Escape From Amsterdam, the latest novel by Barrie Sherwood, is now available everywhere! (I've contributed a couple of illustrations to it...) Aozora -- idle university student, future crooked bureaucrat, fresh broken heart -- has been playing too much mah-jong and now he's deep in debt.  When Aunt Okane dies and leaves him and his sister Mai a priceless inheritance, he thinks his problems are solved. But they're only just beginning. Mai's disappeared and he can't get the cash without her.  So begins a fast-paced adventure that takes Aozora to the deep south of Japan and the surreal environs of a Dutch them park called Amsterdam.  It sounds like a holiday, but Aozora is about to enter the real world...

Will Ferguson, author of Hokkaido Highway Blues, loved it: "Japanese theme parks, and Japan as theme park.  From its opening mad dash in search of authentic oysters to the hyper-reality of life-size love dolls, this is a fascinating and thoroughly entertaining journey into a postmodern nation.  Eclectic, eccentric and always fun.  A wonderful, wonderful read." Many other people loved it, too.  Be among them -- click on the cover to go to Barrie's page at Macmillan /St. Martin's Press (containing more info about the book, reviews, and a link to a Meet the Author video).  Also check out Barrie's recent appearance as Guest Blogger for Moments in Crime.

IMAGE GALLERIES