The Curse of the Matsumoto Cherrywood: Book One

"This curse, of times long gone, of now, must be set down with indelible ink and read out loud… If there is any hope, it is in the record; for evil prefers silence and withers in the telling."

I’m enjoying the journey… ancient Nara, the 16th century 100-year wars, down to the 1750’s publishing district of Shinbashi, learning woodblock printing, fashion and colour. On visits to the Ukiyo–the floating world–we meet customers and their imprisoned courtesans. On slow and fast trains and on foot, we see the sights of the nakasendo, the inland highway, and stay at its checkpoint inns. In Book One the yakuza, organised crime visit… ghosts past possess these narcissists in pursuit of the oldest prizes–lust, money, power. In Book Two, we meet a few good cops. I can't wait to share my personal experience of Tokyo tent theatre—the tragedy of a curse that takes hold; in Book Three we climb to the pilgrim hut, ghosts above Mt Ontakè, on to Matsumoto Castle and return to Melbourne to a dénouement that startles even me. The Curse of the Matsumoto Cherrywood is a new slow-burn saga told in the light of incendiary lamps. One reader said, 'I felt utterly transported, challenged and stimulated stylistically, never doubting the hand that held the narrative tiller; sure, in control, confident, a writer on top of his game.' Another said, 'Matthew Crosby's research and knowledge of Japan, both its language and culture is meticulous. He weaves this knowledge, together with an innate sense of drama seamlessly into his narrative to create an overall immensely satisfying and immersive experience.'