In the Library With A Candlestick

Title: In Darkness, Death

Author: Dorothy and Thomas Hoobler

ISBN: 9780142403662

Genre: Mystery, Detective, Murder

Summary
Seikei Ooka is a fourteen-year-old boy and is the foster son of Judge Ooka, a samurai. The Judge set a task for Seikei. He has to find out the source of a paper-folded butterfly that was founded in the murder scene of Lord Inaba and investigates who are the enemies of the lord. The Judge assigned a ninja, Tatsuno, to be Seikei's guard. In order for him to finish the tasks, they traveled around the country. First, from a papermaker in Minnowa, Seikei found out that the paper butterfly belongs to the O-Miwa shrine. They continued on for the second task to Etchu Province to find out the enemies of the lord. During the travel, Seikei learned that people are suffering because the order from the Lord Inaba. Seikei tried to petition to the new lord, Yutaro, about the situation he sees. Tatsuno warned him not to do so. It turned out that Seikei was imprisoned. With the help of Tatsuno, he escaped and headed to the O-Miwa Shrine to meet his father. In there, he will found out who killed the lord and who is back the scheme.

Review
It is an outstanding work for readers who are interesting reading foreign related story. As an Asian, I do feel more familiarity and connectivity in this story comparing to western stories. The whole story seems reality, but the authors used some fantasy element, the spirits and invisible nanja, to make the story more mysterious and attractive. The book used a lot of Japanese terms that readers might have to stop and look up the words. It might cause the readers to be out of interest. Overall, it is a remarkable book for teens and tweens.

Winner of the Edgar Allan Poe Award for Best Young Adult Novel 2005.

Positive reviews from Kirkus Reviews, Booklist and School Library Journal