The Hell Screen
Kindle
$5.99
Available instantly
Audible Logo Audiobook
$0.00
with membership trial
Hardcover
$27.65
Paperback
$22.88
Audible Logo Your audiobook is waiting!
Enjoy a free trial on us
$0.00
  • Click above for unlimited listening to select audiobooks, Audible Originals, and podcasts.
  • One credit a month to pick any title from our entire premium selection — yours to keep (you'll use your first credit now).
  • You will get an email reminder before your trial ends.
  • $14.95 a month after 30 days. Cancel online anytime.
Learn more about membership
Sold and delivered by Audible, an Amazon company
List Price: $22.50
By completing your purchase, you agree to Audible’s Conditions Of Use and Amazon's Privacy Notice.
Sold and delivered by Audible, an Amazon company
Amazon book clubs early access
Loading your book clubs
There was a problem loading your book clubs. Please try again.
Not in a club? Learn more
Amazon book clubs early access

Join or create book clubs

Choose books together

Track your books
Bring your club to Amazon Book Clubs, start a new book club and invite your friends to join, or find a club that’s right for you for free.
Explore Amazon Book Clubs

The Hell Screen Audible Audiobook – Unabridged

I. J. Parker (Author), Roy Vongtama (Narrator), Random House Audio (Publisher)
4.4 4.4 out of 5 stars 331 ratings
See all formats and editions
An exotic mystery set in 11th-century Japan....

Akitada is on his way to the bedside of his dying mother when bad weather forces him to take refuge in a temple whose central treasure is a brilliantly painted hell screen. Perhaps its violent imagery influences his dreams: that night he is awakened by a terrible scream.

It's only after Akitada returns to his family and a scene of domestic unhappiness and scandal that the significance of that cry becomes clear. For while he slept, a woman was murdered, and now he must find her killer, even if it means looking very close to home.

Previous page
  1. Listening Length
    15 hours and 2 minutes
  2. Author
    I. J. Parker
  3. Narrator
    Roy Vongtama
  4. Audible release date
    October 7, 2008
  5. Language
    English
  6. Publisher
    Random House Audio
  7. ASIN
    B001HTCESO
  8. Version
    Unabridged
  9. Program Type
    Audiobook
  10. See all details
Next page

Read & Listen

Switch between reading the Kindle book & listening to the Audible audiobook with Whispersync for Voice.
Get the Audible audiobook for the reduced price of $8.99 after you buy the Kindle book.

Product details

Listening Length 15 hours and 2 minutes
Author I. J. Parker
Narrator Roy Vongtama
Whispersync for Voice Ready
Audible.com Release Date October 07, 2008
Publisher Random House Audio
Program Type Audiobook
Version Unabridged
Language English
ASIN B001HTCESO
Best Sellers Rank #359,050 in Audible Books & Originals (See Top 100 in Audible Books & Originals)
#4,083 in Historical Mysteries (Audible Books & Originals)
#19,602 in Historical Mystery

Customer reviews

4.4 out of 5 stars
4.4 out of 5
331 global ratings

Top reviews from the United States

UFO6
5.0 out of 5 stars Absolutely Excellent - Parker's Best Thus Far
Reviewed in the United States on November 28, 2006
Verified Purchase
It's November 27, I've got Parker's fourth Sugawara novel "Black Arrow" on preorder, and I'm consumed with a thoroughly bizarre impulse to strangle my calendar. "Black Arrow" won't be released until the 28th, you see, and I finished "The Hell Screen" just a couple of days ago.

I would read it well into the wee hours to the point of mental and physical exhaustion (I know exactly how Sugawara felt when he first saw the Hell Screen,) then tear home the following afternoon to continue, craving the people and places in it like food, or maybe like air.

In "The Hell Screen" Parker rebounds mightily from the less-compelling work "Dragon Scroll" and surpasses her brilliant debut, "Rashomon Gate." The plotting is ingenious, the characterization continues to be spectacular, and her continued theme - the frequent cruelty of a rigid caste system - is often intensely dramatized but always artful and understated, never overpowering the story as a whole. The character development of the principles - Akitada and his family, Kobe, Tora and Seimei - gets much deeper and richer here without getting the slightest bit overlabored; the supporting characters are the most vivid and memorable I've encountered since those of...dare I make the comparison...J.K. Rowling.

I've only just now unraveled my confusion as to Parker's sequencing of the Sugawara novels, thanks to a kind tip by reviewer Mary Whipple: she isn't writing them in chronological order. "The Dragon Scroll" is first chronologically, followed by "Rashomon Gate," then "The Hell Screen" - but Parker wrote (or at least published,) "Rashomon" first, then "Hell Screen," then "Dragon Scroll."

In a way this is refreshing. Devouring them out of chronological order evokes a sense of making individual forays into a world of the past, like separate trips in a time machine. I suspect it will also prevent Parker's books from falling into that trap of "bigger and better than last time," something some other series exhibit to the point of tedium.

As in my review of "Rashomon Gate," I sincerely hope Ms. Parker makes this an enormous series, because it's been a long while since I've enjoyed a series of novels so thoroughly. "The Hell Screen" is flawless and the best so far - Bravo!

'Scuse me now while I wrestle with that #!%&@*! calendar...
Helpful
 Report
Tiffiny Sarradet
4.0 out of 5 stars Very detailed
Reviewed in the United States on May 10, 2013
Verified Purchase
Akitada is a good character to focus on. He's honorable, intelligent, conscious of his pride and working on humbling himself, and he's courageous and loyal.

The descriptions in this book were very well-done. I felt like I'd been transported to feudal Japan. I saw the beautiful autumn leaves, the colorful silks and embroidery, the realistic art, traditional homes, etc. Sometimes the author went a little overboard with the descriptions and slowed the story, but overall I appreciated the clarity and detail provided.

Akitada is a man of leisure, and as he is our lead character, we move at a leisurely pace. I wouldn't call it suspenseful, but it was intriguing.

The characters are very well-developed and colorful. I wanted to slap Akitada's older sister and hug the younger. His wife's character compliments his perfectly. Their son is a delight.

I wasn't expecting it to become as gruesome as it did. It didn't bother me, I was just surprised because the author didn't seem like the sort to write horror. However, he did it very well; I felt Akitada's anxiety and pain and kept holding my breath without realizing it.

It's a great story if you don't mind the slow pace. This is an author who knows how to paint a picture in your imagination. In fact, there were times I felt like I was watching a movie rather than reading.

I would recommend this book to those with strong stomachs and patience.
Helpful
 Report
M.H.Wombat
5.0 out of 5 stars Hell Raising Adventure
Reviewed in the United States on December 3, 2014
Verified Purchase
Another Hell Raising adventure for Akitada and his crew.
The nasty characters are nastier than ever but as usual, the 'cavalry' ( Tora) saves the day.
'Mother' finally gets her just deserts and the mystery of her dislike for Akitada is revealed.
Complicated family matters, involving Akitda's sisters, come to a head with suspected miscreants getting wrongfully arrested with gay abandon and soundly beaten to obtain 'çonfessions'. I always feel sorry for the Top Cop. He is so incompetent and always so quick to come to conclusions to solve a case without considering the evidence. Thank goodness Akitada is on the job as well!
Had me turning pages all night. Always admire how the author manages to work in history and ancient customs into the plot.
So looking forward to the next book.'
Helpful
 Report
Maureen
5.0 out of 5 stars The Hell Screen
Reviewed in the United States on July 16, 2021
Verified Purchase
Another good mystery from Ms Parker. I love these books and will feel bereft when I finally reach the last one. I am reluctant to start the next one because I want to make them last as long as possible! I have such admiration for this author!
Helpful
 Report
Kathleen craig
4.0 out of 5 stars Always enjoyable but...
Reviewed in the United States on January 27, 2021
Verified Purchase
... mainly for the tidbits of Japanese history and culture, and the engaging characters. I'm enjoying the series but have to keep taking breaks because the plots are so obvious.
Helpful
 Report
Rowdy Yates
5.0 out of 5 stars Akitada chastened
Reviewed in the United States on November 21, 2012
Verified Purchase
Our friend Akitada is arriving back to the capital from his provisional governor stint in the north, and he immediately gets involved in the investigation of several gruesome murders. At the same time he has some changes in his family situation, and he has to learn how to balance his medieval Japanese cultural values with the more liberal western values of his readers. Er, well, something like that. He has to learn that judging the value of others involves more than just looking from his personal, egoistic perspective. The book is written with the same style as the earlier books, and our hero again makes and learns from his share of mistakes. Overall a very nice read, and well recommended.
Helpful
 Report

Top reviews from other countries

Malcolm
5.0 out of 5 stars One of the best in the series
Reviewed in Canada on June 3, 2020
Verified Purchase
An excellent tale, one of Parker's best! The way she blended three stores and sub plots, intertwining and weaving them together was beautiful and very well executed. I dont care as much for murder mystery, I was more attracted to this series for the period and time, feudal Japan. But I've become a huge fan of I.J. Parker , the Akitada characters with her style of writing and storytelling. I.J. Parker, thank you for your work!!
Report
Great Teacher Andrew
5.0 out of 5 stars Highly recommended
Reviewed in the United Kingdom on September 17, 2012
Verified Purchase
I particularly enjoyed this novel, having experienced a stay at a Japanese mountain temple in a storm, so from the first pages this one had me hooked. Set mostly in Kyoto, the plot diverges from most murder-mysteries by having 3 unrelated investigations going on at the same time, reminiscent of the superb Judge Dee mysteries. Another aspect that appealed to me was the homage paid to Ryunosuke Akutagawa, one of Japan's finest short story writers, famous for his Heian-period story 'Hell Screen', among others. This book acknowledges this debt, and I J Parker has created a fine tribute.
One small thing that I found rather interesting was Akitada's dislike for Buddhists. In modern times, the image of Buddhism is one of peace and compassion, a virtuous religion. It's intriguing to realise this was not always so, and the corrupt practices of the priesthood will probably surprise most readers, while it also highlights Akitada's status as a man of his times (it's so nice to read a historical novel where the author doesn't feel the need to soft-soap modern sensibilities by making the protagonist behave uncharacteristically for the time!)
Report
thegreenhillsofafrica
4.0 out of 5 stars Sherlock-san
Reviewed in Canada on October 24, 2023
Verified Purchase
It felt to me, as I neared the end, that I had read a very complex and complicated murder mystery which devolved into a horror story. I suppose with a title this I might have guessed.

I’ve read several of Ms. Parker’s mysteries in this series. I would say this is the best of the first five. Granted, it moves along at a measured pace, like a broad river making its way to the sea. But you learn a great deal about Japanese culture and etiquette and history on the way. And the multiplicity of characters and plot twists keep things very interesting.

This is not Bond. This is Sherlock-san. That is its pace.
Report
sukismum
4.0 out of 5 stars i realy did enjoy this book
Reviewed in the United Kingdom on June 8, 2015
Verified Purchase
Bring it on, i realy did enjoy this book, i havent read this auther before , but will again
One person found this helpful
 Report
C. Doolan
5.0 out of 5 stars Best One Yet.
Reviewed in the United Kingdom on January 15, 2012
Verified Purchase
This is the fifth outing for Sugawara and for me the best yet. These novels only get better with each story. It isn't just Sugawara that captures our attention it is the other collection of Characters that surround him. His manservant Tora and the gruff Kobe for whom I have a growing fondness and in this novel we meet the redoubtable "Miss Plumblossom". I didn't read some of the other reviews before I read the book as they give away too much of the plot so all I will say about this Sugawara story is that it is a cracking good read.
Report