The Iris Fan (46 page)

The R
ō
nin’s Mistress

The Cloud Pavilion

The Fire Kimono

The Snow Empress

Red Chrysanthemum

The Assassin’s Touch

The Perfumed Sleeve

The Dragon King’s Palace

The Pillow Book of Lady Wisteria

Black Lotus

The Samurai’s Wife

The Concubine’s Tattoo

The Way of the Traitor

Bundori

Shinj
ū

About the Author

LAURA JOH ROWLAND is the author of seventeen previous novels in her acclaimed series of thrillers set in feudal Japan; two of them have been named among the Best Mysteries of the Year by
Publishers Weekly
, while a third was declared one of the five best historical mystery novels by
The Wall Street Journal
. She lives in New York City.

This is a work of fiction. All of the characters, organizations, and events portrayed in this novel are either products of the author’s imagination or are used fictitiously.

THE IRIS FAN.
Copyright © 2014 by Laura Joh Rowland. All rights reserved. For information, address St. Martin’s Press, 175 Fifth Avenue, New York, N.Y. 10010.

www.minotaurbooks.com

Cover design by Laura Klynstra

Cover photographs: woman © Ricardo Demurez / Trevillion Images; texture: © javarman / Shutterstock.com; flowers © graph / Shutterstock.com

eBooks may be purchased for business or promotional use. For information on bulk purchases, please contact Macmillan Corporate and Premium Sales Department by writing to [email protected].

The Library of Congress has cataloged the print edition as follows:

Rowland, Laura Joh.

    The iris fan / Laura Joh Rowland.—First edition.

              pages            cm (Sano Ichiro novels; 18)

    “A novel of feudal Japan.”

    ISBN 978-1-250-04706-9 (hardcover)

    ISBN 978-1-4668-4743-9 (e-book)

1.  Sano, Ichiro (Fictitious character)—Fiction.   2.  Samurai—Fiction.   3.  Japan—History—18th century—Fiction.   I.  Title.

    PS3568.O934I75 2014

    813'.54—dc23

2014027065

e-ISBN 9781466847439

First Edition: December 2014