Samurai Lord Inaba has been murdered in his sleep. To make matters worse, the crime took place under the protective eye of the Shogun himself. This is a case for Judge Ooka, Japan's own real-life Sherlock Holmes. And, of course, for his 14-year-old apprentice, Seikei. Their only clue?a bloodstained origami butterfly?leads them on a journey filled with mysterious shape-shifting ninjas, vengeful peasants, and a power-hungry killer you might never suspect. If Seikei is to help solve this crime, he must first survive.

Edgar Award finalists Dorothy and Thomas Hoobler drench this story with drama and suspense in this, their third mystery featuring the famous magistrate Ooka and his young samurai apprentice.