Great characters once again come together to find the answer to who did it.
The new theatre was a great setting in which to hold all the twists and turns within this story. Josh Reynolds is an autobuy author for me and once again I highly recommend you check out his writing!

The Flower Path is a wonderfully engaging mystery by Josh Reynolds set in the multi-author sandbox world of Rokugan, and the third book by Reynolds featuring the clever amateur sleuth Daidoji Shin. Released 21st June 2022 by Aconite, it's 352 pages and is available in paperback, audio, and ebook formats. It's worth noting that the ebook format has a handy interactive table of contents as well as interactive links and references throughout. I've really become enamored of ebooks with interactive formats lately.

The Legend of the Five Rings world is a re-imagined "sandbox" setting with multiple authors and tie-ins, based on a roughly Feudal era Japan with the addition of dragons, magic, and political fantasy. Besides the fiction, the original setting was used for fantasy RPG, collectible card game, and even LARPing. There was also a D&D tie-in published as part of the third edition rules, called Oriental Adventures, which is now out of print.

That has, more or less, nothing whatever to do with this mystery. Despite being the third (of four) Daidoji Shin mystery, it works perfectly well as a standalone. The writing and especially the characterizations are beautifully rendered and three dimensional. The setting is organically rendered and with literally thousands of pages of canon, the setting is as much a main theme of the book as the primary characters.

The mystery is cleverly wrought and all the technical aspects of the writing are in place and working smoothly. It's a huge cast of characters and there were some slight issues at a few places keeping track of which envoy was whose and which characters did what at the primary setting, Daidoji's newly refurbished and fabulously (potentially ruinously) expensive theatre, where the leading lady is murdered on opening night. For readers who experience the same issues, the e-book format has the added benefit of a search function.

Four and a half stars. The writing is compelling enough to make me seek out the previous books (and keep an eye out for the fourth book featuring these characters, due out in July 2023).

Disclosure: I received an ARC at no cost from the author/publisher for review purposes.

I have been provided with an advance copy of the new Legend of the Five Rings book The Flower Path by Josh Reynolds, published by Aconyte Books, so here is the honest review I promised in exchange for the book.

So here is an important disclaimer which is always important to put out there first. I have a casual work contact with Asmodee to demonstrate board games for them in stores and at conventions. Asmodee being the parent company of Aconyte the publisher.

I am going to try my best to not let that cloud my judgement in this review, but I accept that subconsciously it might.

So let’s crack on with a review then!

What is Legend of the Five Rings
L5R as it’s often known is a fantasy setting for a series of card games and RPGs originally published by AEG, but now taken care of by Fantasy Flight.

It’s set in the empire of Rokugan which is heavily feudal Japan influenced, with a bit of other East Asian influences, like China and Korea thrown in as well.

It’s a fantasy setting with the usual fantasy tropes of goblins and rat men, but also oni and kitsune too.

The Story
This is the third of the Daidoji Shin mysteries and returns to the City of the Rich Frog as the theatre troupe Shin became patron of in the first book, face their opening night at the brand new Firefox Theatre, built to be the finest theatre outside of the Imperial Capital to Shin’s exacting specifications.

In his efforts to ensure success, Shin has recruited the most famous actress in all of Rokugan, Noma Etsuko, to lead the troupe since its original lead actress has left after the events of the first book.

But she doesn’t make fast friends, rather she makes many enemies amongst the cast and crew of the troupe, many of whom curse the day she joined them.

But as the curtain rises, and she walks the Flower Path of the Firefox Theatre for the first time, she collapses on stage, and subsequently dies backstage.

Knowing the killer must still be in the theatre, Shin seeks to uncover the mystery of her death as it soon becomes clear, that she had enemeies beyond the cast.

The clock is ticking and can Shin find the killer, before the show ends!

Conclusion
This is a bit of a slow start, there is a huge cast, and there is a big need to establish exactly how hated the victim is, so there is a lot of exposition as the great and good of The City of The Rich Frog descend upon the theatre for the first performance.

Yeah the initial start is a bit slow, but its overall well paced and very entertaining.

Daidoji Shin is a wonderful character, a Rokugan Sherlock Holmes but with his own distinctive qualities.

I would really recommend reading the first two books first, but thats not a bad thing because both Poison River and Death’s Kiss are excellent books!

It might not appeal to all readers, this is a book that I think would struggle to stand on its own as so much of the cast made appearances in the first two books and this story kind of expects you to have a lot of background knowledge already.

Anyway I loved this book and cannot wait for Three Oaths, the next in the series!

5 out of 5 Stars

I freely admit that I didn’t quite clock this was from a series however, I was fascinated by the world and characters and would definitely check out the others!

There really is a cast of such interesting characters that kept me reading when things were a bit slow and hard to get through at points! The characterisation was brilliant and that’s what really endeared this book to me!

There’s a massive pool of suspects and it’s quite complex, despite the slowness it was certainly intriguing!

We reviewed this in our Podcast, but enjoyed the title immensely. Its ending I feel wasn't quite as strong as the previous two installments, but it was especially nice to see some characters from the broader L5R join Shin's adventures, as well as seeing his interactions with the ever suspect Scorpion clan.

The third book in Josh Reynolds’ Daidoji Shin series of Legends of the Five Rings detective novels, The Flower Path sets its mystery within the walls of a theatre during the chaos of opening night. Coming worryingly close to a semblance of respectability, Daidoji Shin is now the proud owner of the refurbished Foxfire Theatre, and has high hopes for the first production and its new, somewhat high maintenance lead actress Noma Etsuko. A lot is resting on this opening performance for both Shin and the theatre company, but when Etsuko collapses on stage during the first act, Shin has to put his investigative skills to good use and find out who poisoned the little-liked diva, and why. Tensions among the cast, crew and even the high-ranking representatives of many of the great clans in the audience, however, don’t make his investigation any easier.

Less a locked-room mystery and more an unlocked-and-unsecured-theatre mystery, this nevertheless has fun with its constraints, Shin finding his options somewhat limited by the need to identify the culprit before the entire audience goes home at the end of the performance. The whole thing takes place within the theatre in the run up to and during the play, moving through the dressing rooms, boxes, mazelike corridors and even the stage as Shin juggles his responsibilities towards his guests and his investigation into the poisoning, while the cast flit between costumes and scene changes, and the hidden tensions within the theatre slowly rise to the surface. It quickly becomes clear that Etsuko has as many enemies as admirers, and is at the heart of a wide-reaching web of grudges, suspicions and rivalries within both the company and the broader reach of Rokugani society.

As expected, this continues the series’ approach of setting fairly gentle, grounded Golden Age-esque mysteries in the feudal Japan-inspired world of Rokugan, and eschewing most of the more fantastical elements of the setting in favour of clan politics and small-scale personal conflicts. What this approach does so well is the way it explores the Rokugani life in microcosm through the lens of something fairly intimate and character-driven, in this case using the inherent tensions within a tight-knit theatre company to reflect the setting’s complex web of social hierarchies, clan alliances and political rivalries. A theatre is an ideal place to set this sort of mystery, and Shin’s status as both a high-ranking nobleman and a figure at the centre of much speculation, as well as giving him plenty of challenges, allows for a typically entertaining perspective as he gradually teases out the truth.

There’s a lot of characters to keep track of here, what with various actors, stagehands, nobles and bodyguards, so the cast list at the back of the book comes in handy as Shin bounces from one to the other asking questions and deflecting pointed social barbs. There’s perhaps even more verbal jousting than in previous novels, particularly in Shin’s dealing with the unsmiling representative of the secretive Scorpion clan, and accordingly much less blade-wielding action (and sadly, if understandably, a bit less of Kasami), but the murky political waters that Shin navigates provide plenty of danger even so. Compared to the first two books there’s a slightly different feel here, with its enclosed setting and smaller scale, but it feels like a natural extension to what’s gone before and a clear sign that there’s scope for this series to run and run (which it hopefully will!). All told it’s a smart, satisfying detective story in its own right and another fantastic, comforting instalment in a tremendously entertaining series.

After months of work the Foxfire Theater is set to re-open and Daidoji Shin has put forth every effort and spared no expense to see that it will be a successful opening night. The play is a crowd pleaser. The Three Flowers Troupe is at its best. And a new lead actress, Noma Etsuko, has been brought in. But Shin cannot avoid a mystery even when he pursues other interests and mid play the lead actress has an attack. Despite quick reactions all around, she dies back stage. Her killer is somewhere in the Foxfire Theater either among the common folk and the theater’s own crew or among the nobles there to be seen. If Shin cannot figure out who killed her and how before the play ends justice will never be found, and Etsuko did not make a great many friends among her fellows.

Josh Reynolds The Flower Path is an excellent novel that does a fantastic job of bringing back previously introduced characters as well as introducing new ones. I greatly enjoyed the return to the Foxfire theater and the Three Flowers Troupe, the descriptions of the backstage chaos and the interactions between the actors and the stage crew felt good. The drama of this actress having pull over so many nobles to the point that they had all come to the theater to see her, only for her to die and leave them all as suspects was a delight.

The new Unicorn noble, Shinjo Yasamura, feels like someone who should be important later on, if only because of how he complicates things between Shin and Iuchi Konomi and how he plays off Shin as someone equally smart but rooted in very different ideas. Plus, I just like how conflicted Shin was by the attractive man who said he was attending the play to meet Shin not actually being there for him and their weird noble not quite flirting.

Kasami is, as ever, a delight. She did not get quite as much page space as usual, but remains a solid contrasting voice to Shin. Seeing her interacting with people, from other bodyguards to some of the actors and stage crew was a delight. Her whole staunchly lawful nature feels humorous when played against one of the noble’s bodyguard, Arban Ujik, who doesn't much care about social rules and the actress, Chika, who would very much like to interact with her more, especially when both seem to want to get into her robes and seem mutually aware of this. There remains something nicely solid about Kasami, she doesn't understand why Shin does what he does and only vaguely approves of some of it and only then when it seems like he's becoming more of a proper noble, but she stands by him all the same and wants the best for him. It's good to see.

The case itself is also fascinating. The details layer over each other, building various possible cases, casting aside and pulling back in different suspects, but never quite adding up entirely. So many characters have reason to resent Etsuko, to want her out of the way, but none of them quite fit the means or method right. Many of them have reason to resent her, but more reason not to act on it. It's a solid mystery that leads to a conclusion that fits nicely with the world and what both Shin and the reader learn along the way. There were so many good red herrings and so much room for different characters to interact differently, with people opening up to Daichi, Shin’s manservant, in ways they could and would not to Shin himself or Kasami. It allows for how information is gathered to be delightfully situational and feels like a nice bit of world building.

The Flower Path leaves me grasping for the next Daidoji Shin novel. It's as good as Poison River if not better and does a good job of showing Shin thinking on his feet and dealing with having to keep the closed box closed while he investigates. It earns a five out of five from me and a very impatient wait for the next one.

The Flower Path by Josh Reynolds, a good shorter story!. I liked this one, it didnt drag you into the problem right away but gave a good leadup and then delivered a satisfactory ending.

Daidoji Shin returns to the Foxfire Theater in the City of the Rich Frog in this excellent, Christie-like mystery. Who has murdered the lead actress of Shin's kabuki troop? Nearly everyone had motive, and Shin has only until the final curtain to solve the mystery before authorities blame one of his actors. A fun mystery, The Flower Path also allows for more character development from nearly every recurring character and works towards a more complex overarching plot. Shin begins to feel more disconnection from his samurai rank and peers, building on threads from Death's Kiss.

The Flower Path is both my first experience with a Legends of the Five Rings book, as well as my first time reading a Daidoji Shin mystery story, and despite this being the third book to feature the detective character, it proved to be the prefect introduction to this series.

The story begins on the opening night of the Foxfire Theatre, the latest venture by Daidoji Shin. Shin has not just sunken a lot of his money, and time into rebuilding and reopening the theatre, but has also staked his reputation on it going well. He's hired a great troop of actors, brought in a headline star, and invited all of the rich and powerful to come to see the first performance.

Whilst there are some back stage dramas going on, with his new starlet, Etsuko, clashing with the other actors and stage crew, things seem to be going well for Shin. However, soon into the first act of the play Etsuko collapses on stage. Whilst the play continues with her understudy in her role, Etsuko is taken back to the dressing room, where she dies. It seems that Etsuko has been killed with a poison slipped into her make-up, which caused a fatal allergic reaction. Knowing that the killer must still be close by, Shin locks down the theatre and is determined to find the culprit. However, he will need to do so before the play ends and people try to leave.

The Flower Path is a very fun mystery story, due in part to it taking place in one building over one night. There are no big investigations, no chasing after suspects, or catching up with witnesses after they've had time to think over what they saw. Everything that happens in The Flower Path takes place over just a few hours, and it's delightful to see Shin try to solve this mystery in such a short time. The fact that he's also keeping Etsuko's death a secret from all but a handful of people also adds a fun element to the story, as he has to try and question people as to why they'd want to kill Etsuko without giving away that she's dead.

Before this, however, Josh Reynolds spends some time setting up all of the important characters. And there are a fair few characters to keep a track of. There are multiple actors and stagehands that we get introduced to, as well as several important figures and their bodyguards and servants. All in all there are at least twenty characters that you're going to have to keep track of, and it does feel a bit overwhelming at times. However, Reynolds manages to make it fairly easy to remember who's who thanks to their distinct personalities. However, I think folks will probably be jumping to the list of characters at the back of the book now and then (something I wish I knew was there whilst reading the ebook version).

After the pieces are laid out across the board the crime is committed, and the real fun begins. As I said earlier, this is my first time reading a mystery with Daidoji Shin, but I found I really liked his investigative style. Shin has a few helpful people around him to give him a hand on his investigations. However, this isn't a Holmes and Watson type of set-up, and Shin rarely relies on others to help him solve the actual mystery for him; instead he uses them to make sure that he's given the time and space he's needed to do what he needs to do. He's a lot more relaxed than other fictional detectives too, and relies on his observation skills more than anything.

He's not a walking encyclopedia, able to piece together small clues, and instead lets his suspects provide him with the information he needs. He feeds them small pieces of the puzzle, watching for their reaction and paying attention to what they say in order to figure out the next path to take. It's a different approach to the mystery books I'm used to reading, where the investigator will be searching for clues in the crime scene and uses them to form a picture of what happened. Despite that, I did enjoy Shin's approach to things, and liked how he eventually came to figure out who committed the crime, and why.

As a first foray into Legend of the Five Rings this was a fascinating place to start. I have no knowledge of the game, or the universe that it's created, so I don't know how like this the rest of the books are; but as a mystery story fan it left me wanting to see more, and I'll definitely be reading more in the future.

This book was given to me in exchange for an honest review from Aconyte Books via Netgalley.

First of all, I didn't like the fact that Kasami was stuck protecting a door. I really wanted to see more of her. Hopefully in more Books to come.

The story opens in the Three Flower Path theatre opening night where Lord Shin, a crane, is gearing up his troupe for their first performance that Hopefully would change their fortune and fill their accounts with more gold.

But as soon as the first performance starts, the lead actress collapses and Lord Shin suspects there's a foul play at work. Now, our amateur detective accompanied by his grumpy bodyguard, Kasami must uncover whatever plot is at play before the end of the opening performance.

Plot:
Being the first book in the series I'm reading, I didn’t get lost trying to understand stuff. The setting was clear and easy to follow. I liked how Josh Reynolds used Flash backs from the previous stories so anyone reading this particular book would not be confused.

Being a crime thriller book, i liked how it wasn't easy to figure out the plot until the last pages of the story. I mean you'd suspect everyone, trying to play out your Sherlock Holmes skills but you wouldn't come close because Josh withholds the plot twist. I liked how the plot twists was introduced.

Characters:

Lord Shin is this character that radiates calmness even when bad things happen. I mean he was literally trapped in a burning tower and he literally stayed calm. There's so much layer to Lord Shin and I have to read other books to understand him better.

Kasami: I am vexed that they left her at the door. I really liked her character being a grumpy bodyguard that didn't care too much what people thought about her.

Overall:

I enjoyed this book. It has the right amount of everything and it's a fast paced story so can finish it in a day. The characters are dramatic honestly. It's a drama about actors, Lords, and understudied trying to uncover a murder attempt.

I must admit that, of all of the books due to be published by Aconyte Books this year, Josh Reynold’s The Flower Path has been at the top of my ‘most anticipated’ list ever since it was announced back in 2021. There’s a couple of reasons behind that – firstly, Reynolds is an absolutely superb writer at the top of his game, who has this incredible talent to somehow create brilliant, engaging stories regardless of the setting or genre (and whether it’s his own setting or an I.P. setting like those published by Aconyte Books); and secondly the Rokugan setting – the Legend of the Five Rings – is rapidly becoming one of my favourite I.P. settings I’ve ever read, thanks to the wide variety of talented authors that Aconyte have hired to write engaging and original stories in it. The two together – author and setting – have combined to create something truly memorable – the on-going Daidoji Shin Mystery series. With this series, Reynolds has taken the classic detective story trope and skilfully blended it together with the complex political and social structures of Rokugan’s Clan-dominated society to create something truly memorable and original. Set in and around the key trading hub of the City of the Rich Frog, Crane Clan dilettante, wastrel and trade representative Daidoji Shin finds himself developing something of a reputation for solving difficult, often thorny political mysteries that cannot – or will not – be touched by anyone else in the city.

Gaining friends and enemies in equal numbers, by the time of The Flower Path Shin has established his reputation as a skilled investigator and intellectual, and even found time to acquire a theatre and act as a patron to a performing troupe. These two elements form the central core of the third novel in the series, as Shin finds that his lead performer has been murdered just minutes after opening night has started. Anyone in the theatre could be a potential murderer, and the suspects include influential and powerful representatives from all of the major Clans, as well as every member of the performing troupe. Certain that the murderer will escape as soon as the final curtain falls, evading justice forever, Shin finds himself racing against time to identify the murder, as well as unravel the complex string of political and personal plots, machinations and schemes that stretch throughout the Foxfire Theatre. The concept intrigued me, as did the superb (and by now iconic) cover art by John Anthony di Giovanni, and I couldn’t wait to see what Reynolds had in store for Shin and the City of the Rich Frog this time around

While Poison River and Death’s Kiss – the previous books in the series – ranged across City of the Rich Frog and even ventured into adjoining provinces – for The Flower Path Reynolds has taken the intriguing decision to confine the entire novel within the Foxfire Theatre, and set the entire plot within the timeframe of a single play. In lesser hands this might have limited the narrative, but Reynolds has done such sterling work in terms of worldbuilding and character development over the previous two books that it instead lends the plot an intense, claustrophobic and often surprising atmosphere, as Shin finds himself racing between the stage, changing rooms and private boxes of the theatre as he attempts to find out why, exactly, his leading actress was first poisoned and then eventually murdered. Reynolds understands that the key to constraining the narrative to one building is to maintain an even pace and not remain in a single room or location, and effectively makes use of almost every conceivable room that could be found in a theatre – from the stalls of the common audience members, to private viewing chambers, and even obscure places like hidden trapdoors where actors fall into or instruments like drums are hidden. It creates a delightful variety as the plot unwinds, with Reynolds constantly keeping the reader guessing as to where the next clue will be found – or the next suspect hunted down and interrogated. The environment and atmosphere are masterfully handled, to the extent that I never became bored or questioned why the plot was kept solely inside the theatre; Reynolds is more than experienced – and talented – enough to create plausible reasons for keeping the audience and players within the building that still mesh with the social and political nuances of the setting.

A good detective story – especially one confined to a single location – is nothing without a stellar cast of characters, and as usual Reynolds delivers in spades; not only does he manage to further flesh out the existing cast of characters from the previous novels, but he also introduces some intriguing and engaging members of Rokugan society from a variety of castes that help to propel the narrative forward. Daidoji Shin continues to be the most engaging, captivating and original protagonist in any of the titles thus far published by Aconyte Books, and I actually think might be the most well-wounded and developed protagonist Reynolds has ever written. More experienced and skilled at his unique blend of detective work and social navigation, Shin has had some of his rougher edges sanded off in comparison to his earlier adventures, and while the stakes are as high as ever, Shin feels far more confident and assured this time around – deftly uncovering the twisted complexities of the murder-mystery and delivering as many blows as are hurled against him by the gathered worthies (and unworthies) of Rokugan society. His motley but talented group of household servants and aides continue to entertain and act as foils for Shin to bounce off of during his investigation: world-weary bodyguard Kasami becomes a little more fleshed-out this time around, and unrepentant gambler and manservant Kitano feels more integrated to his role and less like a fish out of water, their development indicating that Reynolds devotes as much time to developing secondary characters as the protagonist and antagonist. The members of the Three Flower Troupe performing in the Foxfire Theatre are also brought into focus, with their complex relationships and rivalries knitted into a background for the murder investigation as a whole. As for the new characters – while too much detail would potentially spoil the plot, I was particularly enamoured wit Iuchi Konomi and Shinjo Yasamura, senior and influential nobles from the Unicorn Clan who appear destined to become further enmeshed with Shin and his future investigations. I also need to make special mention of the delightfully surly and arrogant Arban-Ujik, a nomad bodyguard who sparked off of Shin and Kasami in particular, and who I dearly hope we see more of in future novels.

The Flower Path is nothing less than Josh Reynolds at the height of his considerable talents as an author, an intricate, complex and tightly-plotted murder-mystery perfectly integrated into the Legend of the Five Rings setting, and populated with a richly-imagined cast of characters to create an elegant novel that might well be the best thing that Reynolds has ever written. There’s a subtlety and nuance to the writing that’s above even the best of his previous stories, and the Rokugan setting seems to bring out the best in Reynolds in ways that perhaps previous IPs didn’t. If so, then that’s credit to the good people working at Aconyte Books as well as Reynolds himself, and I can only hope that we will see a fourth (and fifth and sixth) Daidoji Shin novel published by Aconyte in short order. I’ll certainly be reading and reviewing them if

Being a devoted fan to the L5R universe myself, and Crane being my second favorite great clan in Rokugan, every Daidoji Shin novel is a treat for my eyes - and The Flower Path did not disappoint either.

After the first introduction to Shin as a hedonistic noble with a great interest in acting as a sleuth in Poison River, where he solved a great mystery of a poisoned rice shipment (and essentially preventing a shift in the status quo in the City of the Rich Frog), his second adventure took him to a far away Unicorn lands to solve a murder case. While the second adventure was also very enjoyable, The Flower Path feels more like a direct sequel to Poison River rather than a sequel to Death's Kiss. We are back to The City of the Rich Frog, the theatre that burnt down in the first book is now rebuilt and finished, and the troupe is working hard for the debut performance. The returning cast of characters (Shin, Kasami, Kitano, Nao, Sanemon, Konomi) feel like old friends to the reader, which reflects how likeable Josh Reynolds portrayed these characters in the past two books. There are a bunch of new characters as well, especially the actors - Ashina, Choki and the real diva Noma Etsuko, Shin's Unicorn equivalent of Yasamura, and my personal favorite, Shin's personal physician Sanki, all of them are quite unique and interesting to their own, and many of them keeping some secrets that will be revealed in the story.

The story itself revolves around a "locked box" murder mystery, but not a plain vanilla one - there is a major time pressure on our favorite noble detective to uncover the reasons of what exactly happened to the murdered stage crew member. The tempo of the story is also similarly tight, making the reader flipping the pages as quick as possible to get a step closer to the resolution, supported by a good dynamic of dialogues in the book. It is hard to recall when was the last time I thought like "OK, just one more chapter" with an L5R novel, then realizing I already read a good 20% already, so this book is definitely something special.

Without spoiling the end conclusion, I liked how the author made us connect the dot - even though it was not that surprising due to all the foreshadowing, it was still satisfactorily wrapped up.

I find that the new L5R novels give a heavy emphasis on certain topics in details - Death's Kiss was describing weapon and armor crafting, going into some technical details; To Chart the Clouds was explaining cartography in such details. The Flower Path - unsurprisingly - addresses the world of theaters and actors. It is a subtle theme, but still, lots of props are mentioned, also processes and functions of a theatre - and it was quite interesting for me. It also shows that the author did his researches in the topic, which is a big plus point from me. During the Old5R era, this was not the default attitude of the respective authors at all.

I hope that Josh Reynolds will never get bored with Daidoji Shin, and many more novels will use him as the "star" character.

Kudos to Aconyte Books and Netgalley for letting me read this novel in the early access. Can't wait to buy my physical copy as well.

The Flower Path sees the return of extraordinary (amateur) detective Daidoji Shin in one of his most difficult cases yet. A locked-room murder mystery in his very own Foxfire theatre!
There is a lot to worry about on opening night of the Foxfire Theatre, although Daidoji Shin has no doubt it will be a huge success, being a theatre impresario is bound to be much easier than an amateur detective. The City of the Rich Frog’s leading lights are all there, but even as the performance begins, the Three Flower Troupe’s new lead actress is found dead backstage. Not what Daidoji Shin had in mind for opening night and worst everyone in the venue is now a potential suspect. It becomes a race against time as Shin is painfully aware he only has until the curtain falls to find the killer. The clock is ticking and the Crane can only hope to hold the great and the good hostage so long. As the night and play wears on, the chance of the murderer escaping justice grows ever more likely but not if Shin can help it.

Once again the Aconyte team (authors included) have done an amazing job at bringing a trading card game and roleplaying game to life. For those unfamiliar the Legend of the Five Rings is set in a detailed fantastical land of Rokugan, a nation whose culture and history is based on that of feudal Japan. Sometimes the settings will briefly cover other cultures that occupy the same world. Generally you can expect to find Samurai, Ronin, Courtiers, Clans and working classes such as merchants. The complexity of the land and world of Legend of the Five rings has already been beautifully brought to vivid life by Aconyte in numerous other titles but I have to say I am always happy to see Shin return, even if he is a Crane!

You may be forgiven for thinking that because the mystery is set in one place the action or story may drag but I can assure you this is not the case at all. Indeed it all adds perfectly to the tension and suspense that Reynolds masterfully creates. We have a plethora of interesting and witty characters each with their own agendas and motivation but also skilled at keeping those hidden. I honestly felt like I was transported right into the heart of the court and clan dynamics and all the intrigue and espionage that goes on.

We begin by learning that the new lead actress, Etsuko, is not planning to make any friends in The Three Flower troupe, she has in particular made an enemy of Nao. Of course we would be forgiven for thinking this was case closed and indeed it would be easy for Shin to blame Nao and be done but that is not his way. What follows is a lively and intriguing look into court politics and past dalliances of several individuals. While the subject matter is dire, a murder on opening night and the tension does not give up Reynolds manages to break the tension with memorable characters and wonderful interactions. I never thought I could love a Crane but it is hard not to like Shin. His easy going manner and way of using his skills to find the answers make it difficult to find a flaw, past, perhaps his flirtations. Add to this Kasami’s sharp wit and skills and it is near impossible to not love this duo – maybe a little too much in my case!

I honestly think this is my favourite Shin mystery to date, although I am hopeful there will be many more. I enjoyed learning the answer to the mystery as it went. I adored the characters and the way each is brought to life on the page. I even felt sympathy for a Scorpion due to Reynolds amazing skills. On top of this the novel contains all those trademarks that have made Aconyte one of my favourite publishers and some of my favourite authors. On top of bringing life to games and other tie-ins they are amazing at being inclusive in such a respectful and beautiful way.

I feel like I always say this for Aconyte titles but I cannot recommend this enough for fans of Legends of the Five Rings, historical fiction, fantasy lovers or murder and mystery lovers. You will not be disappointed, I promise you that!

I chose this book because I like Asian style stories, this one is definitely a winner. I didn't know the back story on this series of books but I did my research and know now a lot more writers contribute to this group of books. However I was much taken with all the characters in The Flower Path and am only sorry I hadn't read Josh Reynolds previous books featuring Shin. Initially I was a bit confused with the names of the characters but I am used to eventually figuring out who is who from reading other Asian based books. Reynolds writes with humour and panache, great narration and amusing asides. His amateur sleuth Shin and his 'friends and enemies' are very entertaining. Well done to the publishers and author for this great story. I do hope to read more stories featuring Shin. Many thanks to Netgalley for an ARC of The Flower Path.

Daidoji Shin is many things. Envoy of the Crane Clan. A fan-wielding courtier. And now, owner of his own theatre. But when a kabuki production turns deadly, with the theatre’s celebrated new star Etsuko dying onstage — quite literally — on opening night, Shin puts on his other hat: that of amateur sleuth.

Unfortunately, thanks to her constant fights with fellow actors and a trail of broken hearts winding through some of Rokugan’s most powerful families, there aren’t many people who don’t have both the means and motive to murder Etsuko. But the show must go on, and no one is leaving until Shin has cracked the case.

The Flower Path marks the third outing of Daidoji Shin, and part of the Legend of the Five Rings expanded universe, but you don’t need any familiarity with either to jump aboard. Imagine feudal Japan through the lens of P.G. Wodehouse and you’ll have a fairly accurate picture of Shin’s world. Packed with social stealth, scheming lords, and battles of wits with a hero who’s not nearly as unarmed as he first seems, it’s a strangely delightful murder mystery.

(Scored A in Sci-Fi Magazine Summer 2022 issue)

My thanks to both NetGalley and the publisher Aconyte Books for an advanced copy of this role-playing adventure novel.

Reading a novel based on on a role-playing game, a reader goes in with a few expectations. The story will be based on the game, their will be many things that tie into the game, people will expect the book to read like an adventure, be loaded with derring-do and swordplay too. Readers don't expect a theater on opening night, diplomacy, lots of tea drinking, poems recited as weapons and shields, and a murder mystery. Add in a detective who is as witty as Nick Charles, especially with poetry, tough as Mike Hammer, and as smart as Nero Wolfe, and like Wolfe likes his comforts. Joshua Reynolds in The Flower Path: A Legend of the Five Rings Novel continues the adventures and investigations of Daidoji Shin, set in the world of Rokugan.

Opening night at the Foxfire Theatre has brought the rich, powerful and the common to see and to be seen at the premiere social event of the season. Everything has been designed and planned by Daidoji Shin, representative of the Crane Clan in the City of the Rich Frog, from the theater to the famous actress to lead the troupe he is the patron of. Friends, foes and possible future enemies have gathered to bask in Shin's success or chuckle as he fails. Within moments of the first act, his star has fallen possibly poisoned and Shin has only until the play is over to find the culprit and redeem his theatre's honour. However not all the acting is happening onstage, as friends have secrets, and many will break more than a leg to keep them hidden away.

This book was fun with a capital I can't believe an editor let Mr. Reynolds write this. A backstage play murder mystery played slightly farcical, in a book based on a role-playing game. This was great. The mystery was played fair, with plenty of clues, a bit of foreshadowing, and it made sense. The characters, even the minor ones are hopefully going to be in future books, as each one was different, and yet well-developed. Shin himself is intriguing and growing in different ways as each adventure passes, with more layers added, and depth for himself and his companions.

This is the fourth book that I have read by Mr. Reynolds and continue to be impressed by what he does and how he never copies himself, no matter what genre he writes in. Each book is not only different, but you can tell he enjoyed writing it, and passes that feeling to the reader. Recommended for well everyone. Mystery fans, fantasy fans, theater fans. Role-playing fans. Humans.

Sherlock Holmes knockoffs are a dime a dozen, but in Doji Shin Reynolds has taken the "brilliant detective" trope and thrown it into the rich world of rokugan and created a really great new spin on it. The seemingly useless doji is a compelling, charming, entertaining lead, surrounded by a great cast of characters. The series has been building in strength since the first book, and it really comes together in this third volume. A strong recommend as a fan of both the old and new l5r worlds, and well written samurai stories in general.

A well written fantasy with a compelling storyline, well developed charcaters and excellent world building. I havent read any previous books set in Five Rings but I will definitely be looking for more now.

ARC Copy...Even though I am not super familiar with the world of Five Ring, I still enjoyed the story as an Asian inspired read. However I still familiar with the clans and liked the unfolding mystery does highlight the clan social + political workings (especially when Scorpion is involved).