Inspector O, formerly a police investigator in North Korea, is living with his nephew, Major Bing, in Yanji, China. Bing is chief of the Chinese Ministry of State Security operations on the border with North Korea, so he is called in when seven residents die on the same evening in four restaurants in the Yanji area.
The mayor is calling it terrorism, but Bing isn't so sure. He thinks it might be a message from one gangster to another. Inspector O has heard mafia rumors too, but then he is suddenly approached to undertake a secret task in Portugal, posing as a businessman from Japan. Obedient to the call of an old friend, O heads for Europe and is swept into a confusing mission that spreads from Portugal to Spain. Apparently, a Spanish company is manufacturing machines integral to the production of nuclear bombs and disguising them as dumpling makers. But are the dumpling machines headed for North Korea? China? The Japanese yakuza? The layers of intrigue are thick, and it will take O's efforts in Europe and Bing's assistance back home to get to the bottom of the mystery.
A rather elliptical entry in an interesting series, The Gentleman from Japan showcases James Church's intelligence background. O's poetic, introspective approach to high-level intrigue is sure to appeal to fans of Arnaldur Indridason or Donna Leon. Enigmatic but irresistible, The Gentleman from Japan is a fascinating international escapade for the impeccable Inspector O. --Jessica Howard, blogger at Quirky Bookworm