About this item
Highlights
- In Tokyo, there isn't always respect for older people.
- Author(s): Michael Pronko
- 348 Pages
- Fiction + Literature Genres, Mystery & Detective
Description
About the Book
After the suspicious deaths of a seventy-something woman and a student recluse, Detective Hiroshi tracks a gang of scammers who have been ripping off retirees in shitamachi, the old part of Tokyo to find the killer.
Book Synopsis
In Tokyo, there isn't always respect for older people. Sometimes, it's the opposite.
Winner Mystery Independent Press Award (2023)
Finalist SPR Book Awards (2023)
Gold Award Literary Titan (2023)
Editor's Choice AudiobookBlog.com (2023)
After the suspicious deaths of a seventy-something woman and a student recluse, Detective Hiroshi tracks down a gang of scammers who target retirees, robbing them of their pensions, life savings, and even the deeds to their homes. Hiroshi teams up with Detective Ishii, who's been running a women's crime task force. Together, they find out who has been ripping off the pensions, life savings, and deeds to homes in shitamachi, the older, eastern side of the city.
With his personal life on hold (almost), Hiroshi finds out how complex the traditional life of Tokyo still is. With old-school Detective Takamatsu and ex-sumo wrestler Chief Sakaguchi watching his back, he finds out who's behind the scams, and who's behind the scammers.
"Pronko's knowledge of Japanese life is simply extraordinary-with painstaking care, he limns its shadowy contours and ambiguities. An absorbing drama conveyed with incisive intelligence."-Kirkus Reviews
Shitamachi Scam is the sixth book in the Tokyo-based Detective Hiroshi series by award-winning author Michael Pronko.
Review Quotes
"Pronko's knowledge of Japanese life is simply extraordinary-with painstaking care, he limns its shadowy contours and ambiguities. An absorbing drama conveyed with incisive intelligence."-Kirkus Reviews
"Pronko succeeds in delivering yet another dimension of the megacity that is Tokyo. He uses shitamachi for great atmospheric effect, gradually building a sense of darkness and claustrophobia while erecting a landscape primed for white-knuckled physicality."-BestThrillers
"The pacing of this story is pitch-perfect, and the conflicts are well-conceived and executed. It's a simple story told in intricate layers. But even in the gritty storytelling, you get a sense of positivity."-Reader Views Five Stars
"Pronko's sixth novel in the Detective Hiroshi series showcases his ability to weave a gripping crime story with his deep knowledge and appreciation of Japanese culture and society."-Blue Ink Review Starred Review