Jade Palace Vendetta is the second book in Dale Furutani’s Samurai Mystery trilogy. Following the events of Death at the Crossroads, the ronin Matsuyama Kaze continues his journey along the Tokaido Road in 1603 Japan, still driven by his vow to find the kidnapped daughter of his former lord.

Plot Synopsis

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The story opens with Kaze intervening to save Hishigawa, a wealthy and somewhat coarse merchant, from an ambush by a ruthless gang of bandits. Hishigawa’s own guards have been slaughtered, and he is left defenseless while transporting a cart filled with gold.

 

1. The Debt of Honor

 

Indebted to Kaze, Hishigawa insists on rewarding him. He presents Kaze with the money to buy a remarkable new katana nicknamed the "Fly Cutter" (because it is light enough to slice a fly in mid-air). Hishigawa then persuades Kaze to serve as his yojimbo (bodyguard) for the remainder of the journey to his sumptuous villa in Kamakura.

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2. The Secrets of the Villa

 

Upon arriving at Hishigawa’s estate, Kaze enters a world of extreme luxury that masks deep rot. He meets two key figures:

• Ando: The powerful and suspicious female "head of household."

• Enomoto: The merchant’s chief bodyguard and a rival swordsman who views Kaze with immediate hostility.

Kaze is particularly struck by Hishigawa's obsessive devotion to his beautiful young wife, Yuchan. In an era of arranged and often cold marriages, the merchant’s passionate love seems out of place. He has built for her a "Jade Palace"—a private, gilded sanctuary within the estate.

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3. The Mystery Unfolds

 

Kaze soon realizes that Hishigawa is the target of an official vendetta. As Kaze peels back the layers of the merchant's life, he discovers that the "Jade Palace" is not a romantic gesture, but a gilded cage hiding a dark and depraved secret. The merchant’s wealth and propriety are merely a veneer for a history of violence and exploitation.

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4. The Climax

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Kaze's sense of justice eventually forces him to turn against his employer. The novel culminates in a high-stakes confrontation within the villa where Kaze must use his "Fly Cutter" and his wits to dismantle the merchant’s power structure. In the aftermath, Kaze gains a vital, though disturbing, new clue about the whereabouts of his lord’s missing daughter.

 

Key Themes and Style

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• The "Fly Cutter": Much of the book focuses on Kaze’s relationship with his new weapon, exploring the technical and spiritual aspects of Japanese swordsmanship.

• Haiku: Like the first book, each chapter begins with a haiku that reflects the upcoming content, adding a poetic layer to the gritty narrative.

• Akira Kurosawa Influence: Furutani explicitly cited the filmmaker as an inspiration; the book’s atmospheric descriptions and cinematic duels mirror the aesthetic of films like Sanjuro.

 

The story concludes with Kaze setting his sights on the new capital, Edo, leading directly into the final book of the trilogy, Kill the Shogun.