Snakeskin Shamisen

In Naomi Hirahara's latest thriller, Mas Arai, a curmudgeonly gardener and Hiroshima survivor, becomes entangled in a chilling mystery when a friend's gambling success is followed by a brutal murder. Initially reluctant to investigate, Mas is drawn in by a battered snakeskin shamisen found at the crime scene, leading him on a journey that spans from Okinawa to Los Angeles. As he uncovers a web of deception and dark secrets, he faces challenges that draw on both his past and his instincts as an amateur sleuth.