The Dragon Scroll: A Mystery of Ancient Japan Featuring Sugawara Akitada

by I.J. Parker

Book Overview

In an adventure filled with highway bandits, unscrupulous politicians, and renegade monks, The Dragon Scroll introduces readers to the lively world of eleventh-century Japan and an irrepressible... This description may be from another edition of this product.

• Format: Paperback
• Language: English
• ISBN: 0143035320
• Release Date: June 2005
• Publisher: Penguin Publishing Group
• Length: 338 Pages
• Weight: 0.65 lbs.
• Dimensions: 7.8" x 0.8" x 5.1"

Customer Reviews

Sugawara at his best...

I've read all of I.J. Parker's books and definitely think Dragon Scroll is one of the best in the Sugawara series - though I loved them all. I read Dragon Scroll out of sequence and enjoyed the "flasback" to Akitada's life as a bachelor and his struggles as a young nobleman trying to make a name for himself and a living. Parker is an incredible story teller and a master of Japanese history and manners. I can't imagine anyone else bringing 11th century Japanese characters to life so vividly or making this 21st century reader care so deeply about what happens to them. I only hope there are more to come.

Excellent Mystery

This is a classic mystery. The writing is clear and concise. If your looking for a good solid mystery these are for you. I've enjoyed the entire series and await more. This is an excellent book. Remember it is a story --it is not a narrative history of Japan. If your looking for history with a story go for the Shogun instead. If your looking for a story set in Japan --this is for you.

Another Sherlock Holmes of the Orient

If you like Sherlock Holmes, Judge Dee and even Sano Ichiro you will love these books. Please remember they won't make you a great detective. But they are enjoyable, quick, and pack with alot of action. The main character is Sugawara Akitada, if you can sum him up in few words, he does qualify to be called another Sherlock Holmes of the Orient. I highly recommend it.

Excellent mystery set in medieval Japan, first-rate beginning for a first-rate series.

Historical mysteries are like comedy -- either they work or they don't, and there is no middle ground. This mystery, the first of what I hope will be a long series, works wonderfully well. It is thoroughly grounded in the world of early medieval Japan, and it carries its immense learning and scholarship so lightly that only if you've read Japanese history for this period will you realize just how sound its view of Sugawara Akitada and his world is. The writing is always clear, amusing when it wants to be, and deeply moving at the right times. The plotting is sure and sensible, and the mystery unfolds at just the right pace. I read this one and immediately sought out the next. Highest recommendation.

An enjoyable mystery

This is the third book by I. J. Parker though timewise, the action takes place before the other two. It is an interesting look into the ways of ancient Japan with the plus of being an excellent mystery to boot. I find the characters believable - I wouldn't have read all three books if I hadn't. The premise of the book is that the main character is sent to a province to investigate the disappearance of taxes being sent to the capital. To say more would give away the whole plot.