White Ninja

Nicholas Linnear, hero of The Ninja and The Miko , is back in another epic melodrama set in present-day Japan, this time concerning primal Japanese tanjian sorcery, troubled family histories, sex crimes, magic jewels, marital problems, the opium trade, brain tumors, an apocalyptic computer virus and sadistic blood murder; and featuring high-powered Washington politicians, a female detective for the Tokyo police, Red operatives, the Japanese mafia, and a brother-sister tag team of evil incarnate. Improbable as it may sound, the story (which begins with the endless complications bequeathed upon it by its two equally elaborate predecessors) is compelling, highly charged with action, adventure, and Lustbader's particularly anguished brand of sexual realism. The densely plotted story leads through the labyrinthine mysteries of the Orient, with sexual and spiritual mysteries unfolding enticingly (if predictably) at every turn. A distinctly good time for the unabashed thriller-reader, particularly those with a taste for the mystical, exotic and sexually kinky. (Feb.)