The Moving Blade by Michael Pronko is a murder mystery novel set in historically rich Japan. Bernard Mattson, a top American diplomat, is murdered in Tokyo, and his beautiful half American-half Japanese daughter, Jamie, has to pick up the pieces. Somewhat estranged from her dad, New York based Jamie Mattson comes back to Tokyo and what she finds are threats, a missing manuscript and a missing controversial speech due to be delivered soon. As the heir to her father's lifetime work on Japanese-American negotiations, Jamie wants to get to the bottom of things. Assigned to the Mattson murder case is Detective Hiroshi Shimizu who has to untangle the complex web that involves the sensitive Pacific Rim geopolitics, and it is a matter of life and death.

Award winning novelist Michael Pronko certainly does not disappoint his readers with The Moving Blade. The story unravels with a burglary at the house of murdered American diplomat Bernard Mattson, which ends up in the burglar's death from a traditional Japanese tanto sword. When the Tokyo police try to solve the murder case, things get very complicated and it ultimately brings them to the gate of an American base. The Moving Blade is not an ordinary murder mystery novel as it involves controversial US-Japanese relations and author Michael Pronko is obviously an expert on the subject. This, combined with his intimate knowledge of the Japanese way of life, makes his novel doubly interesting. And as we follow Jamie Mattson in her quest to perpetuate her father's legacy, we also get to learn a thing or two about the very interesting Japanese culture. I highly recommend this book!

In The Moving Blade, Bernard Mattson, architect of many defense treaties between Japan and America, is murdered, but it is made to appear like a botched robbery. A man is found in an alley, killed by a single sword strike. Homicide detective Hiroshi Shimizu suspects a connection, but the tangled trail leads him in directions that may not help him enjoy a long life. Jamie Mattson flies to Tokyo to attend her father’s funeral, unaware of the complex intrigue about to ensnare her. According to their research, Jamie’s father had written a book exposing the murky side of Japanese/American politics, embarrassing for too many people if published. A mysterious killer leaves a trail of bodies, men who had an interest in publishing the book. Afraid for Jamie’s safety, Hiroshi urges her to return to New York, but she refuses to leave until her father’s murderer is exposed and the book published. The effort almost costs her life, but as the mystery slowly unwinds, the players reveal themselves.

Michael Pronko takes readers into the fascinating world of Japanese culture and philosophy, so different from the Western mindset, which resulted in an eminently readable story in The Moving Blade. Jamie Mattson, born in Japan, living most of her life in New York, gradually recaptures her past and appreciation for a way of life seemingly lost to her. Hiroshi Shimizu is at first glance a typical Japanese: loyal, honest, an able player of cultural nuances and the indirect approach. He is at first an unusual partner for Jamie. But having lived in America for several years, he becomes a bridge between his and her world as they work to resolve an expanding web that Japanese and American interests have woven for decades. The Moving Blade has enough plot twists to satisfy avid whodunit readers, and those keen to glimpse a culture that is in many respects alien to Westerners. I was impressed with Michael Pronko’s professionalism, the depth of his research, and the fluency of his writing.