[.ca] Zen Attitude (ISBN 0060899212)

Simply Captivating:
This second in the utterly charming Rei Shimura series is even more delightful--and more addictive--than its wonderful predecessor, "The Salaryman's Wife." In this story, Ms. Shimura has taken some giant strides. She now lives in luxury with her lover, Hugh Glendenning, the Scots lawyer--but as always, her simple Japanese side is at war with her American side over the opulence of their apartment. She has given up her lowly job, and is now selling antiques, her lifelong dream. Her Japanese side allows her entree into the most conservative of Japanese homes, while her American side allows her to bargan cannily for the best price. Such is the situation when we happily meet Ms. Shimura again in "Zen Attitude." She has been hired on consignment by a major player in the antiques world, the formidable Nana Mihori. One antiquing coup with Mihori can set Shimura up for life. Therefore, when she finds the quintessential "tansu," a ceremonial chest of drawers worth millions of yen, Ms. Shimura is overjoyed. She spends way too much on behalf of her client, has the priceless piece delivered to her own apartment--and then finds out to her horror that it is a fake. And that's just the beginning. Throw in Hugh's majorly cool but spoiled rotten brother Angus, who will smoke anything and everything in sight; a hip young car salesman who may or may not be a serial killer; a buddhist temple run by the Mihoris but seemingly fraught with evil; and the overly macho, very scary daughter of the Mihori clan, and you have but a taste of the adventures to come. All I will say here is...all is NOT what it seems. This series is a find. An absolute treasure. I cannot wait to ready the next, and recommend Ms. Massey's unique, deceptively zenlike series to anybody who likes the truly different.

Read this in one sitting . . .:
. . . very entertaining and the mystery comes together beautifully. The 2nd book in the Rei Shimura takes up a few months after the 1st book, "The Salaryman's Wife," leaves off. Rei is living with her Scottish lawyer boyfriend, Hugh and trying to make a success of her antiques business, when, once again, her life gets mired down by murder & intrigue. As with the 1st book in the series the deft handling of the plot kept me interested and surprised until the end. Red herrings and secondary characters are woven into a story that is fast-paced and entertaining, while seamlessly including glimpses into modern and historical Japanese culture. The few quibbles I have with the book focus mainly on the main characters. I found Hugh's stated devotion to Rei suspect, especially after the introduction of his younger brother Angus. His vacillation between the two and his treatment of Rei in several scenes seemed to argue that there was no basis for their relationship other than his need to make a connection with someone Japanese and her physical attraction to him. And, although I find Rei intriguing, I still haven't solidified a bond with her. Like Nevada Barr's heroine Anna Pigeon, Rei takes a while to grow on you. But even when Rei's actions and feelings seem more random than reasonable, there is a depth and complexity to her that is refreshing. She, like the Japan she treasures, isn't easily understood or forgotten. I have just started reading the third book in the series - The Flower Master - and even though I'm only halfway through chapter one I'm intrigued and itching to read more. Sujata Massey has quickly joined a the list of mystery writers who seems to effortlessly draw you into the world they create. I look forward to enjoying many more of her books.

OK, but...:
Sujata Massey's books are entertaining but in this book she gave too much free reign to Angus, Hugh's vile brother. Of course, the audience isn't supposed to emphathise with Angus but his rantings against the Japanese, et al were tedious and racist. I almost expected him to declare his membership of the British National Front!

Love Her or Hate Her, but You Canýt Put the Book Down:
Rei Shimura has moved up in the world, now she lives in luxury with her lover, Scottish Lawyer Hugh Glendenning, and she's selling antiques, her lifelong dream. This is a big change for the Rei we met in "The Salaryman's Wife." She has been hired by a major player in the antiques world, the formidable Nana Mihori. The right deal with Mihori can set Rei up for life, so when she finds a ceremonial chest of drawers worth millions of yen, she is overjoyed. She spends way too much on behalf of Mihori, has the priceless piece delivered to her apartment, then finds to her horror that it's a fake. Once again Sujata Massey takes us on a wild Japanese ride and along the way we meet a female judo champion, Hugh's spoiled brother Angus who will smoke anything in sight, a hip young car salesman who may or may not be a serial killer, a buddhist temple run by the Mihoris, and the very scary daughter of the Mihori clan and of course there's Rei Shimura herself, who seems so exasperating as she gets involved in murder. Rei Shimura is a character that you'll either love or hate as you flip though the pages as fast as you can read, because love her or hate her, you won't be able to put the book down. Review submitted by Captain Katie Osborne

Cultural Interest Has No Borders:
Massey's goal is to explore and teach about culture. Born in England to Indian and German parents, she's fascinated by Japan, so she sets her novels in that country and makes her main character Japanese-American. (I understand the strategy completely; I'm Italian-American, but my protagonists are Hispanic or Greek.) Zen Attitude is a worthy contribution to her series. It's an amiable mystery that allows Rei Shimura to continue her Japanese odyssey. Shimura's identity makes her a logical, trustworthy narrator. I like the anitquities angle. Since I know nothing about Japanese furniture, it's easy enough for Massey to plant clues I miss, yet I don't feel cheated that I missed them. I enjoyed reading about Shimura's boyfriend problems, especially when the problematic kid brother arrives, since this is the kind of familiar mess we all dread. The end of the book is a little too dramatic to be completely effective, but it doesn't mar the overall experience.