Inspector Aoki's Tokyo team has built a solid case against a corrupt politician, only to have the investigation abandoned completely on instructions from above. The fallout destroys Aoki's family and he is taken off duty and sent to a remote mountain ryokan to recover. When the snow comes down early and isolates them, however, Aoki discovers that both his fellow guests and the staff are hiding secrets, and that his own presence is not accidental. He is launched on a careening arc of violence and mayhem.

The different plot strands that come together at Kamakura Inn are not connected in an entirely fulfilling way and the plot relies on a few too many contrivances for its operation. But Rendezvous at Kamakura Inn is fast-paced enough for that not to really matter: it is an entertaining and atmospheric thriller.

January 2007

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Related reviews:

- Marshall Browne - Inspector Anders: The Wooden Leg of Inspector Anders; Inspector Anders and the Ship of Fools
- more Australian + New Zealand literature
- books about Japan + Japanese history
- more detective fiction