2002-10-29 Moderna characters in historical disguise

This novel takes place in 17th century Japan but the characters act like contemporary people. While I do not have the knowledge to judge the historic accuracy, the setting is exotic and interesting. However, if the setting was contemporary, Sano a modern day policeman, Reiko his wife and the Black Lotus a modern-day apocalyptic sect the story, actions and the motivation of the characters could stay the same without being in the least anachronistic. It is not enough to write about an exotic setting without also depicting people who are a product of their time and place. While people can of course transcend their origin and this often add to the interest this is simply too much. The mystery is hardly a mystery and the story is predictable.