Dead Blossoms: The Third Geisha

Dead Blossoms: The Third Geisha

<b><h2>16th Century Japan<br /> <br />A civil war has left the nation in tatters…</h2></b><br /> <br />Jiro Tazeko is a ronin samurai – tied to no clan and scorned by many. A hard-drinking mercenary and master swordsman, he is looked down upon by his fellow samurai, thinking him without honor. <br /> <br />Tazeko also claims to be trained as a ninja, shadowy fighters with no pedigree and no honor, lowering him even further in the eyes of his peers.<br /> <br />Now, Tazeko is hired by a lord to investigate the disappearance of a noblewoman, another lord’s daughter. <br /> <br />What follows is a gripping mystery, steeped in blood and tense drama as Tazeko journeys throughout Japan to uncover the dark and terrible truth behind this woman’s disappearance.<br /> <br />Soon, this samurai finds himself in the midst of a never-ending political plot as many lords manoeuvre for power throughout feudal Japan. <br /> <br />Master of the sword and relentless detective, Tazeko must pursue the truth at great cost – not only to himself, but to all players in the game who will suffer as truth comes to light and deadly games are played. <br /> <br /><b><i>Dead Blossoms</i></b> is an enchanting tale of mystery and honor set in feudal Japan.<br /> <br /><b><h2>Praise for Richard Monaco:</h2><br /> <br />“Captivating…” – <i>Associated Press</i><br /> <br />“Epic scope…”– <i> Los Angeles Sunday Times</i><br /> <br />“Monaco’s dialogue and meditations are often salty and fresh … a restless, strenuous rumination on civilization’s death and resurrection…” – <i>Kirkus Reviews</i><br /> <br />“Worth waiting for.” – <i>Publishers Weekly</i><br /> <br />“Monaco presents dark, tormented tales … not for the weak-hearted.” – <i>Fantasy Newsletter</i><br /> <br />“Monaco recreates the taste, touch, smell and sound of the knightly world in reality, not romance … he succeeds brilliantly…” – <i>Library Journal</i><br /> <br />“… unbelievably talented … a literary miracle…” – <i>Drogin Book Column</i><br /> <br />“Richard Monaco has created an unusual slant on the Arthurian Legend. Horror and bloodshed mingle with a soft, imaginative romanticism making an instant classic.” – <i>Salisbury Times</i><br /> <br />“… offers a worthy inclusion in the enduring and ever-expanding Arthurian literature.” – <i>King Features Syndicate</i></b><br /> <br />Richard Monaco wrote the best-selling Parsival novels, 1977-2012, two of which were Pulitzer finalists. In addition he wrote over a dozen other books, plays, and screenplays. Monaco studied musical composition at Columbia, edited a national student newspaper and a poetry magazine, and had a radio talk show based on his textbook The Logic of Poetry. In 1979 he co-founded a NYC literary agency and the online journal, Grand Central Review, in 2015.<br />