Laura Joh Rowland is the granddaughter of Chinese and Korean immigrants. She grew up in Michigan and was educated at the University of Michigan, where she graduated with a B.S. in microbiology and a master's degree in public health. She lives in New Orleans with her husband, Marty, and their three cats. Her previous novels include "Black Lotus," "The Samurai's Wife, The Concubine's Tattoo, "and "Shinju," all of which feature the samurai-detective Sano Ichiro.