What do you think?
Rate this book
Josie Clark in Japan mysteries #2
The Haiku Murder
A gripping East-West fusion murder mystery
A haiku-writing trip turns to tragedy when a charismatic financier falls from the top of Matsuyama castle. But was he pushed? Expat Londoner Josie Clark thinks he was, and that’s when the trouble starts. Josie’s life start to spin off the rails as she learns more than she expected about what the people who work for Ando Investments are really up to. Will her romantic Christmas Eve with English boyfriend Dave survive a mad chase around hidden Tokyo? And will she find the victim’s missing bag and its mysteriously valuable contents before more people die? Who’d have thought poetry could be so dangerous!
Praise for the Josie Clark in Japan mystery series:
'Lush imagery captures Japan’s bustling cities and restful countryside… believably crafted characters, a fast pace, and clean prose'. Publishers Weekly
A haiku-writing trip turns to tragedy when a charismatic financier falls from the top of Matsuyama castle. But was he pushed? Expat Londoner Josie Clark thinks he was, and that’s when the trouble starts. Josie’s life start to spin off the rails as she learns more than she expected about what the people who work for Ando Investments are really up to. Will her romantic Christmas Eve with English boyfriend Dave survive a mad chase around hidden Tokyo? And will she find the victim’s missing bag and its mysteriously valuable contents before more people die? Who’d have thought poetry could be so dangerous!
Praise for the Josie Clark in Japan mystery series:
'Lush imagery captures Japan’s bustling cities and restful countryside… believably crafted characters, a fast pace, and clean prose'. Publishers Weekly
- GenresJapan
300 pages, Paperback
First published September 24, 2014
4 people are currently reading
312 people want to read
About the author
Fran Pickering
4 books9 followersFran Pickering is a London-based murder mystery writer who's travelled extensively in Japan. Her experiences there provide the inspiration for the Josie Clark in Japan mystery series.
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 5 of 5 reviews
November 21, 2014
Following on from the Cherry Blossom Murder, Josie Clark is once again getting herself in involved in even more tricky situations
Story in a nutshell
Josie Clark is a British expat in Tokyo who goes on a Haiku Country tour with people from a company called Ando investments. It’s to be a getting to know you trip away for new clients and they’ll be visiting places well known for Haiku fans as well as being the ideal getaway. Writing poetry is on the agenda for every evening and the trip looks set to be relaxing as well as enjoyable.
But when the party arrive at Matasuyama castle, one of the participants of the trip, a charismatic financier is found dead at the bottom of a castle. A tragic fall! they cry, but Josie has other ideas and believes he was pushed.
Place and setting
Booktrail and map of locations: Haiku booktrail
We’re sure that poetry is not normally as deadly as that portrayed in the book but it was very interesting to find out about the Haiku trip and to go on the itinerary with them. It was like a poetry booktrail so was right up our street and getting to know the array of characters was interesting too. The scenes at the airport before they even depart set the scene well with descriptions of quirky characters with hidden agendas.
As the tour progresses, we find out more about Haiku – such as lovers would converse in haiku and
Jimbocho and Saitama seem to be the places where the bookshops are in the bookand how we wanted to linger here for longer. Makes us want to learn Japanese now too.
Japanese culture seems so fascinating in Fran Pickering’s hands – the funeral traditions for one were interesting to read about as was the yuzu icrecream and the yuzu flavoured sweet bean paste that was the Matsuyama speciality.
The gesture of standing on a bridge and dropping a camellia in to the water on one side and then making a haiku before it appeared on the other side seemed like a lovely thing to do and this is one image that stayed with us.
Matsuyama Castle
Matsuyama Castle
Review
Fran Pickering’s passion for Japan really is the way in which she is able to write about the country with such skill. Her writing is easy to read and flows well and the snippets of Japanese life fit well into the case Josie gets herself involved with. I had images of a Japanese style of Nancy Drew kind of girl as Josie got herself further and further into the case despite David’s protestations. She’s a curious girl -I like that- and I urged her not to listen to the boyfriend and to get solving the case.
Some would call this cosy crime – like Grantchester or Nancy Drew but do we always have to have horrific graphic murder every time? It makes a nice change for the setting and the investigation side to come out on top and to focus on the person solving the mystery. There’s lots of conversations and inner thoughts that Josie shares throughout which make it easy for us to get on side early on and I was willing her to get the criminal. To do so in a landscape that is so tricky to navigate, one where we learn about the culture along the way is really interesting.
I like Josie Clark, I really do. Poor girl gets herself into a lot of scrapes but she uses her love of Japan and the Japanese language to full effect.
Josie if you would ever like to come on a booktrail, we’d love to have you! Safer than Haiku tours we assure you!
Story in a nutshell
Josie Clark is a British expat in Tokyo who goes on a Haiku Country tour with people from a company called Ando investments. It’s to be a getting to know you trip away for new clients and they’ll be visiting places well known for Haiku fans as well as being the ideal getaway. Writing poetry is on the agenda for every evening and the trip looks set to be relaxing as well as enjoyable.
But when the party arrive at Matasuyama castle, one of the participants of the trip, a charismatic financier is found dead at the bottom of a castle. A tragic fall! they cry, but Josie has other ideas and believes he was pushed.
Place and setting
Booktrail and map of locations: Haiku booktrail
We’re sure that poetry is not normally as deadly as that portrayed in the book but it was very interesting to find out about the Haiku trip and to go on the itinerary with them. It was like a poetry booktrail so was right up our street and getting to know the array of characters was interesting too. The scenes at the airport before they even depart set the scene well with descriptions of quirky characters with hidden agendas.
As the tour progresses, we find out more about Haiku – such as lovers would converse in haiku and
Jimbocho and Saitama seem to be the places where the bookshops are in the bookand how we wanted to linger here for longer. Makes us want to learn Japanese now too.
Japanese culture seems so fascinating in Fran Pickering’s hands – the funeral traditions for one were interesting to read about as was the yuzu icrecream and the yuzu flavoured sweet bean paste that was the Matsuyama speciality.
The gesture of standing on a bridge and dropping a camellia in to the water on one side and then making a haiku before it appeared on the other side seemed like a lovely thing to do and this is one image that stayed with us.
Matsuyama Castle
Matsuyama Castle
Review
Fran Pickering’s passion for Japan really is the way in which she is able to write about the country with such skill. Her writing is easy to read and flows well and the snippets of Japanese life fit well into the case Josie gets herself involved with. I had images of a Japanese style of Nancy Drew kind of girl as Josie got herself further and further into the case despite David’s protestations. She’s a curious girl -I like that- and I urged her not to listen to the boyfriend and to get solving the case.
Some would call this cosy crime – like Grantchester or Nancy Drew but do we always have to have horrific graphic murder every time? It makes a nice change for the setting and the investigation side to come out on top and to focus on the person solving the mystery. There’s lots of conversations and inner thoughts that Josie shares throughout which make it easy for us to get on side early on and I was willing her to get the criminal. To do so in a landscape that is so tricky to navigate, one where we learn about the culture along the way is really interesting.
I like Josie Clark, I really do. Poor girl gets herself into a lot of scrapes but she uses her love of Japan and the Japanese language to full effect.
Josie if you would ever like to come on a booktrail, we’d love to have you! Safer than Haiku tours we assure you!
October 16, 2014
Sequel to the page turning debut novel The Cherry Blossom Murder, Fran Pickering's second offering charting the amateur sleuthing of Josie Clark a British expat living in Tokyo, was no fading flower. In the beautiful town of Matsuyama on a company haiku-writing trip, an otherwise peaceful outing is transformed into a murder scene when a quirky financier falls from the top of Matsuyama castle.
Quietly investigating a motley cast of suspects, Josie soon finds herself back and exploring Tokyo in an attempt to solve the puzzle of the victim's missing bag and just who wanted him dead. Whilst this plays out in the foreground, what will happen in with Josie and her long-distance boyfriend Dave, living the high-life in Sydney? I couldn't wait for the book to be released to find out.
The key to creating a page-turning series is always a crew of fascinating characters, rich and faceted. Each person is a curiously engaging personality, and as with the Cherry Blossom Murder, the richly detailed backdrop of Japan is engaging, and alluring. It felt as though you lived there with Josie; picking up Dorayaki filled with red bean paste, experiencing the antiquated solemnity of a Japanese funeral and the lure of occasional cups of strong coffee.
A short haiku:
A beguiling read
Lures your imagination
To shores exotic
Quietly investigating a motley cast of suspects, Josie soon finds herself back and exploring Tokyo in an attempt to solve the puzzle of the victim's missing bag and just who wanted him dead. Whilst this plays out in the foreground, what will happen in with Josie and her long-distance boyfriend Dave, living the high-life in Sydney? I couldn't wait for the book to be released to find out.
The key to creating a page-turning series is always a crew of fascinating characters, rich and faceted. Each person is a curiously engaging personality, and as with the Cherry Blossom Murder, the richly detailed backdrop of Japan is engaging, and alluring. It felt as though you lived there with Josie; picking up Dorayaki filled with red bean paste, experiencing the antiquated solemnity of a Japanese funeral and the lure of occasional cups of strong coffee.
A short haiku:
A beguiling read
Lures your imagination
To shores exotic
March 6, 2025
this book was amazing there wasn’t too much unneeded information but just enough to keep it interesting!!! also not as predictable as other mystery books i’ve read
October 2, 2016
This review first appeared on Addicted to Media.
When Londoner Josie Clark embarks on a haiku-writing trip with her colleagues, the last thing she expects is for a tragedy to disturb their tranquil experience. Yet deep in the heart of Japan, the enigmatic owner of Ando Investments falls to his death from the top of Matsuyama castle.
The only problem is that Josie believes that it was no accident and that he was pushed. Her suspicions are further raised when it turns out that the man’s bag is missing. What was so valuable that somebody would kill a man in front of hundreds of witnesses?
Yet the more Josie tries to solve the mystery of Mr Ando’s murder, the more problems she creates in her professional and personal life. Firstly, representatives from her company were at the haiku-writing workshop at the invitation of their client Ando Investments. Not only were the events embarrassing for both companies but the deeper Josie digs, the more likely it becomes that she will lose this valuable client.
In addition, Josie’s boyfriend Dave is over from England for a visit and the more Josie investigates, the more the cracks begin to show in their relationship. Perhaps Dave is right to be concerned about her for Josie’s investigations lead her to real danger and for a moment there it is not at all clear whether she will escape unharmed.
The Haiku Murder is the second book in Fran Pickering’s Josie Clark in Japan mysteries. This unique East-West fusion features amateur detective Josie Clark who employs her skill and power of observation in solving her third murder.
The Haiku Murder is very cleverly written, full of valid clues and scores of red herrings. The reader is kept guessing right to the very end and like with The Cherry Blossom Murder and The Tokyo Karaoke Murder, the culprit isn’t revealed until the very last pages. I am quite embarrassed to admit that I was completely caught out in the first two books and this occasion was no different. It certainly wasn’t who I thought it was!
Josie Clark is a fantastic protagonist. Confident and self-assured, she is a perfect role model for the younger generation and this places this series as an excellent New Adult book. No matter how focused and determined Josie became in her quest to solve this mystery, she still came across better than Dave who remains eternally childish and irresponsible.
Once again, author Fran Pickering does a fantastic job of capturing Japanese culture and customs and I especially enjoyed the scenes during the ill-fated haiku-writing workshop. Another highlight in the book was the Japanese Christmas Eve celebrations, somewhat akin to Valentine’s Day but with more romance and fried chicken.
I have no hesitation in giving The Haiku Murder by Fran Pickering five out of five stars and would highly recommend the Josie Clark in Japan series to fans of crime, lovers of Japan and to those who like to travel in their books.
When Londoner Josie Clark embarks on a haiku-writing trip with her colleagues, the last thing she expects is for a tragedy to disturb their tranquil experience. Yet deep in the heart of Japan, the enigmatic owner of Ando Investments falls to his death from the top of Matsuyama castle.
The only problem is that Josie believes that it was no accident and that he was pushed. Her suspicions are further raised when it turns out that the man’s bag is missing. What was so valuable that somebody would kill a man in front of hundreds of witnesses?
Yet the more Josie tries to solve the mystery of Mr Ando’s murder, the more problems she creates in her professional and personal life. Firstly, representatives from her company were at the haiku-writing workshop at the invitation of their client Ando Investments. Not only were the events embarrassing for both companies but the deeper Josie digs, the more likely it becomes that she will lose this valuable client.
In addition, Josie’s boyfriend Dave is over from England for a visit and the more Josie investigates, the more the cracks begin to show in their relationship. Perhaps Dave is right to be concerned about her for Josie’s investigations lead her to real danger and for a moment there it is not at all clear whether she will escape unharmed.
The Haiku Murder is the second book in Fran Pickering’s Josie Clark in Japan mysteries. This unique East-West fusion features amateur detective Josie Clark who employs her skill and power of observation in solving her third murder.
The Haiku Murder is very cleverly written, full of valid clues and scores of red herrings. The reader is kept guessing right to the very end and like with The Cherry Blossom Murder and The Tokyo Karaoke Murder, the culprit isn’t revealed until the very last pages. I am quite embarrassed to admit that I was completely caught out in the first two books and this occasion was no different. It certainly wasn’t who I thought it was!
Josie Clark is a fantastic protagonist. Confident and self-assured, she is a perfect role model for the younger generation and this places this series as an excellent New Adult book. No matter how focused and determined Josie became in her quest to solve this mystery, she still came across better than Dave who remains eternally childish and irresponsible.
Once again, author Fran Pickering does a fantastic job of capturing Japanese culture and customs and I especially enjoyed the scenes during the ill-fated haiku-writing workshop. Another highlight in the book was the Japanese Christmas Eve celebrations, somewhat akin to Valentine’s Day but with more romance and fried chicken.
I have no hesitation in giving The Haiku Murder by Fran Pickering five out of five stars and would highly recommend the Josie Clark in Japan series to fans of crime, lovers of Japan and to those who like to travel in their books.
November 22, 2014
I found The Haiku Murder to be an interesting and enjoyable murder mystery book. I especially enjoyed the cultural details on Japan throughout the novel. The various haiku poems were also interesting.
Even so, I was a little let down by the ending, which seemed anticlimactic. The story culminates with the murderer's confrontation with Josie, with her identity revealed just as the chapter ends. However, we immediately skip to a later scene in the aftermath. I just feel that by doing so, the book failed to convey the tension of the confrontation with the murderer. This is especially problematic because the narration did not focus too much on Eriko; since the story never focuses again on Eriko once she's revealed as the killer, it just seems that she was just randomly chosen to fit the murderer niche in the end. I also did not understand why Eriko just gave up all of a sudden; I sort of expected her to force Josie to show her where the book was hidden.
Also, I found that it was a little difficult to dive into the middle of the series. I felt that I was missing something when recurring characters such as Dave came up. I know that there are other books in the series as well, but Agatha Cristie was able to use Poirot in a number of different books while making each book stand on its own. However, overall I found that I could jump into the book and understand most of the plot and characters.
Overall, despite some issues with the conclusion of the plot, I found the mystery to be very interesting, especially with its links to Japanese culture.
Even so, I was a little let down by the ending, which seemed anticlimactic. The story culminates with the murderer's confrontation with Josie, with her identity revealed just as the chapter ends. However, we immediately skip to a later scene in the aftermath. I just feel that by doing so, the book failed to convey the tension of the confrontation with the murderer. This is especially problematic because the narration did not focus too much on Eriko; since the story never focuses again on Eriko once she's revealed as the killer, it just seems that she was just randomly chosen to fit the murderer niche in the end. I also did not understand why Eriko just gave up all of a sudden; I sort of expected her to force Josie to show her where the book was hidden.
Also, I found that it was a little difficult to dive into the middle of the series. I felt that I was missing something when recurring characters such as Dave came up. I know that there are other books in the series as well, but Agatha Cristie was able to use Poirot in a number of different books while making each book stand on its own. However, overall I found that I could jump into the book and understand most of the plot and characters.
Overall, despite some issues with the conclusion of the plot, I found the mystery to be very interesting, especially with its links to Japanese culture.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
Displaying 1 - 5 of 5 reviews