"Melville"s strength lies in creating complex and beguiling characters and...he"s never been better." THE SAN DIEGO UNION-TRIBUNE Wandering among New Year"s revelers, Superintendent Otani is shot in the back. By strange coincidence, the Noh performer he had been watching earlier in the day is later found strangled in his luxurious home, clad in full Noh costume. The crime rivets the attention of Otani"s entire force, for the late Noh performer had not only been a dedicated amateur artist but also a wealthy businessman. His death liberates a fortune to his sister and his two attractive nephews and also raises some questions: Is the crime personal or political? And how, if at all, does it connect with the near murder of Otani?