Enzan

Multilayered and satisfying, a welcome and well-developed addition to an accomplished series. Kirkus A Zen master, a princess, and a martial artist burst out of their archetypes to reveal deep and likable characters. Stupendous! Foreword Reviews Incredible ... delightful ... couldn't put it down. (5 hearts) Heartland Reviews 4 out of 5 stars. Interesting plot and well written. Recommend for those Einstein martial arts. -- Marjorie Benet, Net Galley Reviewer 3 out of 5 stars. I strongly suspect that readers of John Donahue's four previous burke books" need only to be told that there is a new one out titled Enzan: The Far Mountain" and they will seek it out. However, if you are new to the John Donahue's fiction, as I was, I offer this advice; you need not be overly concerned about the book being part of a series as it stands quite well on it's own merit. The story is this: the daughter of a rich and powerful Japanese family is a willing participant in sex games with thugs. Pictures of her activities are being sent to her father, a high-ranking diplomat in the Japanese Foreign Service, in order to embarrass and manipulate him. The family reaches out to Burke and his Sensei, Yamashita for help. Why them? The answer comes to light in a diary written by Yamashita's old enemy Mori. When Burke decides to shoulder the burden to shield Yamashita, the double dealing and betrayals only wrap them tighter together. The story is awash in the culture of Japan and Burke's devotion to the way of the warrior" lends a semi-religiosity to the story. These injections of Japanese aestheticism and martial arts philosophy provide both reasons for, and contrasts to, the violence surrounding the mission to retrieve the errant daughter. I found Enzan" to be well written and interesting. The actions of Burke and Yamashita have realistic consequences; they, and their opponents are skillful, but there is no superhero, or mega-villain, within it's pages. All the characters have voices that seem true to life; they interact and clash in an unfantastic manner with that of Burke. I think anyone, and particularly those who have an interest in Japanese martial arts, will enjoy this slim novel. I received an advance reader's copy of Enzan: The Far Mountain" from NetGalley. -- J Alton, Net Galley Reviewer 4 out of 5 stars. Although I am not someone who engages in the martial arts, and had not read the earlier books in this series, I thoroughly enjoyed this one. The main character is engaging and I appreciated his self-deprecating wry humor. The plot held together reasonably well for a thriller. I am now going to see if I can read some of the earlier books in the series, which is as strong a compliment as I can make. -- David Daniel Klipper, Net Galley Reviewer