Fifth book but still fun to read!
It's interesting to see the relationship dynamic between the two main characters.
And for the first time, there is a bit of love story in the book.
I enjoy this series very much. ( )

This was a fun book. I enjoyed the Japanese detail. This book is a fun, lighthearted mystery, not a complicated thriller.The main characters are likeable. ( )

4.25 Stars. I have a soft spot for Susan Spann’s Hiro Hattori Novels (Shinobi Mysteries). After enjoying The Blade of the Samurai (Book 2), hosting a very interesting post from the author about Goshikimai: the Ninjas’ Coded Rice for Book 3’s release and being entertained by The Ninja’s Daughter (Book 4), I was delighted to have an opportunity to read Betrayal at Iga (Book 5).

The mysterious and secluded forest setting of the mountain village in which Hiro Hattori grew up forms a wonderful stage for intrigue and deception. As Hiro battles with ghosts of the past and assassins in the present, we learn much more about the people and events that have shaped him. Of particular note are the several strong female characters that play integral roles in this story. Read full review >> ( )

This is my fourth book with Hiro Hattori and Father Mateo and hopefully not my last. I don’t read a lot of murder mysteries any more – I like my sleep and I find that thrillers, murders, et al keep me awake at night. There is something almost gentle in the way these books handle the gruesome topic of murder. At any rate it allows for a restful night’s sleep if I don’t get the book read in the course of a day. In the case of Betrayal at Iga I did read it in one afternoon so there was no fear of a restless sleep no matter what.

In this installment Hiro finds himself back where he began which causes many problems for him above and beyond the inevitable murder(s) that need solving. I’m not spoiling anything but offering up the existence of murder for it wouldn’t be a Shinobi Mystery without at least one.

The investigation of the murders this time is particularly delicate as the dead were part of a visiting delegation who were visiting to negotiate between the clans. There are secrets and lies swirling everywhere and Hiro must navigate within his family of trained assassins who just may be responsible for the deaths. He also is meeting his first love for the first time since she betrayed him. He must stay focused to sort out the clues and to keep Father Mateo from breaking Japanese protocol in a place that is about as rigid as it gets.

I did enjoy this book – I think it’s my favorite of the four I have read. Hiro is less rigid in a place where he really should be most controlled and Father Mateo is his usual self. The addition of family pressures adds to the strain and pressure of trying to solve murders that could have lasting impacts on their country. These two characters and their loyal maid/cook/cat keeper are a wonderful group of crime fighters using what we might call forensics at a time when the word hasn’t even entered the lexicon. The book is a page turner that keeps the reader guessing. It does easily stand alone but as with any series it is richer reading with the knowledge that comes with having read the earlier books. ( )