I've never never read a mystery novel with this amount of cultural history in it. At first I didn't know if I'd like that aspect of it, however the further I got the more I enjoyed it. Plot wise I've also never read anything like this. There were a few moments where situations seemed a bit too convenient... but besides that I did enjoy it, and I was surprised at the direction it took.

One thing I would've loved is for the audiobook narrator to have done different voices for the characters, because sometimes it felt like I got lost in the dialogue.

It's a very solid 3 star read for me! Liked it.

An unusual tale of an American translator living in Japan. As a story it was a bit convoluted and I found it hard to follow who it was referring to in places. I can see what people mean about the repetition of kimono, chapter 6 just feels like she’s saying kimono 100 times and honestly half of them are not necessary.

The storyline was fine, but very slow moving and just not to my taste I think, it felt like it took until 40% through to get going and I’d nearly given up by then. It also conveys some really old fashioned ideas about people with tattoos. 

I really wanted to like this, but it just wasn't for me I'm afraid.

The narrator was great and had a lovely soothing voice.

Captivating and engaging all the way through. A murder mystery set mostly in Japan, exposing the reader to the history and beautiful world of kimono art. Really enjoyed this story .

The Kimono Tattoo is set in Kyoto and tells the tale of Ruth Bennett, a translator, who is approached to work on a brand new text by a long forgotten writer. The first chapter of the new novel tells of the discovery of a dead woman who is covered in kimono tattoos; Ruth gets a shock when she sees a very similar story appear on the news. As she gets further through the book translation, the lines between fiction and reality begin to blur.

I really liked Kyoto as the setting for this book and the premise was very promising. However, sadly this just didn't live up to my expectations. The characters weren't massively likeable and I just struggled to get into the story. The word 'kimono' was mentioned SO many times, I feel as though it's now lost all meaning.

My thanks to NetGalley and the Publishers for sending me this ARC in return for an honest review.

Ruth already stands out in Kyoto because of the way she looks but when she begins translating a manuscript whose characters start to turn up in real life things become very strange. The history and descriptions of kimonos and Japanese culture were integral to this story and for me both educational and engaging. I have never read any of the authors other books but I learned that this book was divergent from her previous work but I look forward to more of this style from her.

I did not like the narrator as it was impossible to tell the difference between the different characters.

Ruth Bennett is a translator working in Kyoto, Japan. Tall, redheaded Ruth is immediately recognizable as a foreigner, but she speaks impeccable Japanese and thoroughly embraces Japanese culture. She was born and raised in Japan while her parents worked as missionaries, although not the stereotypical sort. Her father was an obstetrician in a Christian hospital. Tragedy struck the family when her father was embroiled in a baseless malpractice case and her younger brother mysteriously vanished. Ruth’s parents returned to America, but Japan was home for Ruth.

Ruth’s current translation job is rather boring. She has no relatives nearby, few friends, and she’s not currently in a relationship. When a stranger knocks on her door offering her a chance to translate a novel by an author everyone assumed was dead, she gladly accepts the challenge. But as she reads the manuscript, she finds inconsistencies in writing style and the subject matter is about a dead woman’s body found naked on a nearby path. The body is covered in stunningly artistic tattoos that strongly resemble kimono fabric. After a very similar story appears on the television news, she knows the woman has been murdered.

Ruth slowly discovers she is the target of a very dangerous and powerful person. As she works to solve the puzzle of the manuscript and the tattooed woman, she discovers that she also has allies, friends and support from unexpected places.

In The Kimono Tattoo, kimonos are mentioned and observed in great detail so frequently, the reader can’t miss them. But as someone who knows very little about kimonos, I found this fascinating. The author also described the setting near Ruth’s home so well that I could picture myself walking those paths.

The mystery is just as complex as the dead woman’s tattoos. I listened to the audio version of this book and I was so engrossed in the story that I had to keep reminding myself to turn it off and go to sleep!

I looked up the author’s webpage and biography. Rebecca Copeland draws her main character’s history from her own life experiences. She is also an illustrious Japanese translator and literary critic. This is her first work of fiction.

Thank you NetGalley and Brother Mockingbird publishers for the opportunity to listen to the audio version of this book. The Kimono Tattoo is now available at your favorite print or audio book retailers.

I experienced this Rebecca Copeland novel, The Kimono Tattoo, in audiobook format, narrated by Theresa Bakken. I enjoyed Bakken's performance of the book, though I don't think you would miss much by going for the traditional written format if that's your preference. Brakken maintains clear diction, and articulates emotion well without being overbearing, and does not drastically change voices for characters the way many audiobook narrators do. Much of the book is exposition on the details of Japanese culture and the history of kimono, which when narrated by Brakken, was reminiscent of a soothing informational podcast.

The overall plot of this thriller/mystery novel follows the interconnected stories of traumatic events and crime in two families, from the point of view of an American expat who has lived in Japan most of her life. The author's personal experience and knowledge of Japanese culture shines well in this story, and my favorite parts of the book were the descriptions of the narrator's life in Kyoto and the culture surrounding her. The plot itself was engaging and surprising, and I quite enjoyed how unique it was in terms of weaving in cultural information with the mystery.

The main reason I took off two stars are because the protagonist, Ruth Bennett, seemed awkwardly naive when it came to anything slightly removed from her traditional wheelhouse. Two early examples would be her initial reaction to the first description of the kimono tattoos covering a body, and the way she describes the edgier style of her younger coworker. Maybe this is some kind of generational gap, or maybe she was written this way to serve the plot and provide more opportunity for questions and details, but it really rubbed me the wrong way, and it was a trend that continued throughout the story. I felt that, for someone as intelligent and experienced as Ruth, some of the questions I found her asking were a bit unbelievable. There were probably different ways to advance the plot than underselling the cultural awareness and critical thinking skills of the main character.

That all being said, this book is a must-read for people who love thrillers, mysteries, and Japan. Her descriptions of traditional dance, kimono, and translating work, were engaging and well-written. Many thanks to the author, publisher, and NetGalley for the ARC of this audiobook.

Bring the reader who typically turns away from anything historical fiction I was pleasantly surprised by The Kimono Tattoo. Suspense, drama, mystery , intrigue; truly a listen that had it all. The narrator also made it enjoyable!

[ Thank you Netgalley and the authors/publishers for providing a free audiobook in exchange for an honest review ]

Let's start with the things I liked about this book:
• The translation aspect - I really loved that the main character was a translator, and I appreciated that she knew Japanese, as all too often in books with white main characters set in Asia, the white character makes no attempt to learn and use the cultures language.
• The diverse characters - I really liked Maho!
• The setting was well developed and I really felt like I could see where the story was taking place.

Overall, I really enjoyed the story, and I liked the mystery aspects, but there were a few things that just let it down for me. One was the incredible overuse of the word Kimono and (in the first few hours at least) the frequency with which very technical discussions on kimono came up. Whilst I understand that the author was trying to give us the info needed, and also set our main character up as knowledgeable, it just felt somewhat "info-dumpy" as it were.

That said, I liked the story overall and I would definitely think about picking up another book by this author again.

Five Stars! I loved this book! I listened to the audio book narrated by Theresa Bakken, and it was excellent. I did feel Ms. Bakken spoke very very slowly and deliberately, so I did end up listening to it at 1.5 speed, which made her speech sound a bit pressured which actually worked ok for the thriller type suspense novel that it is.
In The Kimono Tattoo, Ruth, an expat living in Japan- (somewhat in a self-imposed exile after a failed marriage and career in the US) finds herself drawn into a mystery of enormous proportions that seems to have started in her childhood - when she was also living in Japan with her missionary parents and brother - who would go missing.
Initially Ruth is living a bit of a mundane life- working a job she's overqualified for, taking some dance lessons and in general- just existing. This changes when a well dressed stranger arrives at her door with a translation project that is too interesting to turn down. As she begins the translation, it leads to her down multiple adventurous pathways to the more disreputable side of Kyoto. With many surprising and unexpected turns Ruth develops deeper friendships, and even a bit of a romance, as she has several close calls while attempting to unravel a mystery with a Kimono at the center. The conclusion does wrap up details nicely, but not too perfectly, so it seemed very realistic. No spoilers!
From start to finish, the author has developed the characters fully. While I did not particularly adore the protagonist, I found myself quite fond of her "supporting characters" , and I was definitely drawn into the book by the characters- with each new event, I found myself anticipating the actions and choices that they would make- sometimes bemoaning Ruth's impulsive choices!
Some reviewers did feel that the details regarding Kimono, and Japanese dance were possibly too much. I'm not sure if the audio book helped me to just listen through these parts, initially I did feel that some of the detail was possibly on the edge of too much, but in the end, I felt like it added to the story and was perfect. If you do not want to learn something about Kimonos and Kyoto- this is not for you! But for me, this was one of my favorites for 2022! Highly recommend!

Wonderful narrator. Interesting setting and plot. Loved the detail and descriptive writing which makes you feel like you’re actually there with the characters. Great listen.

I was not able to finish this book. While the narration was perfectly fine, the content was a little too repetitive. I appreciate the author trying to get Japanese culture in to mainstream media, however the constant (underlined constant!) use of the work "kimono" was incredibly annoying. It felt as if the author was receiving royalties based on how many times they were able to say "kimono".

The overall story and audiobook experience was good! I was just getting frustrated with the above.

This just didn't quite hit the mark for me. The plot and motivations of some of the characters was so convoluted. I almost gave up on it a couple of times. You can feel the definite appreciation of Kimono and Japanese culture, but too often it felt like there was extraneous exposition that slowed the plot down.

I would give this book 4 stars. The subject content is interesting and well thought out. Trigger warning, this book does contain child sex slaves being sold. This author is a talented writer and I will definitely check out some of her other books. The reason I didn’t give 5 stars, the book seems a little drawn out and slow. It’s full of a lot of unnecessary details that didn’t really add to the mystery. It gives a lot of history of the kimono. I found the history to be very interesting. But also too much discussion of the kimonos in a suspense thriller. The book seemed more of a drama to me. There was a murder mystery and the search for a missing boy. But you learn who committed these crimes 75% in. The last quarter of the book is drama. The narrator did a great job. She has a nice calm voice and speaks clearly. She changes her tone and accent when switching characters and makes it clear which character is speaking. If you enjoy a lot of drama in your reading, you will definitely love this book. Although this particular book wasn’t for me, the author is talented and I would love to check out some of her other books

Beautifully written literary thriller set in Japan. The story is good enough to get you hooked, the author evokes the beauty of Japan with her beautiful writing.

I loved this very different thriller mystery.

This thriller took me on a trip across an ocean to an unfamiliar land.

The main character is recently divorced and while not exactly using her education in Japanese history, red haired American Ruth Bennett is making a living translating for a small company in Kyoto.

One day an exciting and mysterious opportunity to translate a Japanese manuscript into English shows us literally on her front door. Bored with her current situation Ruth accepts and starts to read a dark and twisty tale aboit accidental, or maybe not so accidental deaths.

Puzzled about why an author, long thought to be dead, was choosing her to translate his book out of the blue, Ruth finds out that the manuscript might not be fiction at all. But will anyone believe her. After all how can the dead commit murder? And who is really behind this manuscript?

I have to say I am not familiar with a lot of Japanese culture and traditions but through this book I feel more drawn to learning about the rich ancient histories and current proud culture that Japan has today.

A great thriller. And great story with twists and turns and so much rich history. The descriptions of the kimonos and food and city had me visualizing my own experience in Japan. I will recommend this book to readers looking for spooky, unsettling reads or a trip to another country.

I really enjoyed this audio book. The genre was a bit out of my comfort zone, but the thrilling story really got me hocked. We follow the story of translator Ruth Bennett who returns to her childhood home in Kyoto. And as Ruth uncovers the mystery of the story she translates, which doesn't seem to be so fictional after all, the reader learns a bit more about Japanese culture and the art of kimono.

I think I might have been better reading this rather than listening to the audio book as it was coming at me fast and I got very confused with the different characters names as they sounded very alike I also had to go back a few chapters a couple of times as I misunderstood a chapter where I thought the main character had actually killed someone.
Once I got around that and the mystery started to evolve I did really enjoy this book.
The author has obviously researched into the Japanese way of life and has got so much knowledge about the kimono's they wear.
This book is certainly something different

Honestly, this book was completely different from what I originally expected.

I thought the characters themselves were the strongest part of the plot, except for the details in terms of the culture. I usually am not particularly keen on main characters and find the supporting characters particularly more interesting, but here Ruth felt real and her actions were driven by logic and emotion that made sense and were in line with things that I would do. The details of her feelings and her curiosity were character traits that worked really well in the storey, and I really enjoyed every moment of being in her head.

In terms of the description and culture, there was so much of it, in such great detail. It really felt like I was there since the paths were described so well. The roads and bridges were named, which was amazing. I loved the way that the dancing and the kimonos were described. It was rich with details, from something as large as the style to something as small as the colours and flow of the patterns on the kimonos.

I think where this fell a little flat for me was towards the end. There was such a large build-up of events that I felt too many things were left unanswered. I understand in a way why, but it did get a little annoying. Also, the way that Matthew was handled, I thought, was a little poor. I felt like there could have been a little more foreshadowing or emphasis on his relevance from the beginning.
Overall, I did, for the most part, enjoy this. I was practically in Japan, and as Ruth was an outsider who lived there, I felt like an outsider too.

This was such a great book! If you love mysteries and/or learning about Japanese culture, you will love The Kimono Tattoo. The author does a great job giving background on Japanese culture and how it relates to the story without becoming pedantic, and the mystery will draw you in. The characters were also great - I could understand the drive behind the main character, despite her often poorly thought out actions. I wish we had gotten to know some of the side characters (like Maho) even more, because they were very interesting from the scenes we did get.