Order of Sano Ichiro Books
Sano Ichiro is the protagonist in a series of historical mystery/detective fiction novels by American novelist Laura Joh Rowland. The series is set in 17th century Edo, Japan (now Tokyo). Sano Ichiro is a samurai who has difficulty following the bushido code. He must balance serving his master as well as his wife, Ueda Reiko. The novel stays true to historical details, while taking some creative license with some characters.
Laura Joh Rowland began her Sano Ichiro historical mysteries series in 1994 with the novel Shinju, which was also her debut novel. The series is currently ongoing. Below is a list of Laura Joh Rowland’s Sano Ichiro books in order of when they were originally released (which is the same as their chronological order):
Publication Order of Sano Ichiro Books
Shinju | (1994) | |
Bundori | (1996) | |
The Way of the Traitor | (1997) | |
The Concubine’s Tattoo | (1998) | |
The Samurai’s Wife | (2000) | |
Black Lotus | (2001) | |
The Pillow Book of Lady Wisteria | (2002) | |
The Dragon King’s Palace | (2003) | |
The Perfumed Sleeve | (2004) | |
The Assassin’s Touch | (2005) | |
Red Chrysanthemum | (2006) | |
The Snow Empress | (2007) | |
The Fire Kimono | (2008) | |
The Cloud Pavilion | (2009) | |
The Ronin’s Mistress | (2011) | |
The Incense Game | (2012) | |
The Shogun’s Daughter | (2013) | |
The Iris Fan | (2014) |