Blue Light Yokohama – Nicolás Obregón

Setagaya ward, Tokyo
Inspector Kosuke Iwata, newly transferred to Tokyo’s homicide department, is assigned a new partner and a secondhand case.

Blunt, hard as nails and shunned by her colleagues, Assistant Inspector Noriko Sakai is a partner Iwata decides it would be unwise to cross.

A case that’s complicated – a family of four murdered in their own home by a killer who then ate ice cream, surfed the web and painted a hideous black sun on the bedroom ceiling before he left in broad daylight. A case that so haunted the original investigator that he threw himself off the city’s famous Rainbow Bridge.

Carrying his own secret torment, Iwata is no stranger to pain. He senses the trauma behind the killer’s brutal actions. Yet his progress is thwarted in the unlikeliest of places.

Fearing corruption among his fellow officers, tracking a killer he’s sure is only just beginning and trying to put his own shattered life back together, Iwata knows time is running out before he’s taken off the case or there are more killings . . .

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I’m not sure if it is coincidence or whether I am subconsciously travelling the world via new titles but recently I have read novels set in Australia, New Zealand, South Africa and now Japan (and the next one on my reading list is set in India!)

I heard about Blue Light Yokohama via an email and the description intrigued me, especially since the book was inspired by true events.

Inspector Kosuke Iwata had been signed off work for a while and on his return is transferred to Tokyo’s Homicide Department. He is allocated a new partner, Noriko Sakai, and given a secondhand case where a Korean family of four had been murdered in their own home, complicated by the fact that the original investigator had committed suicide a few days earlier.

It soon becomes clear that both Iwata and Sakai have their own issues. Snippets of Iwata’s troubled, painful, past are slowly revealed. Sakai comes across as hard but efficient. She doesn’t mix with her colleagues and some of them try to give her a hard time.

When they start investigating the brutal murders it looks like there could have been a ritualistic element to them but no real clues.

When more cases turn up, Iwata thinks they may have a serial killer, but they get little support from the bosses. Apart from the Korean family, there just doesn’t seem to be anything linking the victims. As they investigate further Iwata deals with bullying, corruption, incompetence and his own demons. It also appears that someone is out to destroy his career.

Nicolás Obregón sets a wonderful scene and although I have never been to Tokyo, I felt a sense of being there, even the bleak places.

It’s quite a complex story because of the references to Iwata’s recent past, and also his childhood/adolescence, as well as the present, but I found I was able to follow it. Initially I had some trouble with the unfamiliar Japanese names and places but you get used to that. I liked the ending and for me it was a real page-turner.

Is it different to any other police procedural/crime thriller set somewhere else? Yes, I believe it is. I felt I got a glimpse of some aspect of Japanese life. Whether it is an accurate portrayal, I don’t know, but it makes for a good debut novel.

Author’s webpage is here.

My thanks to NetGalley and the UK publishers Penguin UK – Michael Joseph for an advance copy.

Good Me, Bad Me by Ali Land

Annie’s mother is a serial killer. The only way she can make it stop is to hand her in to the police. But out of sight is not out of mind. As her mother’s trial looms, the secrets of her past won’t let Annie sleep, even with a new foster family and name – Milly. A fresh start. Now, surely, she can be whoever she wants to be. But Milly’s mother is a serial killer. And blood is thicker than water. Good me, bad me. She is, after all, her mother’s daughter… Translated into over 20 languages, Good Me Bad Me is a tour de force. In its narrator, Milly Barnes, we have a voice to be reckoned with, and in its author, Ali Land, an extraordinary new talent.

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Good Me, Bad Me is one tense thriller.  Oh yes.  The tension is there from the start  The writing style demonstrates that – short sentences, fast paced.   At one point I stopped to make a coffee and realised I was so physically tense I was going to have to try and breathe properly and release some of that tension.

Milly knows her mother has done terrible things. Milly’s mother is a serial killer.  Milly is the one who reported her to the Police and her mother is now in jail awaiting trial.  But Milly misses her mum.  She is with a new foster family, has a new name, and has started a new school.  She tries, but finds it hard to fit in.  She thinks about her mum all the time and can’t sleep.  It’s as if her mum is still with her.

Milly’s foster dad is Mike, a psychologist who is an expert in trauma.  And Milly has experienced terrible things throughout her life at the hands of her mother.  Mike is married to Saskia and they have a daughter Phoebe.  It’s clear from early on Phoebe has a problem with Milly.  She also doesn’t get on that well with her own mother. She is bitter and angry that her parents are fostering yet again.

Mike has regular counselling sessions with Milly to try and help her cope with what has happened and the forthcoming Trial.  But does Mike have his own agenda?

The tension just builds and builds.

The story is told from Milly’s point of view but you soon realise that what Milly says to others is not necessarily what she is really thinking.

Although it gets quite dark at times, I really enjoyed this debut novel.  Despite her problems I liked Milly.  I wanted a good outcome for her.  I got a good ending but …… ?

[My thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for providing an advance copy]

The Night Stalker

If the Night Stalker is watching, you’re already dead ….

In the dead of a swelteringly hot summer’s night, Detective Erika Foster is called to a murder scene. The victim, a doctor, is found suffocated in bed. His wrists are bound and his eyes bulging through a clear plastic bag tied tight over his head.

A few days later, another victim is found dead, in exactly the same circumstances. As Erika and her team start digging deeper, they discover a calculated serial killer – stalking their victims before choosing the right moment to strike.

The victims are all single men, with very private lives. Why are their pasts shrouded in secrecy? And what links them to the killer?

As a heat wave descends upon London, Erika will do everything to stop the Night Stalker before the body count rises, even if it means risking her job. But the victims might not be the only ones being watched… Erika’s own life could be on the line.

 

 

This is another cracking crime story from Robert Bryndza.

I loved his first crime novel,  The Girl in the Ice  and was very happy when I got the opportunity to review the second book in the Erika Foster series. It’s another great story with several threads and a couple of red herrings.

DCI Erika Foster is back and has been called to a murder schene. She is good at solving cases (although she often follows her own rules) and is also hoping to be considered for a promotion. It’s not long until there is a second murder and it looks like they may be hunting for a serial killer. The first two victims don’t appear to have much in common except for the method used kill them. Senior officers seem to think it could be related to “gay-bashing” but Erika doesn’t agree. and being a bit of a maverick continues to investigate following her instincts. There is a major upset when her team encroach on an undercover operation that is almost at an end and one of the characters under surveillance is arrested by one of Erika’s colleagues.

When the killer strikes for a third time, Erika learns of the death from a friend who found the victim and phoned Erika before phoning 999. Erika goes to scene but another officer is put in charge and her friend is taken into custody and later charged with the murder. She doesn’t believe her friend committed the crime. Because of her personal involvement with suspect she is ordered not to get involved and is told to take a holiday.

Of course, being Erika, she still manages to continue her investigations on an unofficial basis and ropes in another colleague.

The ‘twist’ in this book is that we  know who the killer is quite early on but the killer’s reasons for the murders are revealed along the way. The killer starts off quite patient and stalks the victims over time, before striking., leaving very little forensic evidence at the crime scenes.

For me, this story was quite different. I found myself in the strange situation that while not liking the serial killer I did have some sympathy for them. That doesn’t usually happen.

Erika seems to be having a hard time in this book. It’s the two year anniversary of her husband’s death and she doesn’t always get along with colleagues.  She’s still at odds with Assistant Commissioner Oakley.  She doesn’t always play the game; if she thinks she’s right, she can’t help but follow her instincts even when she’s told to step back a bit.

I’ve given this book 5 stars. I found it well written and entertaining. I like Robert Bryndza’s writing style (don’t ask me to analyse it!) and I really enjoyed the book.

Is there going to be a third?  Please!

The Night Stalker is due to be published on 2 June 2016 (Bookouture) and can be pre-ordered.

Author’s website:    robertbryndza.com/

The Girl in the Ice - Robert Bryndza

The Girl in the Ice is a brilliant crime thriller. It is definitely one of those I couldn't put down. (I would have liked to have read it all night until I got to the end but I was just too exhausted so I didn't finish it until the next day). I got involved in the story right from the start and it held my attention all the way through.

This really is a “gripping serial killer thriller” as it states on the cover but it's not obvious at the start that there is a serial killer. The body of a young woman with horrendous injuries is found under thick ice. She is identified as the missing daughter of a prominent and influential politician, Lord Douglas-Brown.

DCI Erika Foster has returned to service after an absence following the death of her husband. She expected to be put on administrative duties for a period but instead was put in immediate charge of the murder case because of her experience.

DCI Sparks who was leading the case when it was a missing person is not happy that Erika Foster has been put in charge of the murder case.

The victim's father is putting on the pressure to get results and arrest someone. However the family don't seem to want to answer Erika's awkward questions about their daughter and her lifestyle.

Erika eventually seems to make a breakthrough and finds someone who may have seen the victim talking to a man and woman in a pub near the place where her body was found. The pub was also suspected of placing illegal immigrants in work and being involved in prostitution.

As Erika's enquiries continue it becomes clear that certain information about other similar cases that she has learned of has been withheld but it's not clear why or by whom.

When one of her potential witnesses is found murdered and the other one long disappeared, Erika is suspended. Erika suspects the murders might be linked but her superiors seem to have a different agenda.

Of course, Erika continues to investigate unofficially with the help of some colleagues and when an arrest is made she believes they have arrested the wrong person.

I loved all the sub-plots and red herrings but the writing is so good the plot is easy to follow.

You have a powerful, wealthy family whose daughter has been murdered. The father is an influential politician with many business interests. The mother, originally from Slovakia, runs a society florist business. There is a younger son who is a university student and an older, daughter who seems just a little bit strange at times. There is also a fiancé, an ex-boyfriend, possibly illegal immigrants from Eastern Europe, Senior police officers, the Press.

I liked the characters. I liked the writing style. The story is complex enough to hold the reader's attention but never so complicated that you lose the thread. DCI Erika Foster is strong and feisty character, an experienced police officer, but also vulnerable given the circumstances of her husband's death. She doesn't always stick to the rules. I like her.

I wholeheartedly give this book 5 stars and look forward to the next one in the series.

[I received a review copy of this via NetGalley]


Publication date:  12 February 2016
Author website:    http://robertbryndza.com/the-girl-in-the-ice/

TRYING TO CATCH UP!

I've only just realised, I've read at least 5 books (possibly more) since I last posted here.

September has just galloped by.

I had a wonderful time singing with the Big Big Sing Community Choir at Glasgow Green for Proms in the Park (the last night of the Proms) and we even appeared live on BBC2 Scotland.

Two days after that I left for a week's holiday in Spain.  I did plenty of reading but no time for blogging!

I have recently been reading crime/thrillers/mysteries.  I enjoyed them all although they were all very different.  I was given advance copies via Netgalley but two of them have still to be published, one on 6 October and the other on 20 October so I'll put these in a separate post.


The first was The Unexpected Inheritance of Inspector Chopra by Vaseem Khan.

There are at least two stories going on here. On his last day at work Inspector Chopra encounters a distraught mother whose son has been found drowned and the body brought to the police station. No one seems to be investigating the matter. In fact Chopra's superior wants the case closed, saying the boy drowned. Chopra thinks the death could have been the result of foul play and wants to investigate.

On that same day Chopra had received word that he had inherited a baby elephant. When he arrives home from his last day at work the small baby elephant has been delivered. The problem is Inspector Chopra and his wife Poppy live on the 15^th floor of a tower block in Mumbai. However Chopra is one of these people who seems to be able to deal with anything that comes along. His wife Poppy seems the strong quiet type. Although they have been married for a long time they have no children but they obviously love each other.

Naturally Inspector Chopra continues to investigate the boy's death unofficially and uncovers some terrible goings on. You don't know who can be trusted and who is 'on the take' and/or involved in criminal activities.

I love the way the various threads of the story are interwoven. While investigating the boy's death he is also trying to find out how to help the baby elephant, now named Ganesha. The little elephant has a part to play in the unfolding investigation.

Also, unknown to his wife Poppy, he has been preparing for his retirement. All she knows is he take regular phone calls from someone but doesn't speak to her about them. Then when his investigation starts and he leaves the house, sometimes for several hours, she starts to think he has another woman.

I like the Chopras. They seem a charming couple.  Although it is a stand alone book the story ends leaving a door open for further books.  I'll be looking out for the next book!

It reminded me a little of the No 1 Ladies Detective Agency (only very slightly, not a copy) although that was set in Botswana and the protagonist was a strong, sensible young woman and not a hardworking retired police inspector. If you liked that series of books by Alexander McCall Smith then you would probably like this book.

Her Final Breath by Robert Dugoni is the second book in a series of three.

I haven't read the first book but that didn't prevent me getting drawn into this story. There are references in Her Final Breath to events and characters in the first book but Her Final Breath can stand alone.   I thought this was a great book right from the start and having read it, I now want to read My Sister's Grave.

Tracy Crosswhite has returned to work as a detective following the retrial of her sister's killer and becomes involved in the investigation of what turns out to be a number of murders of young women in the North Seattle area.

It would also appear someone is out to get Tracy.

The suspense begins almost immediately - no long drawn out introduction to the characters before anything happens - and the tension is maintained throughout.

Clues are pretty scarce but there may be a link to an older homicide in the area.  However Tracy's attempts to investigate this further are thwarted by her boss at every turn.  Does he have something to hide?

There are lots of suspects along the way (and red herrings) but I didn't manage to guess the identity of the serial killer.

This is definitely one of these books that keeps you reading through the night just to find out who the serial killer is and if Tracy will be targeted next.