A spellbinding mystery played out from war-torn Japan to the rich tidewaters of LA's multicultural landscape, this stunning debut novel weaves a powerful tale of family and loyalty....

From the time she was a child, Mas Arai’s daughter, Mari, was completely gasa-gasa - never sitting still, always on the go, getting into everything. But an anxious phone call from Mari asking for his help plunges the usually obstinate Mas into a series of startling situations....

LA gardener Mas Arai returns to Hiroshima to bring his best friend’s ashes to a relative on the tiny offshore island of Ino, only to become embroiled in the mysterious death of a teenage boy who was about the same age Mas was when he survived the atomic bomb in 1945....

Few things get Mas more excited than gambling, so when he hears about a $500,000 win - from a novelty slot machine! - he's torn between admiration and derision....

Japan faces Korea in the World Baseball Classic at Dodger Stadium, and curmudgeonly gardener Mas Arai finds himself embroiled in a murder....

In Strawberry Yellow, he returns to the strawberry farms of his youth and encounters family intrigue, danger, and murder....

Mas Arai's best friend, Haruo, is getting married, and he has grudgingly agreed to serve as best man. But when an ancient Japanese doll display of Haruo's fiance goes missing....