J W Traphagan

The Blood of Gutoku J W Traphagan

Jack Riddley is an anthropologist all too ready to retire - he is done with university politics and is eager to start his new life in a sleepy village in northern Japan. What wasn't involved in his retirement plan is for a murder to occur just as he arrives in town. With Jack's passion for ethnography, he cannot help but get involved with the investigation, eager to discover not only who committed these crimes, but why. Even a village of retirees has its secrets - abandoned traditions, family rifts, and childhood traumas - all of which are perfect motives for murder.



"If you are a fan of Clavell's Shogun looking for another entrée to Japanese culture in the form of a rattling good yarn, look no further!" Kelly Smith, Professor and Chair, Department of Philosophy and Religion, Clemson University



"Retired anthropologist Jack Riddley helps police in rural Japan solve a perplexing mystery. In so doing, he reveals much about both Japanese culture and the nature of anthropological inquiry. Beautifully written, engaging, and insightful, this book is a winner." Richard Scaglion, Professor Emeritus, Department of Anthropology, University of Pittsburgh