East is East: Emma Lathen

John Putnam Thatcher #21

by Emma Lathen, Deaver Brown (Editor)

International, Robotics & Finance, with John Putnam Thatcher going to Japan, Alaska, and elsewhere on the Sloan business and solving an International murder involving Japanese, Koreans, and Americans.

Genres: Mystery, Japan, Crime

282 pages, Kindle Edition

First published January 1, 1991

About the author

Aka R.B. Dominic

Emma Lathen is the pen name of two American businesswomen: an attorney Mary Jane Latsis (July 12, 1927 -October 29, 1997) and an economic analyst Martha Henissart (b. 1929),who received her B.A. in physics from Mount Holyoke College in 1950.

http://www.nytimes.com/1997/10/31/boo...

Reviews

[Andrea]

Briefly visits Japan and distracts me thoroughly with a male character called Noriko, which I've only encountered as a female name before.

[Carol Mello · Rating 4 out of 5]

Slow moving plot that finally picks up near the end.

Much of this novel is taken up with conversations explaining Japan 's culture, business practices, and the government's hand in business affairs via MITI. A motorcycle chase enlivens the end of the novel. Not as much fun as title "Going for the Gold" which featured Winter Olympic events.

Basic plot: Carl Kruger is trying to turn around Lackawanna. He efforts are overseen by a committee of creditors. John Thatcher is head of the committee overseeing Kruger's actions. A meeting in Tokyo with MITI, Lackawanna, an English robotics subsidiary of Lackawana, and two Japanese Trading companies goes bad when a MITI employee is killed with a partial document indicating bribery was going on. John Thatcher was on the scene and thus becomes involved in another set of murders interfering in the smooth running of business deals. Some fun motorcycle action near the end saves the novel from being totally slow. Not as lively as other novels in the series.

[Emmanuel Gustin · Rating 3 out of 5]

Half murder mystery, half exposition about Japanese business practices and culture. The authors were clearly interested in understanding the cultural and political factors that regulated what was, at the time, of writing a difficult business relationship. On the positive side, they don’t pretend that Japanese culture was static and indeed have a character who argues fervently that it was changing rapidly. On the negative side, they seem to playing fast and loose with the names of Japanese and Korean characters in this book, which feels somewhat disrespectful. But the pragmatic nature of business deals helps to keep the orientalist tendencies submerged.

The side story has a tendency to overwhelm the detective mystery, which is well constructed with important clues successfully hidden in plain sight. Alas, Tom Robichaux is absent from this story!

[Joy · Rating 5 out of 5]

The plot of EAST IS EAST was suggested by the Japanese bribery scandals of 3 decades ago. I approached it with lower expectations than most in this series, because these books haven't been as compelling when they were set outside the U.S., but I was delightfully surprised. The characters grabbed the ball, and did they run with it! John Thatcher and the Sloan are working for the success of two competing Japanese companies, and for a while it looks like both will crash. The thoroughly character-driven plot, penetrated by Thatcher, resolves satisfyingly.

I didn't remember a thing from when I read EAST IS EAST 27 years ago. I'm trying to decide whether I prefer this or GOING FOR THE GOLD. Both were captivating immersions.

Read 2 times

[Jean Bonilla · Rating 4 out of 5]

In some ways, right up my alley in that it deals with U.S.-Japanese trade issues. In other ways, it skips around too much and the plot is complicated without being as exciting as many of Lathen’s other books. The protagonist Carl Kruger reminds me of Lee Iacocca, the famous American businessman, who worked for Ford and then, later, saved the Chrysler corporation. He has the same energy and ruthless attention to making a success out of a bankrupt business. I’m sure the authors used Iacocca as a model! I’m equally sure that they were no dastardly murders in either Ford or Chrysler during the Iacocca years!

[Eugene · Rating 3 out of 5]

While the series is a bit long in the tooth now, it’s still good stuff. Here John Thatcher goes to Japan to protect the interests of the Sloan Guarantee and Trust when a debtor company tries to sell a subsidiary to Japanese interests. And of course, a murder happens. No resolution is at hand, and all parties repair to Birmingham England for a tour of the subsidiary’s production plant. Yet another murder, but now Thatcher has eclipsed the Japanese and British investigators, and provides the insight to solve both crimes. Classic Emma Lathen.

[Vicki Cline · Rating 3 out of 5]

A mid-level Japanese functionary is murdered while Thatcher is in Japan to oversee the possible purchase by a Japanese company of a subsidiary of an American company. The murdered man may have uncovered bribery related to the sale, and the Japanese government is particularly sensitive to this because of a recent scandal involving corruption in the government. The case isn't solved until Thatcher and the Japanese police inspector compare notes in England, just before another murder there of an American employee of the aforementioned American company. The plot of this book in the series is particulary involved.

[Lisa Kucharski · Rating 4 out of 5]

A bit more Thatcher at last. Many of the later books in the Lathan series veer away from having Thatcher in the storyline and tend to focus on other personalities. The nice thing about having more Thatcher is generally, he seems to bring out the humor in the writing.

Another great story, though I guessed pretty correctly the who, I did not know the why part. But overall a great rendition of mystery, and various cultures, and business.

[Helen Fleischer · Rating 3 out of 5]

relaxing, slow-paced until chase

[Susan · Rating 3 out of 5]

Fun to come across an unread book by the late, much-lamented Emma Lathen.

[Wendy · Rating 2 out of 5]

I felt this was a weaker entry in the series, but I did like the Japanese setting.