The Salaryman's Wife by Sujata Massey is currently $.99 at Amazon US ($2.99 at other stores). Book one in the Rei Shimura series
http://www.amazon.com/Salarymans-Wif.../dp/B00EXOFE28
Quote:
Winner of the Agatha Award for Best First Novel; Nominee, Barry and Macavity Awards for Best First Mystery and Anthony Award for Best Paperback Original
Japanese-American Rei Shimura is a 27-year-old English teacher living in one of Tokyo's seediest neighborhoods. She doesn't make much money, but she wouldn't go back home to California even if she had a free ticket (which, thanks to her parents, she does.) Her independence is threatened however, when a getaway to an ancient castle town is marred by murder.
Rei is the first to find the beautiful wife of a high-powered businessman, dead in the snow. Taking charge, as usual, Rei searches for clues by crashing a funeral, posing as a bar-girl, and somehow ending up pursued by police and paparazzi alike. In the meantime, she manages to piece together a strange, ever-changing puzzle—one that is built on lies and held together by years of sex and deception.
|