Matsuyama Kaze Series by Dale Furutani

Matsuyama Kaze is a ronin, or masterless samurai, destined to travel the countryside until he fulfills the dying wish of his lord's wife. At a crossroads on the way to the town of Suzaka, Kaze finds the body of a merchant pierced by an arrow. Not satisfied with the conclusions of local officials, he sets out to solve the crime himself. Kaze soon becomes embroiled with an unlikely - and untrustworthy - cast of characters, who are as colorful as they are crafty... moreMatsuyama Kaze is a ronin, or masterless samurai, destined to travel the countryside until he fulfills the dying wish of his lord's wife. At a crossroads on the way to the town of Suzaka, Kaze finds the body of a merchant pierced by an arrow. Not satisfied with the conclusions of local officials, he sets out to solve the crime himself. Kaze soon becomes embroiled with an unlikely - and untrustworthy - cast of characters, who are as colorful as they are crafty. Each has a secret to keep and an ax to grind, and it will take all of Kaze's subtlety, stealth, and samurai skills to unravel the mystery and unmask the killer. less

In" Kill the Shogun, award winning mystery writer Dale Furutani presents the latest in his popular samurai mystery series. He returns to the journey of Matsuyama Kaze, the masterless warrior destined to travel the seventeenth-century Japanese countryside until he fulfills the dying wish of his murdered lord's wife... moreIn" Kill the Shogun, award winning mystery writer Dale Furutani presents the latest in his popular samurai mystery series. He returns to the journey of Matsuyama Kaze, the masterless warrior destined to travel the seventeenth-century Japanese countryside until he fulfills the dying wish of his murdered lord's wife.Until now, Kaze's quick wit and samurai skills have enabled him to solve crimes, untangled himself from deadly schemes, and protect the innocent, all the while keeping his sense of justice and honor. But the danger now facing Kaze, from enemies known and unknown, is greater than ever. Kaze is the closest he's ever come to fulfilling his quest to rescue his lord's kidnapped daughter. Following a trail of clues, he is led to Edo, the bustling new capital of Japan. Treading in unfamiliar territory, Kaze is the object of a deadly manhunt when an attempt on the Shogun's life fails. He must dodge his lord's rivals, even as he learns that the young girl has been sold into prostitution. In his quest to save her, Kaze teams up with an eccentric cast of local characters who bring feudal Japan to life. The samurai must clear his name and rescue the child as the odds against him grow.With his sensitivity and stength, Matsuyama Kaze has been described by" Publishers Weekly as embodying "both compassion and ruthlessness." Furutani deftly combines Kaze's compelling spirit, a complex plot, and an acute sense of historical detail to produce an exciting tale of one warrior's noble quest. less