For Seikei, the adopted son of the famous samurai Judge Ooka with a
knack for solving mysteries, a trip home to see his real family isn't
cause to celebrate. His brother has become mixed up with local criminals
who use the family's tea shop as a front for a smuggling operation. His
sister, meanwhile, has fallen in love with an apprentice to a puppet
master who stands accused of murder. Somehow, Seikei senses the two are
connected. His loyalties divided between his new family and his old,
Seikei must find the real killer before it is too late.
Set against the eerie backdrop of the old Japanese puppet theaters,
where life-sized marionettes were controlled by black-cloaked men, Edgar
Award-winners Dorothy and Thomas Hoobler render their most satisfying
mystery to date.