EVERGREEN Japantown, Book 3

Alison Hiroto's light, sweet voice is well suited to Aki Ito, the protagonist in Hirahara's Japantown mysteries, set just after WWII. In this sequel to the award-winning CLARK AND DIVISION, we find Aki and her parents resettled in Los Angeles. Working as a nurse's aide at the Japanese hospital, Aki encounters an elderly Issei man with suspicious injuries. When a murder occurs at the squalid hotel where he'd been staying, Aki investigates, against the advice of her husband and parents. The novel's wealth of fascinating cultural and historical information often dominates the mystery, and Hiroto can sound stilted as she navigates the details. But her clear characterizations and believable emotion during dramatic scenes make for an appealing listen. A.C.S. © AudioFile 2023, Portland, Maine [Published: SEPTEMBER 2023]