Murder on Bamboo Lane

by Naomi Hirahara

Overview

From the award-winning author of the Japantown Mysteries, trouble awaits rookie LAPD Officer Ellie Rush as she patrols the mean streets of Los Angeles on her bicycle…

Bike cop Ellie Rush dreams of becoming a homicide detective, but it’s still a shock when the first dead body she encounters on the job is that of a former college classmate.

At the behest of her Aunt Cheryl, the highest-ranking Asian-American officer in the LAPD (a source of pride for Ellie’s grandmother, but annoyance to her mom), Ellie becomes tangled in the investigation of the coed’s murder—with equal parts help and hindrance from her nosy best friend, her over-involved ex-boyfriend, a smoldering detective, and seemingly everyone else in her extended family…only to uncover secrets that a killer may go to any lengths to ensure stay hidden.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781101609453
Publisher:	Penguin Publishing Group
Publication date:	04/01/2014
Series:	An Officer Ellie Rush Mystery , #1
Sold by:	Penguin Group
Format:	eBook
Pages:	304
Sales rank:	518,486
File size:	2 MB
Age Range:	18 Years

About the Author

Naomi Hirahara is the Edgar® Award-winning author of the Mas Arai Mysteries. Born and raised in Pasadena, Naomi received her bachelor’s degree in international relations from Stanford University and studied at the Inter-University Center for Advanced Japanese Language Studies in Tokyo. She worked as a reporter and editor of The Rafu Shimpo in downtown Los Angeles. She is also the author of 1001 Cranes and has written, edited, and published several nonfiction books, largely about the Japanese American experience. She lives with her husband in Southern California.

What People are Saying About This

From the Publisher

"Ellie is a detective of a different sort. Young and resolutely urban, she represents Los Angeles as it is, rather than as it was."—Los Angeles Times

”The most original mystery I’ve encountered in many years.”—Sujata Massey, author of the Rei Shimura mysteries

“One of the warmest, most realistic characters to hit crime fiction in a long time.”—Lee Goldberg, New York Times bestselling co-author of The Heist 
 
“Delivers seamless writing, interesting characters, the right touch of romance, social commentary…the list goes on.”—Sheila Connolly, New York Times bestselling author of the County Cork Mysteries

“A great series opener! Ellie Rush...is smart and tough...Hirahara paints a mesmerizing portrait of the Los Angeles she knows so well.”—Henry Chang, author of Chinatown Beat

“A total home run, a crackling mystery.”—Timothy Hallinan, Edgar-nominated author of the Poke Rafferty and Junior Bender mysteries

Praise for the Mas Arai Mysteries

"A thoughtful and highly entertaining read."—Library Journal (Starred Review)

"This perfectly balanced gem deserves a wide readership."—Publishers Weekly (Starred Review)
 
 

Editorial Reviews

04/01/2014
Young LAPD bicycle cop Ellie Rush (who is half-white, half-Japanese American) aspires to be a detective; her aunt Cheryl, who is assistant police chief, is her professional idol. When a former college acquaintance, Jenny Nguyen, is murdered—and Ellie is one of the officers who find her in an alley—she is assigned to help investigate. While blame initially falls on Tuan Le, Jenny's former boyfriend, other aspects of Jenny's life come to the fore. Jenny was devastated by her mother's untimely death back in Vietnam, plus she was angry about something related to her work for the U.S. Census Bureau. (Apparently, she had dug up suspicious facts about local councilmen.) Ellie makes mistakes that almost let a killer get away, but the key word here is "almost." VERDICT Scoop this one up! Known for her "Mas Arai" series (Summer of the Big Bachi), Hirahara's new series debut strikes just the right tone, neatly tuned into the twentysomething set. Her multiethnic cast promises a fascinating future for a cozy series tangling with serious topics.

Library Journal

02/10/2014
Edgar-winner Hirahara, author of Summer of the Big Bachi and four other Mas Arai mysteries, introduces Ellie Rush, a Japanese-American rookie LAPD bicycle cop, in this highly entertaining series debut. When Jenny Nguyen, a former classmate of Ellie’s at Pan Pacific West College, goes missing and later turns up dead in a Chinatown alley, Ellie’s ties to PPW and Jenny’s friends, including Ellie’s ex-boyfriend, Benjamin Choi, prove useful. Jenny’s boyfriend, controversial artist Tuan Le, is a prime suspect, and he asks Ellie for help. Her aunt, Cheryl Toma, the highest-ranking Asian in the LAPD, also wants Ellie on the case, but has a hidden agenda. Ellie finds herself navigating a personal and professional minefield when she’s assigned to work on the case with handsome Det. Cortez Williams. Readers will want to see more of Ellie, who provides a fresh perspective on L.A.’s rich ethnic mix. Agent: Allison Cohen, Gersh Agency. (Apr.)

Publishers Weekly

"Ellie is a detective of a different sort. Young and resolutely urban, she represents Los Angeles as it is, rather than as it was."—Los Angeles Times

”The most original mystery I’ve encountered in many years.”—Sujata Massey, author of the Rei Shimura mysteries

“One of the warmest, most realistic characters to hit crime fiction in a long time.”—Lee Goldberg, New York Times bestselling co-author of The Heist 

 
“Delivers seamless writing, interesting characters, the right touch of romance, social commentary…the list goes on.”—Sheila Connolly, New York

Times bestselling author of the County Cork Mysteries

“A great series opener! Ellie Rush...is smart and tough...Hirahara paints a mesmerizing portrait of the Los Angeles she knows so well.”—Henry Chang, author of Chinatown Beat

“A total home run, a crackling mystery.”—Timothy Hallinan, Edgar-nominated author of the Poke Rafferty and Junior Bender mysteries

Praise for the Mas Arai Mysteries

"A thoughtful and highly entertaining read."—Library Journal (Starred Review)

"This perfectly balanced gem deserves a wide readership."—Publishers Weekly (Starred Review)
 

From the Publisher