Samurai Bluegrass

Gordo Clement is a man lost in time. He lives as a house painter now but knows he hasn’t always belonged in the present. But that is not who he has always been. After seeing Bill Monroe in concert, the hypnotic rhythms and captivating strings of the mandolin and banjo spark a memory of dying. As a samurai, he remembers the music from a different set of strings before the archers’ arrows strike him down. As Gordon struggles to make sense of the present time, he meets another time traveler who informs him of a way to return to 12th century feudal Japan. Now Gordo has to decide if he is willing to make the sacrifices needed to get back home.

Samurai Bluegrass is the latest novel by Canadian author Craig Terlson. Terlson blends action and intrigue in this time-bending thriller with some juicy Bill Monroe picking. If this novel was a concert, it would be a bluegrass show performed in a punk venue. Terlson is able to explore time travel without all the clique methods. Set in Toronto, this novel has an urban fantasy feel with flashbacks of Heian period Japan.