Buried Threads by Kaylin McFarren...Just...Amazing...

Buried Threads

By Kaylin McFarren

Synopsis: Rachel Lyons and her partner Chase Cohen accept a contract to recover a lost priceless treasure in the Sea of Japan. However, upon arriving in Tokyo, they soon discover their mission is more complicated and dangerous than they originally believed. In order to prevent a natural disaster from striking Japan and killing millions, they must form an alliance with yakuza members, dive into shark-infested waters and recover three ancient cursed swords before time runs out.

...all lust is grief.

It's not often that I provide a synopsis of a book, but this one needs you to have somewhat of an overview in mind as you begin to even consider what you're getting into by opening this book...

Certainly the beautiful cover captures your attention...

"Sorry I'm late," Kenji said. "I had some business to
take care of."...
By the look of excitement in Tak's eyes, he knew
exactly what Kenji was talking about. Earlier that
night, Mitsue-san had ordered a hit on Nobu Kimura.
He was a retired detective who had spent half his life
trying to bring down the Zakura-kae. The man was
clever, considering he was old, half blind, and favored
a leg from a childhood injury. But he was also brazen
and secretly hassled their business associates. He
even went so far as to interrupt the boss's birthday
party just when his cake arrived. All because Mitsue
refused to drop a dime--hand him a boss on a silver
platter to make him look good with his department
heads.
Of course it came as no surprise when Kenji got
the order to get rid of him. Yet the recollection
left him grimacing...
"C'mon, gimme the gory details," his friend
insisted.
Kenji leaned in and lowered his voice. "I
sliced his neck from ear to ear like I'm gonna
do yours if you don't shut up."
Tak laughed and slapped his fish into his hand.
"Aw, man! Nice. Quick death. Now if it was me,
I would've delivered slow torture..."
~~~

Who is the beautiful woman glaring at you? She has a sword and is definitely able to use it, you can be sure! 

And what's with the white feathers?

Did you notice the gem on the sword--it's real!

But, look, what is that hanging phrase supposed to mean? ...all lust if grief. Wow! Whew! Putting it all together certainly puts you on edge, right? And we're just on the cover!

I saw some refer to this as Indiana Jones style...But, no, this is definitely a Lara Croft movie for me!

The girl on his left handed him one of the beers from
the table. He nodded his thanks and twisted off the cap.
After a long pull, he sat back and waited for Tak's
answer. "I heard Satoru Yamada hooked up with an
American treasure-hunting company and is flying in
from Los Angeles tonight. The lead diver showed up
three days ago and has been real tight with your sister
Yuki ever since. They've been buying gear and going
to libraries. Checking out history and treasure hunting
shit. No one seems to know much, but I got a good
feeling about this one...
They're getting together for a meeting on Friday
night and Yamada is planning to invite that geisha
Mariko Abe to join them. One of my guys saw him
checking out rings in Los Angeles a few days ago.
Before the night is over, they might be celebrating
more than a partnership."
Shit. Kenji swallowed hard. He lowered his crossed
arms but managed to keep his eyes level, knowing
the slightest sign of weakness could undermine his
position. "Is that it?" he asked
~~~

Kenji was a hit man, of course for the Yakuza gang...He walked around every place with his sword across his body, prepared for anything and anybody. Not too many would even consider going up against him. Kenji had his eyes on Mariko. He moved fast and had worked with those in charge at the geisha house to ensure that Mariko became his... An intense erotic relationship takes place between these two. Although it is very much an important part of the book and will provide readers with an interesting look at the life of geishas, I'm foregoing sharing any of that on this blog! 

Besides, the treasure hunting was waiting... 

An American couple Rachel Lyons and Chase Cohen had been successful in past treasure hunting, but they had no idea what they were getting into. Chase had come early and was already meeting with Yuki, Kenji's sister... And, yes, she was part of the same group, but not as active...

Sorry, this is Indian sword
With their recent success at
recovering the Heart of the
Dragon diamond which had
been hidden onboard an
ancient shipwreck, it seemed
she and her partner were
quickly become recovery
agents for missing hearts
in some of the most
dangerous places in the
world...
~~~

Rachel had come in separately but had been warned by Dr. Ying who had briefed her in preparation, to "watch your back" with the Japanese street gangs on the top of his list! They had been hired to find the missing Templar stone, or Heart of Darkness... The other most dangerous enemy would be the Goblin sharks!

What she hadn't counted on was meeting the man who had hired them on the plane! After what was somewhat like an interview, finally Rachel cornered him and asked who he was and what he collected...

She wasn't prepared for his answer, nor was I: "he looked directly at her and replied in a matter-of-fact tone, 'Souls.'"

Yep, we've now got a Monk into helping those who have died and not crossed over, in the story. Now after hiring them... before long, he discloses to the team that he has had a prophetic dream that if all three of the /swords/knives were not returned, Japan would be destroyed by a natural disaster! Yikes, nothing like putting the pressure on, right?!

Of course, that was after she had met Yuki! And asked how she fit into this adventure. She was not happy when she was told that Yuki would be the lead...especially when they were heading under the Sea...

As they arrived at the beautiful New Otani hotel in downtown Tokyo, dozens of questions were flooding Rachel's mind. Who are these members of the yakuza? What do they want? Why won't Shinzo explain anything? She managed to remain quiet with the knowledge that Chase would soon be arriving to fill her in and hopefully put her mind at ease...
Yuki leaned forward and kept her voice low. "You must remember that you're not in the United States, Miss Lyons. It's important not to pry into personal matters."
Rachel was taken back. "Excuse me?"
"Shinzo has reasons for not answering your questions. When he's prepared to do so, he will."
Really? Yuki's impertinence came as a surprise. Obviusly she wasn't a stereotypical Japanese woman: shy, meek, or demure, as one might expect.
"Let me ask you something, Miss Ota," Rachel said. "Just how did you come to know Chase? He never mentioned your name or said anything about you being involved in our business...

"Oh good. I know this is a bit off the subject, but I have to tell you how lucky you are Miss Lyons. I know it's not appropriate to talk this way...especially with him being my boss and all...but I'm not going to lie to you. Every time Mr. Cohen shows up at the hotel, in restaurants, or in meetings, I find myself completely captivated. You're definitely one of the pretties and smartest ladies on the planet, and I know in his mind no one could every compete. I just don't want you to take offense if you see me staring at him from time to time. It's just that I've never seen anyone with such beautiful eyes or met a more insightful, caring man...aside from Shinzo, of course." Egad, Is she kidding?"~~~ 

I must say that this is an early conversation between Yuki and Rachel (Lara Kroft)... Sooooo, which one do you think will win (or keep) the man...LOL

"You're looking at Kagoshima Prefecture, which governs Kuchinoerabu Island," Yuki said. "It's located on the southwest tip of Kyushu and is surrounded by the Yellow Sea. Once we arrive in Fukuoka, we'll be traveling to a fishing village on the westernmost tip of the island."

By the way, remember that phrase...all lust if grief...?

All I'm going to say is...where lust is concerned, don't dive underwater with someone with lust in their heart...

Really, there is so much happening in this novel that is soooo awesome that it is just pointless to try to share it all. I especially enjoyed a moment underwater when Rachel seemed to have a paranormal moment! Ghosts too?! And then what happens between Mariko and Kenji is so dramatic...so eerie... especially after Kenji loses his head... And I'm fairly certain that the Monk didn't assist in sending his soul into the light...

And there's one special individual which I've not even mentioned which makes a beautiful closing to a fascinating tale that encompasses so much of Japan's culture and people, that readers definitely feel the "essence" of a country across the seas, and yet brings it so close to readers here in the U.S.

I wholeheartedly encourage you to take this adventure, unlike any that you may ever find again...


GABixlerReviews

Kaylin McFarren is a rare bird indeed. Not a migratory sort, she prefers to hug the West Coast and keep family within visiting range. Although she has virtually been around the world, she was born in California, relocated with her family to Washington, and nested with her husband in Oregon. In addition to playing an active role in his business endeavors, she has been involved in all aspects of their three daughters' lives - taxi duties, cheerleading coaching, script rehearsals, and relationship counseling, to name but a few. Now she enjoys spending undisciplined time with her two young grandsons and hopes to have many more.
Although Kaylin wasn't born with a pen in hand like so many of her talented fellow authors, she has been actively involved in both business and personal writing projects for many years. As the director of a fine art gallery, she assisted in furthering the careers of numerous visual artists who under her guidance gained recognition through promotional opportunities and in national publications. Eager to spread her own creative wings, she has since steered her energy toward writing novels. As a result, she has earned more than a dozen literary awards and was a 2008 finalist in the prestigious RWA® Golden Heart contest.
Kaylin is a member of RWA, Rose City Romance Writers, and Willamette Writers. She received her AA in Literature at Highline Community College, which originally sparked her passion for writing. In her free time, she also enjoys giving back to the community through participation and support of various charitable and educational organizations in the Pacific Northwest.
FUN TIDBITS
She is proud of the fact that her great aunt Bessie B. Cordell, an evangelistic missionary during WWII, was instrumental in opening an orphanage in Tientsin, China and also wrote two published novels, Precious Pearl and Blossoms of the Flowery Kingdom, documenting her dangerous, harrowing experiences.
She keeps a glass of wine close by while writing love scenes, Kleenex on her desk while writing heart breakers, and has been known to empty a box of chocolates when she's completely stumped.
A consummate "pantser" and perfectionist, she writes and edits as she goes, and uses photographs of models and actors from tabloid magazines to visualize her characters.
She loves her husband of 36 years dearly. However, if Brad Pitt or Orlando Bloom came knockin', well... their marriage just might be put to the test.
ON A PERSONAL NOTE
Kaylin sat before her computer writing FLAHERTY'S CROSSING as a source of personal therapy after losing her beloved father to colon cancer. You might say she was angry at him, at God, at the world in general. However, after writing this story, she had the opportunity to really look into her soul and consider the fact that so many other sons and daughters have had to deal with similar and even worse situations. Rather than a memoir, her novel evolved into a fictional journey which brought about the resolution she needed to find. She never expected this exercise in writing to go to press, touch lives, or win literary awards. But as a result of her good fortune, she has arranged for proceeds from the sale of this book to go directly to the Providence Medical Foundation's colon cancer research department in her father's name. She's now convinced and proudly shares her belief that good things can grow out of the worst times in our lives if you just take the time to open your heart.