Reviews

The Ghost in the Tokaido Inn by Dorothy Hoobler, Thomas Hoobler

elsanore's review against another edition

3.0

The Ghost In The Tokaido Inn is an intriguing mystery I read aloud to my 10 and 6 year old children for homeschool. While more violent than our usual fare, we enjoyed following young Seikei as he worked with Judge Ooka to solve a mystery, learning about kabuki theater, tea ceremony, and the samurai code of honor and its clash with Christianity.

Trigger warning: suicide, murder

merricatct's review against another edition

3.0

This is a book that we picked up at a used book sale some time ago, and I read it not knowing what to expect. It's definitely a young adult book, and I told my son that I think he'd enjoy it! I wouldn't mind reading the next in the series, especially if I'm looking for a quick read.

anliena's review against another edition

adventurous mysterious medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Plot
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

madcat29's review against another edition

adventurous challenging informative mysterious fast-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Plot
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

5.0

aileenginny's review against another edition

4.0

I liked this story, it was very entertaining. The writing style is very simple and unsophisticated, but the story benefits from this simplicity because you are encouraged to consider the deeper meanings on your own.

tunacullen's review against another edition

adventurous hopeful mysterious fast-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Plot
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

5.0

sarabc's review against another edition

adventurous lighthearted medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Plot
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? No

3.0

lilyaronovitz's review against another edition

3.0

{3.5} This book was definitely and intruiging and captivating, but I feel like I couldn't fully enjoy it because I had to read it for school. It was well put together and very mysterious, the characters were likeable. I am probably interested in reading the other books in the series!

jselliot's review against another edition

adventurous informative mysterious medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Plot
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

5.0

Much like how I loved A Murder For Her Majesty, a this historical mystery set in feudal Japan sucked me right in. While not as polished as a mystery targeted at an older audience, the little tidbits tucked in about the time period served as the genre staple "learn new things" distraction tactic and it worked perfectly well for that. Definitely one of my more favored books as a kid. 

Interestingly, this book even spawned a whole series following Judge Ooka and Seikei's adventures. The Demon in the Teahouse was the next book, but I sadly have had difficulty finding copies. 

lsquared's review against another edition

2.0

I just couldn't get into this one. The writing style bothered me and kept drawing me out of the story.