What do You think about Sensei: A Thriller (2003)?
I really enjoyed this mystery, so much so I went on to read the sequel. A very detailed, almost poetical, description of martial arts training...yet so firmly grounded in reality...and in the main character, who is so impressively living in his life with a foot in both realms. He has a wry sense of humor and keen observational eye that I quite enjoyed. Lots of great characters, I love the cop duo...his brother, specifically. A nice balance between esoteric and real life, the esoteric never overwhelms, just adds to things. A well done mystery.
—Julie Johnson
Donohue's writing skill is superb, but there were a few things about SENSEI that bugged me and ultimately kept me from granting it four stars. The biggest problem with it is that Donohue wrote it in the format of a hard-boiled mystery, when it really should have been a straight-up thriller. Trust me, there's very little mystery to be found here. And the main character, martial arts student/expert Connor Burke, makes for a pretty lousy detective. I was two steps ahead of him the whole way, which means you'll probably be three or four. The martial arts element in SENSEI is awesome, but it also forces the characters to do things that defy common sense--such as choose a knife over a gun, or walk straight into an obvious trap. I also had a hard time knowing what to make of the main character. At the beginning, Burke comes across as little more than a supremely dedicated martial arts student, but, by the end, he is somehow able to go toe-to-toe with a true master. SENSEI is predictable as hell, but it's still good, solid fun. If Donohue can iron out some of the kinks in his storytelling, I expect this series to shape up into something great.
—John
Eh. I mean, I finished it in an afternoon so it's not like it was a waste of time, but overall it just wasn't that good. Maybe I don't really like mystery novels. But according to the book jacket, all his other works are martial arts how-to's, which might explain why I didn't flip for his fiction.I got kind of excited when he started talking about the Japanese attitude toward gaijin but he said nothing original, nothing of note. Fun fact: fighting the gym leaders in Pokemans is based on the ancient custom of dojo arashi (dojo storming). When you felt you had learned everything your sensei had to teach you, you would leave for other gyms and challenge their high-level students and sometimes their masters. Interesting?
—Rachel
