The Wages of Zen -- James Melville

This series came very highly recommended. 

That might be why I found the book so disappointing.  (You know when someone talks something up, up, up and then you read it and it's just blah?  Of course you do.  We're probably all guilty of it at some point or another.  (I certainly am.)  Regardless, it always stinks when it happens.)

Of course, maybe the book was disappointing because it was lame.  I was expecting a Bangkok 8 set in Japan.  Instead, I got an Agatha Christie set in Japan.  That it itself isn't a bad thing, I guess.  But Bangkok 8 made me feel like I had an inside view into the perspective of another culture.  The Wages of Zen made me feel like I had an inside view into the stereotype of the perspective of another culture.  Sad.