Red Zen

In the old imperial capital of Kyoto, the murder of a Zen Buddhist monk is an almost unheard-of crime.

But now the unheard-of has happened. And... there are five more monks missing.

Set amidst the serenity of Kyoto and its Zen Buddhist temples, retired Professor Penelope Middleton finds herself delving into a world that is at once familiar to her as it is foreign, and is faced with an implacable group of religious fanatics determined to bring back the full glory of Buddhism to Japan... even at the cost of its most ardent adherents.

An ancient document is the only clue, and Penelope must solve its riddles to put an end to the killing, and possibly save her own life as well.