Best Books, Kirkus Reviews
Best Children's Books of the Year, Bank Street College of Education
New Visions Award Winner, Tu Books
Junior Library Guild Selection
Asian/Pacific American Award for Literature, Asian/Pacific American Librarians Association (APALA)

In this heart-pounding YA mystery, teenager Claire Takata stumbles on a secret from the past and must race to outrun her father's dangerous legacy.

Claire Takata has never known much about her father, who passed away ten years ago. But on the anniversary of his death, she finds a letter from her deceased father to her stepfather. Before now, Claire never had a reason to believe they even knew each other.

Struggling to understand why her parents kept this surprising history hidden, Claire combs through anything that might give her information about her father ... until she discovers that he was a member of the yakuza, a Japanese organized crime syndicate. The discovery opens a door that should have been left closed.

The race to outrun her father's legacy reveals secrets of his past that cast ominous shadows, threatening Claire, her friends and family, her newfound love, and ultimately her life. Winner of Tu Books' New Visions Award, Ink and Ashes is a fascinating debut novel packed with romance, intrigue, and heart-stopping action.