Hide and Seek (An Inspector Rebus Novel)

Book Description

At night the summer sky stays light over Edinburgh. But in a shadowy, crumbling housing development, a junkie lies dead of an overdose, his bruised body surrounded by signs of Satanic worship. John Rebus could call the death and accident--but won't. Instead, he tracks down a violent-tempered young woman who knew the dead boy and heard him cry out his terrifyng last words: "Hide! Hide!" Now, with the help of a bright, conflicted young detective, Rebus is following the girl through a brutal world of bad deals, bad dope and bad company. From a beautiful city's darkest side to the private sanctums of the upper crust, Rebus is seeking the perfect hiding place for a killer.

Customer Reviews:

Ian Rankin/Inspector Rebus take Hide and Seek to a new level........2007-04-28

I have to say that I wasn't sure what to think of this book, especially since I'm not a big fan of mystery/detective books, but I read Ian's first book in the series and enjoyed it so I thought I'd see if he could keep my interest on the second......and boy did he!!!! It still boggles my mind how Ian writes a 210 page book with so many twist and turns and yet it never feels like he has to rush to finish the story. I guess what I'm saying is that this book flows extremely well for having so much going on and yet it only takes him 210 pages to wrap up the story! Inspector Rebus continues to grow as the main character in this book and he has a great mix of "hard edge attitude", the ability to "turn on the charm", and yet still be human and have "weak" moments as well. It also helps that Ian has added some side characters from the police force to help readers undertsand how John Rebus interacts with his fellow co-workers (on and off the job). If you are new to this series, get the first book (Knots and Crosses) then get this book. However, you will be fine buying this book even if you didn't read the first one. Either way, you won't regret it.....I sure didn't.

Disappointing.......2007-03-12

I couldn't get into this book. I didn't think the characters were very interesting and I really couldn't get too excited about the plot. Perhaps I found the characters too pathetic. Also, this was my first Rebus book and I must say, I don't like him much as a character. Some of the description about Edinburgh was interesting but I guess I just found the book too sordid, too boring.

Not too impressed.......2006-12-02

Stop reading this if you have not read the novel, because a spoiler follows.I sure have read a lot of great comments about Ian Rankin. Comparisons to Michael Connely caused me to search him out. Not in the same league in my book. A so so story with a hard to believe plot. Does every wealthy man in Edinburgh enjoy wathcing underage junkies beat the heck out of each other and then have sex with them or watch their buddies do so? They sure are having a gay old time in Rankin's sordid Edinburgh. I liked the Rebus character, but I don't plan to seek him out again.

I somehow missed this one.......2005-09-13

While living in Spain, I had to get most of my books from Amazons UK site. That is how I discovered this author. I thought I had read all his Ins. Rebus novels, but missed this and found it here. It is as good as the rest. I have never been dissapointed in his stories. Some are weaker than others, but none have I not enjoyed. It was nice reading this one as it gave me more background on Rebus' past.
He is a very well fleshed out character, with a very intriguing personality. Rankin also describes Edinborough very well, and gives a very good impression of the city.
If you haven't read a Rebus novel, do. If possible start with the earliest and go in order, as his background develops with each novel.
Highly recommended

On hunting a modern-day Mr. Hyde........2004-03-09

Bearing in mind the original duality of Jekyll and Hyde, however, Rankin's tales are not dominated by a contrast painted in black and white. While the villains Inspector Rebus faces are certainly every bit as evil as Stevenson's Mr. Hyde, Rebus himself is far from a clean-slated "good guy:" Divorced, cynical, hard-drinking and a former member of the SAS, he is a brother in spirit to every noir detective from Dashiell Hammett's Sam Spade and Raymond Chandler's Philip Marlowe to Michael Connelly's Harry Bosch, James Ellroy's squad of crooked cops and Peter Robinson's Alan Banks. Nor is Rebus's Edinburgh the touristy town of Calton Hill, castle and Summer Festival (although the series has meanwhile sparked real-life guided tours to its most famous locations, too) - as befitting a true detective of his ilk, Rankin's antihero moves primarily in the city's dark and dirty underbelly, which is populated by society's losers and where those who have "made it," those with money in their pockets, only show up if they have shady deals to conduct as well.

The title of Rankin's second Rebus novel, "Hide and Seek," is an even more overt play on Robert Louis Stevenson's famous dual character(s) than the mere juxtaposition of cop and killer in "Knots and Crosses;" and when the villain's identity is finally unveiled, the parallels between this book and Stevenson's become even more obvious. Here, Rebus is on the hunt for the killer of a junkie whose half-naked body is found in a run-down, deserted building in the Pilmuir housing estates - the worst part of town, notwithstanding a nearby construction project involving high-priced luxury condominiums - positioned crucifixion-style and near a drawing possibly hinting at Satanic rituals. And Rebus's only witness seems to be the young woman who had been living with the dead man for the last three months and heard him yell "Hide!" before pushing her out of the door, telling her: "They've murdered me;" but who is now more than just a little reluctant to cooperate, taking refuge, instead, behind an almost unbreakable rebel-against-society-facade, complete with peroxide hair, stud earrings and Attitude with a capital "A."

While this series had a terrific start already in its first two novels, published in 1987 and 1991, Rebus's character - and Rankin's writing - has evolved significantly over time. Thus, it is probably wise to read it in the order of publication. Contrary to the novels he wrote under the pseudonym Jack Harvey, however, and which he views much more critically in hindsight, Ian Rankin overall still seems to be happy with his early Rebus books, commenting: "I can't read them without thinking back to my own early years, my apprenticeship as a crime writer. Read and enjoy." I have nothing to add to that ...

Average customer rating:

wondrous adventure for children

Courtesy of Teens Read Too

A book kids will love

M Doyle

A Creative Twist to the Game of Hide and Seek

Toaster Pond
Peter De Witt
Manufacturer: Dna Press
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

Action & Adventure | Literature | Children's Books | Subjects | Books
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ASIN: 1933255218

Book Description

What if your small town was more than it seemed? What if something you thought was a gift was starting to look like a curse? Doug Manion, newly thirteen, has been hearing voices: at best, they help him catch unsuspecting opponents in the increasingly competitive games of hide-and-seek he and his friends play; at their worst—and strangest—they let him overhear his parents' plans to send him to boarding school. These plans have to wait, however, when Doug and two friends take a fateful dip in Toaster Pond and end up in a parallel world. Surfacing in a town called Sangerfield, they are no longer just boys playing games; they are the best hope of Lord Eisenhut to find the Gem of Gicalma, a powerful stone that will protect Sanger Castle from the attacks of Ludicrous Zwevil. Doug and his friends must win this game of hide-and-seek—for this time they are playing for their lives.

Customer Reviews:

wondrous adventure for children.......2007-04-20

[...]
Toaster Pond is a wondrous adventure for children. The setting is a place called Waterville. In Waterville during the summer the teens are ready for their championship game of Hide and Seek. But this is not your normal regular game.

The story will captivate your child's imagination. You can discover within the pages six toed fairies, as well as a wealth of different characters. The stories main characters include Doug, Skip, and Pierce, and they are on the Hide and Seek team termed the best team. Peter de Witt transports the game to a magical place of Sangerfiled, here the main characters must put their expert skills into action. Will they be able to save Sanger Castle? To find out you will need to pick up a copy of this great adventurous tale, you will not be disappointed.

Toaster Pond is a quick compact read, once your child has started they will not be able to put this one down. This is Peter de Witt's debut and is an excellent creation and there will be a high demand for more. This is one enchanting and magical read that the entire family will want to read. This title will win the parents approval, and will be captivating families for generations to come.

[...]

Courtesy of Teens Read Too.......2007-01-27

In the town of Waterville, Hide and Seek is not just a game, and it's not just for little kids. Hide and Seek is serious business for the teenagers in town. There is an extremely competitive championship game of Team Hide and Seek every summer. Actually, there are two, one for thirteen- and fourteen-year-old teens and one for fifteen- and sixteen-year-old teens.

This year, Doug Manion is entering for the first time, with his cousin, Skip Corbin, and their best friend Pierce Butterworth. They've been preparing for this for a long time, and they intend to win. They have an added secret advantage, one that only Doug knows about. Recently, Doug's hearing has improved. A lot. He can hear people whispering from yards away. He doesn't tell anyone about it; he's not convinced it's a good ability, or even that it's completely real. Like making the cheek-pinching lady at his aunt's funeral disappear. But it certainly couldn't hurt to have super-hearing when playing Hide and Seek, right?

Winning the championship seems like the ultimate summer project. But really it's only the beginning. When they are recruited to play the ultimate game of Hide and Seek, the teens might get more than they bargained for. There is more to their town than they ever knew, and more to their families than they ever imagined. Doug might not be the only one with strange and special gifts. Just how deep is Toaster Pond? And what is the gem of Gicalma? You'll just have to read and find out. (It's like Hide and Seek without going anywhere!)

I love the idea of Hide and Seek as a real adventure, not just a game. (Our version was Ghost in the Graveyard, and it terrified me, so I'm glad no one wrote that book.) The book starts out with a barrage of different people and names, most of whom never turn up again. So don't let yourself get confused trying to figure who everybody is and how they fit in.

This is a fun, enjoyable, quick read. My only real complaint is that it gets too Harry Potterish. The storyline and the concept stand on their own just fine; the resemblance in the castles got a little distracting. And if I don't stop telling you about it, there won't be anything left for you to discover! So get to reading!

Reviewed by: Carrie Spellman

A book kids will love.......2006-09-10

Although it appeals to all ages, if you are looking for a book for early readers this a great find. The author's use of unique charactors such as "Felicia the 6-toed fairy" stirs the imagination of the reader. Great first book from a very promising author! Can't wait to read your next.

M Doyle.......2006-06-08

Excellent! Bravo! Encore! This is an adventure story for all ages. Peter de Witt does a wonderful job showing children they are not alone in experiencing the trials and tribulations of childhood and reminding parents of they went through at that age.

A Creative Twist to the Game of Hide and Seek.......2006-06-08

This is a great read that will easily captivate any audience....young or old. The excitement, adventure, magic and creativity kept me reading from the start right to the end.

Hide & Seek: A John Rebus Mystery (Detective John Rebus Novels)

Average customer rating:

On hunting a modern-day Mr. Hyde.
Excellent police procedural/mystery by under-rated author
boring and long winded

Hide & Seek: A John Rebus Mystery (Detective John Rebus Novels)
Ian Rankin
Manufacturer: O. Penzler Books
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

General | Mystery | Mystery & Thrillers | Subjects | Books

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ASIN: 1883402743

Customer Reviews:

On hunting a modern-day Mr. Hyde........2006-10-07

He had wanted to update Robert Louis Stevenson's "Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde" for modern times, Ian Rankin writes about his first Inspector Rebus novel, "Knots and Crosses" in the introduction to the 1999 British compilation "Rebus: The Early Years," which contains the first three installments of the series. Oblivious to the mere existence of such a thing as the mystery genre -- or so Rankin says -- he was stunned to soon hear his book described first and foremost as a crime novel. But eventually this characterization prompted him to have a closer look at the work of other mystery writers, and he found that the form suited his purposes just fine; that in fact he "could say everything [he] wanted to say about the world, and still give readers a pacy, gripping narrative."

Bearing in mind the original duality of Jekyll and Hyde, however, Rankin's tales are not dominated by a contrast painted in black and white. While the villains Inspector Rebus faces are certainly every bit as evil as Stevenson's Mr. Hyde, Rebus himself is far from a clean-slated "good guy:" Divorced, cynical, hard-drinking and a former member of the SAS, he is a brother in spirit to every noir detective from Dashiell Hammett's Sam Spade and Raymond Chandler's Philip Marlowe to Michael Connelly's Harry Bosch, James Ellroy's squad of crooked cops and Peter Robinson's Alan Banks. Nor is Rebus's Edinburgh the touristy town of Calton Hill, castle and Summer Festival (although the series has meanwhile sparked real-life guided tours to its most famous locations, too) -- as befitting a true detective of his ilk, Rankin's antihero moves primarily in the city's dark and dirty underbelly, which is populated by society's losers and where those who have "made it," those with money in their pockets, only show up if they have shady deals to conduct as well.

The title of Rankin's second Rebus novel, "Hide and Seek," is an even more overt play on Robert Louis Stevenson's famous dual character(s) than the mere juxtaposition of cop and killer in "Knots and Crosses;" and when the villain's identity is finally unveiled, the parallels between this book and Stevenson's become even more obvious. Here, Rebus is on the hunt for the killer of a junkie whose half-naked body is found in a run-down, deserted building in the Pilmuir housing estates -- the worst part of town, notwithstanding a nearby construction project involving high-priced luxury condominiums -- positioned crucifixion-style and near a drawing possibly hinting at Satanic rituals. And Rebus's only witness seems to be the young woman who had been living with the dead man for the last three months and heard him yell "Hide!" before pushing her out of the door, telling her: "They've murdered me;" but who is now more than just a little reluctant to cooperate, taking refuge, instead, behind an almost unbreakable rebel-against-society-facade, complete with peroxide hair, stud earrings and Attitude with a capital "A."

While this series had a terrific start already in its first two novels, published in 1987 and 1991, Rebus's character -- and Rankin's writing -- has evolved significantly over time. Thus, it is probably wise to read it in the order of publication. Contrary to his early nonseries books, however, which he views much more critically in hindsight, Ian Rankin overall still seems to be happy with his early Rebus books, commenting: "I can't read them without thinking back to my own early years, my apprenticeship as a crime writer. Read and enjoy." I have nothing to add to that ...

Excellent police procedural/mystery by under-rated author.......1999-04-16

I am a big fan of Rebus - and of anything Ian Rankin writes. Rebus is a believable cop - with lots of personality quirks and a not-so-perfect "home" life. The descriptions of his work environment and the politics involved in being a cop (in any country) are dead-on. Scotland comes alive - its weather, moods, citizens, crime. I highly recommend this book to any reader who is looking for something deep, different, and compelling.

boring and long winded.......1998-06-10

After seeing the interview of Mr. Rankin on CBS Sunday morning I was very excited to read one of his books. I picked this one up and quite frankly wished I hadn't. To see that it is back ordered surprises me (maybe everyone else saw the interview). Mr. Rankin's mystery novel is a quick read but is one of those types of books you put down only because of boredom. It is very long winded, and not very descriptive compared to other mysteries I have read.

Average customer rating:

An excellent, if sad, read
A profound debut novel that reveals horror, courage, and hard-won understanding through the eyes of a boy
A profound debut novel that reveals horror, courage, and hard-won understanding through the eyes of a boy
Searingly sad, achingly funny --this one's a keeper

Hide and Seek: A Novel
Clare Sambrook
Manufacturer: Canongate U.S.
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

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ASIN: 1841957933

Book Description

Meet Harry Pickles, the fastest boy in the world (well, at least in school), big brother to Daniel (who runs like a girl but is, in his own twerpy way, a star), and the firstborn son of Mo and Pa, the best-looking parents in their Notting Hill elementary school parking lot. Harry's life, like any other nine-year-old's, is a colorful, frenetic, and fun blur of lunch boxes, vocabulary tests, and keeping up with his pals Piggy and Terry-not to mention keeping an eye on his kid brother Daniel. Mo, a successful, well-known journalist, and Pa, a surgeon, have built a wonderful world for Harry and Daniel to grow up in, but when a school outing results in Daniel's vanishing, the complicated adult world of police investigations and interviews, searches of the countryside, recriminations, and ultimate responsibility comes crashing in on a very confused Harry.

Told with an utterly compelling and exuberant sense of truth, Hide and Seek is a fresh debut of tense mystery, disarming humor, and remarkable compassion.

Customer Reviews:

An excellent, if sad, read.......2006-01-25

This debut novel has all the characteristics of a good read. The characters are rounded, the portrayal of a child's experience seems authentic, and the ending doen't pander to sentimentality.
The reader enters into the world of the protagonist swiftly and though it is a sad tale based around a tragedy, there is no sense of sanitization of the portrayal of either the main character or those portrayed as around him. The book is a snapshot in the history of one little boy and how he sees the world following the disappearance of his brother.
I think that for anyone who has gone through such a process the book may be just too close to expressing a pain most of us would be thankful not to revisit.

I found reading the book to my self enjoyable, but it really came alive when I read it as a bedtime story to a nine year old girl. She listened attentively, carried bits of the story from the night before in her memory the next day, and asked about the characters as if they were real. She didn't seem too badly affected by the story of a family in despair and seemed to make real sense of how the boy inhabited his world.
I can only highly recommend this book, and also recommend that you read it aloud. It is a story written in a style to be listened to.

A profound debut novel that reveals horror, courage, and hard-won understanding through the eyes of a boy.......2005-12-10

Hide & Seek is a stark, sometimes disturbing novel about a family struggling to cope with the sudden loss of a child. Much of the story is devoted to the perspective of nine-year-old Harry Pickles, an ordinary kid with friends and fantasies, who tries to wrap his head around the evil that caused the disappearance of someone close to him. British author Clare Sambrook presents a profound debut novel that reveals horror, courage, and hard-won understanding through the eyes of a boy.

A profound debut novel that reveals horror, courage, and hard-won understanding through the eyes of a boy.......2005-12-10

Searingly sad, achingly funny --this one's a keeper.......2005-09-01

In telling the story of a little boy gone missing through the voice of his brother Harry, age "nine and a bit", Clare Sambrook provides a wrenchingly human study of a family in extraordinarily painful circumstances. The individual portraits that emerge of Pa, Mo, Auntie Joan and Uncle Otis, as well as Harry and the ancillary characters of his friends and neighbors are spot on. I really don't think they could be better. And the writing for the most part is superb. (For example, one might say "I fainted into my father's arms." Clare Sambrook says, "The tarmac sped up towards me, but when it hit me it was soft and warm and smelt of Pa." Lovely. And the book is filled with things like this.) The only false note I think Sambrook hits is in taking Mo down a path which, while the motivation certainly is clear, doesn't seem realistic in its execution. (Sorry this is vague but I don't believe in spoilers. I think if you read the book you'll know what I'm referring to.) So that--and the fact that in my opinion the title seems off--is my reason for giving this book less than 5 stars. Call it 4.5 and go find this book; it's well worth reading. Clare Sambrook is a gem of a writer and I look forward to her next one.

Average customer rating:

Hide and Seek

Manufacturer: Ballatine Book
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover
ASIN: 0739419536

Average customer rating:

Hide and Seek (The World's Classics)
Wilkie Collins
Manufacturer: Oxford University Press, USA
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

Contemporary | General | Literature & Fiction | Subjects | Books

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ASIN: 0192830929

Book Description

At the center of Hide and Seek (1854) a secret waits to be revealed. Why should the apparently respectable painter Valentine Blyth refuse to account for the presence in his household of the beautiful girl known only as Madonna? It is not until his young friend Zack Thorpe--rebelling against
his repressive father--takes up with bad company and meets a mysterious stranger that the secret of Madonna can be unravelled.

Hide and Seek: A Mystery Novel for Children

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Hide and Seek: A Mystery Novel for Children
D.T. Gilbert
Manufacturer: PublishAmerica
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

General | Mystery | Mystery & Thrillers | Subjects | Books

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ASIN: 1413797482

Book Description

Kirk Harper's eleven-year-old world is suddenly turned upside down when his dad mysteriously disappears. Then, the family is secretly moved to England, from their home near Boston, protected by armed bodyguards! He learns that his father is a traitor, a secret agent gone bad, and that some of his dad's former colleagues want the family eliminated. Kirk meets a mysterious girl, known only as “the ghost,” who informs him that someone else is also watching him. Hunted by his dad's former friends, stalked by a menacing presence in the woods and confronted by fresh mysteries at every turn, Kirk ultimately decides to fight back and discover the truth about everything. It is only when he finally confronts his demons on an isolated island out in the nearby lake that the full horrifying truth is revealed—but at least he will not be alone!

Hide and Seek: The Child between Psychoanalysis and Fiction

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Hide and Seek: The Child between Psychoanalysis and Fiction
Virginia Blum
Manufacturer: University of Illinois Press
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

Contemporary | General | Literature & Fiction | Subjects | Books

General | Psychology & Counseling | Health, Mind & Body | Subjects | Books
ASIN: 0252021576

Hide-and-Seek with Angels: The Life of J.M. Barrie

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Hide-and-Seek with Angels: The Life of J.M. Barrie
Lisa Chaney
Manufacturer: Arrow
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

General | Biographies & Memoirs | Subjects | Books

Book Description

A fascinating and emotional biography of the man who created Peter Pan.

When James Matthew Barrie died, in 1937, his funeral was an occasion for national mourning. Crowds gathered, reporters came to record the day, and many well-known figures followed the coffin to the churchyard. Later, a memorial service was held at St. Paul’s Cathedral for the Scottish weaver’s son who died Britain’s playwright extraordinaire.

A succession of novels and long-running plays had brought Barrie enormous wealth and critical acclaim. His public following extended to Hollywood where his work was performed by the stars of the silver screen. Unhappily such achievements did little to ameliorate the strains in Barrie’s private life. Hampered by a stigmatizing divorce, he was also struck by a series of tragic bereavements from which he never fully recovered. While savouring his public image, Barrie gave no more than a handful of interviews. During his lifetime this inscrutable, enigmatic man succeeded in his desire to remain only partially known.

Barrie was already famous for sophisticated political satires and social comedies when, with the creation of Peter Pan, his immense artistic gift was displayed at its extraordinary best. It became a part of the common culture of the Western world, and is as relevant today as on that first performance one hundred years ago.

Average customer rating:

I Hide You Seek a Modern Spy Novel

Manufacturer: charles scribner's sons
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover
ASIN: B000H572BS

Book Description

From the creators of Lone Wolf and Cub comes Samurai Executioner. It's true! Few know of this precursor to the legendary ronin saga, but before Koike and Kojima created Itto Ogami, they created Kubikiri Asa, better known to Lone Wolf readers as Decapitator Asaemon. He was the equal to Itto, bearer of the sword Onibocho, the man charged with the duty of testing the swords for the shogun. Shogun Executioner is based on the decapitator himself, in life before his fatal duel with Lone Wolf. Expect the same legendary drama, frantic action, and stoic samurai stature, combined with the exemplary art and storytelling that made Lone Wolf and Cub one of the most popular and influential comic books in the world!

Customer Reviews:

anime.......2007-02-19

The content is kind of hard to understand. Reading this one would think that the Tokugawa period was filled with people that needed to be in institution. If you like wierd content this is the book for you.

Another legendary book.......2006-11-25

Before these two creative powerhouses brought forth "Lone Wolf and Cub," there was this, a tale of a man who decapitated criminals and tested swords. ("Lone Wolf and Cub" readers will recognize him from that series, too.)

As to be expected, these does not read like the typical manga. It is cinematic in scope and more like literature with a bit of a pulp twist. The dark underbelly of Japanese society is explored, deplored and dissected, and at the heart of it all is the Samurai Executioner. This first volume sets things up exceedingly well as we meet a young man who grabs his destiny by committing one horrible act. This act comes to haunt him in later volumes, but here it is merely presented.

If your only exposure to comics is Superman, or if you think all manga is like "Fruits Basket," you need to check out this series. It will change the way you look not only at manga and comic books, but also life and its many different values. It sounds like hyperbole, but it's true. We live in a time where honor has no place and where greed justifies everything. Now you can read of a time where honor is king (but slowly losing ground), and greed is the vice of the weak man.

Superb.

Samurai Executioner.......2005-08-25

Dark Horse Manga, an imprint of Dark Horse Comics, has recently begun publishing English translations of Samurai Executioner, written by Kazuo Koike and illustrated by Goseki Kojima ($9.95 US, available in the UK). Koike and Kojima are best known as the creators of the critically acclaimed and wildly popular Lone Wolf and Cub series (also published by Dark Horse). Available for the first time in America in the Japanese format, these individual volumes look nothing like regular comics. The Samurai Executioner books are 4x6 inches, soft cover, and average around 300 pages with approximately 3 complete stories per book.

Fans of Lone Wolf and Cub and manga generally will want to pick up this book, slated to run for 10 issues, in order to see the formal origins of an extremely successful manga which spawned a veritable pop culture industry in Japan. Samurai Executioner, set in Edo Period (Feudal) Japan, was the precursor to the Lone Wolf and Cub characters and series. Because of its close connections to Lone Wolf and Cub, it's hard to judge Samurai Executioner based solely on its own merits. Every evaluations feels like an implicit comparison. If that is how it is being marketed, though, then perhaps comparisons are warranted.

Like Lone Wolf and Cub, Samurai Executioner presents its readers with meandering, but poetic, narratives punctuated by graphic, sometimes gratuitous, violence and sex (it is labeled "Mature Readers"), as well as samurai philosophy illustrated through a simple yet strong pen and ink style artwork. The titular character, Kubikiri Asa, is not so much an executioner as a "sword tester." It just so happens that he tests the swords on the bodies, sometimes living and sometimes dead, of criminals. Lone Wolf and Cub gave its readers a view into Samurai high culture as that period was drawing to an end. It is a world populated by nobles and ronin. Samurai Executioner's strength lies in its differences. Asa's role as sword tester is one of the few places where high and low, rich and poor, condemned criminal and judge all meet and interact. This is what makes the book so interesting- not the samurai, but the peasants, and the gangsters, and the prostitutes, and the police who try to keep Edo functioning as smoothly as possible and come in and out of Asa's world.

Itto Ogami, the main character of Lone Wolf and Cub, lived and breathed Bushido, the warrior code or philosophy of the samurai class, often imparting wisdom to those that he was about to cut to pieces. Asa, on the other hand, is trapped by his role in society. It is his awareness of his role that gives him a complexity that Ogami was lacking. Forced to kill his own father, having vowed never to have children, Asa is man who is waiting for the end. Itto Ogami attempted to rebuild his family clan, whereas Asa is counting the days until his can end. Bushido, family, responsibility: for Asa, these are a chore, not a joy or path to enlightenment. If there is any character development in the traditional sense, it is about how Asa feels about being inextricably stuck in this role as sword tester.

Samurai Executioner is being market on the strength of Koike and Kojima's previous work, but it can and does stand up on its own and serves as a good introduction to manga culture.

Punished is not the man but the evil that resides in him.......2005-06-04

"Samurai Executioner" comes from Kazuo Koike and Goseki Kojima, the creators of "Lone Wolf and Cub." However, this precursor to the legendary manga saga is not as well known. The title character is Yoshitsugu, known to "Lone Wolf" readers as Decapitator Asaemon, bearer of the sword "Onibocho" and the man who was charged with the duty of testing the shogun's swords. Volume 1, "When the Demon Knife Weeps," begins with becoming the third Yamada Asaemon and represents the same carefully researched re-creation of Japan's Edo Period as "Lone Wolf and Cub." The biggest difference between the two works is that main character is not on a quest that provides a larger story arc in which each story fits. The stories are more about those that he has to executes, and are similar to those in which other characters have fatal meetings with Ogami Itto:

(1) "When the Demon Knife Weeps" begins with Yoshitsugu's father requesting that his son be made the third Yamada Asaemon. To do so, the son must pass one final test ordered by his father.

(2) "Yoshitsugu: Yamada Asaemon the Third" is given his chance to be O-Tameshiyaku and show the essence of Yamada-Ryu. This requires him to test a sword on the body and head of a commoner sentenced to death. But then a decapitation of a life subject is required and it turns out he knows the young woman who is brought forward quite intimately.

(3) "Monkey Fire Song" begins with Izuichi, blind masseur of Kanda Nishki-Cho, killing his divorced wife, Otatsu, and her lover, apothecary clerk Izoro. Before he can pay for his crime, Izuichi takes a woman hostage and is hold her in a storehouse. Decapitator Asaemon is called in by the authorities to help end the situation.

(4) "Toshu Daigongen" starts with the strange sight of Decapitator Asaemon walking through the streets of Edo holding an umbrella on a sunny day. Then Yoshichi, a plasterer, is discovered to be a child molester who has been murdering children for years. Such a monster must be executed, but Yoshichi just laughs because he thinks he has come up with a way to beat the system: he has tattooed "Toshu Daigongen," the holy name of the first shogun, on the back of his neck. To slice through the name is unthinkable.

(5) "Asaji" are the names for the lowly female servants in the prison. They are the ones for inspect the women prisoners and who have the responsibility for washing the heads of women who have been executed. When the ronin Saisho Shinkuro, the Terror of the Eight Provinces of Kanto, is captured and brought to Tenmacho to be executed, one of the Asaji requests to speak to Yamada-Sama. She wants to be allowed to wash the head of Shinkuro and tells her story to explain her request.

These are compelling stories, but this manga is intended for mature audiences, more so for the sexual violence towards women depicted in these stories than the bloodletting. Rape and abused are common elements in most of these stories, and I want to point out that Koike and Kojima present then as inhumane acts. The degradation of women is presented as a part of the culture and is certainly not being endorsed. These stories take place in violent times and ultimately it is not the violence but the ideals represented by Yoshitsugu and a few other characters that stand out.

Not Great but OK.......2004-08-21

I loved lone wolf and cub, as for samurai executioner it is not as good. I did enjoy the first story in the book where he becomes the executioner however. After I finished reading it there were still no real emotions that i had for Aseamon or in other words i don't care about the character like i cared for Ogami after reading LWandC 1. It seems that all Asaemon does is chop off heads..he doesn't go anywhere and doesn't seem to have any other life outside of his job as decapitator. There was a story in this book concerning a child rapist and there is a scene in which he is actually shown assualting a little girl. I thought that was a little much. Even after the resolution i was still a little disturbed that they drew that in there. This is darker than lone wolf and cub so far there are scenes of decapitaed bodies being carried arround and the whole rape and much more sex scenes that in Lone wolf.. It can kinda turn ya off. I hope the rest are better.

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