...in more ways than one. Books set in 11th century Japan are thin on the ground, and anybody setting their whodunit in untapped territory gets my applause. I don't know enough about the setting to know how accurate it is (but then you probably don't either) but the story and pace keep this rolling along at a brisk rate and the book had ended long before I was ready, with the cases neatly concluded. If you admired van Gulik's laconic style then this is not written the same way, but a slim enough volume nevertheless. To its detriment at times the whole thing does seem very much like its predecessor indeed, with the highwayman turned bodyguard, old retainer, several intertwined cases, official being sent to distant parts to solve insoluble mysteries etc, but most of the time I was too busy enjoying it to care very much. A cozier tale than Laura Joh Rowland, but fans of either her work or you-know-who ought to find this highly entertaining. More, please...