A favorite local author, Ms. Hirahara has done it again! Old, cantankerous Mas Arai has once more fallen into having to solve a crime. And this one is a real mess because his friend is involved – sort of. Pretty much against his wishes, Mas has agreed to stand up for Harou – at his wedding! But before the nuptials occur, a set of ancient Japanese dolls disappear from Harou’s fiancé’s house. Mas suspects the drug-addled daughter of the fiancé but everyone else is pointing the finger at Harou. Mas knows this couldn’t be true and sets out to clear his friend and fellow WWII atom bomb survivor’s name. There’s a lot of fascinating history in this tale – as always. It’s certainly not one you want to miss if you’ve enjoyed Mas’ previous adventures.

Recommended by Lee Kelley