Spirit of the Fox

Matthew O¿Connell¿s intriguing and compelling mystery, Spirit of the Fox, draws on the culture and history of Japan.
Meiko, whose parents, David and Chieko, are divorced, doesn¿t feel like she fits in¿either in San Diego, where she grew up with her father, or in Japan, where she¿s teaching English and learning about her mother¿s homeland.
After years of painful separation, Meiko and her mother start to rebuild their relationship. But then, Meiko takes a trip to Kyoto and disappears. When Meiko¿s picture is found with a businessman who jumped out of a window, her parents work to figure out who is behind her disappearance, and why she is being connected to suicides.
In the course of their investigation, they learn about the historical significance of foxes in Japanese culture. Chieko¿s mother, Aiko, becomes convinced that Meiko¿s involvement with various businessmen isn¿t a coincidence, but is instead connected to Japanese folklore about fox possession. Elsewhere, Meiko struggles to remember who she is before her alter ego, Hana, takes over entirely.