Edgar Award-winning author Naomi Hirahara returns to JAMsj to introduce Murder on BambooLane, the first in her new mystery series. This new series follows the exploits of Officer Ellie Rush, a 23-year-old hapa bicycle cop for the LAPD.
  
"I wrote this new series to present the real-world challenges of young people of color in an entertaining way," said Hirahara, who also writes the Mas Arai mystery series, which features a Kibei Nisei gardener and Hiroshima survivor. "I also wanted to place downtown Los Angeles, my beloved city, on center stage."

n Murder on Bamboo Lane, rookie cop Ellie gets involved in the investigation of the murder of a Vietnamese American college classmate, whose body is found on Bamboo Lane in Chinatown during the Lunar New Year weekend. Ellie's aunt, Cheryl Toma, happens to be the highest-ranking Asian American officer within the LAPD, which both helps and challenges Ellie's aspirations to someday become a homicide detective.
 
The trade reviews of the new book have been uniformly positive:
 
"Readers will want to see more of Ellie, who provides a fresh perspective on L.A.'s rich ethnic mix." --Publishers Weekly
 
"The author has also done a fantastic job of creating a main character who is both warm and realistic as she tackles a murder investigation close to her heart. This novel is a wonderful read." --Romantic Times (four stars)
 
"Hirahara's new series debut strikes just the right tone, neatly tuned into the twenty-something set. Her multi-ethnic cast promises a fascinating future for a cozy series tangling with serious topics." --Library Journal 
Cost: Free with admission to the museum (non-members, $5; students and seniors over age 65, $3; JAMsj members and children under 12, free). 

Contact PublicPrograms@jamsj.org or call (408) 294-3138 to reserve a spot.