by Sujata Massey, 2000

I think this is the third mystery by Ms Massey I have read in this series. The heroine is Rei Shimura, a Japanese American living in Tokyo and trying to be an antiques dealer. This one is centered around the flower arranging course her aunt is forcing her to attend. Fans of hardboiled police procedurals will not like this series -- its pretty girly. But I find her appealing, and I like the settings.

A while back, I tried reading Shinju by Laura Joh Rowland, a mystery set during the Shogunate. I can't recommend that one, though.