to mention it because the ending may be difficult for some to accept. Smith is known for his anti-climatic endings, and this one is the mother of them all. For people already familiar with Japan, it makes sense. For those who are not familiar with Japan, especially the Samurai, it may be off-putting. I suggest reading up on the Samurai code of honor first.