Japan as you don't see it in the adverts.
A grubby, grimy, semi-derelict, corrupt, racist society and police force, that is driven by newspaper headlines and convenience. A police force that takes the easy way out and has o compunction of 'fitting up' the 'lower orders' if is neat and chimes with their beliefs, true or not.
A novel that explores the dirty laundry of politics and the police and the necessity of keeping up appearances. the appearance of course of crime solving or not seeing prostitutes or attending titty bars and getting very drunk indeed. the appearance of not being gay. And of not being misogynistic.
Interestingly also, a part of the Nazi belief system and writings (may) have been incorporated into the idea of the purer race and the ruling race and re-purposed.
And we have an intelligent, drive, damaged police inspector who insists on solving the crime and the - as he claims - ritual murders - despite being suspended and a drunk.
Dark and not to be read when you are depressed.

This novel definitely takes a while to get into but is well worth the wait! Nicolas Obregon writes beautifully and with such skill and precision. What I loved most was that the book kept me guessing and I did not easily guess the ending, which was becoming a theme with many other crime thrillers I have read recently from Netgalley.

A solid start to a series I’m sure featuring police inspector Iwata in the Tokyo police force. I enjoyed this and I look forward to reading more.

Thank you to netgalley and the publishers for this arc in exchange for my honest review.

A Korean family of four is brutally murdered in a Tokyo flat. The heart of the father is cut out, and a black sun is painted on the bedroom ceiling. Police Inspector Hideo Akashi investigates, but ends up committing suicide by jumping off Tokyo’s Rainbow Bridge. The Police homicide department is over stretched following Akashi’s death and the high profile murder of prominent actress Ming Fong. The inexperienced Inspector Iwata and Assistant Inspector Sakai are drafted in to take over Akashi’s investigation into the original murders (not, I guess, a top police priority because the victims were ‘only Korean’). Iwata is damaged from being abandoned by his mother when young and being brought up in an orphanage, and Sakai is a feisty young woman. They make an unlikely pairing. The widow of a judge is then murdered in the same way – what is the connection between the judge (or his wife) and the Korean family? Why were they targeted by the ‘Black Sun killer’? Who will be next? And, big question, did Akashi actually commit suicide – or was he too murdered?

Blue Light Yokohama is a great debut thriller.The book really does bring Japan to life. His comments on Japanese society definitely ring true. Enough has been written about the corruption in the Tokyo police force to us to see the truth shine through. Thank you to NetGalley for the copy of the book.

Tried reading but couldn't get into the story at all. I found the writing stilted and the locations felt like they could have been anywhere.

I recently bought a new kindle after my old one broke. For some reason I was unable to download this title from the cloud onto my kindle, therefore I will be unable to review this title. I am sorry for any inconvenience caused.

An unusual book which was a little hard to get into, but was quite interesting and I wanted to read to the end to find out what happened. An unusual setting, a bit grim at times, but a satisfying read.

I found this book very difficult to get into and couldn't really keep up with who was you. I enjoyed the second half a lot more and it was a good storyline overall.

3 stars

Although this book sounded fantastic and was well written, I just couldn’t get really into it and, unfortunately, it has remained a DNF. However, that is not the end for me and this book! One day I will finish it.
I am giving BLY 3 stars because although I did not finish it, what I did read was still well written and has the potential (when I can read it) to be a really great read.

Unfortunately I didn't really get this book. I appreciate the fabulous setting and the great characters but I was unable to really connect with the book.

⭐️⭐️⭐️ 3 stars

This was a challenging book for me in that the writing style felt a bit disjointed however maybe this was a translation issue.

It jumped around and there seemed to me a lot of characters, some of which weren’t developed.

It’s quite a slow paced book but would appeal to those who like methodical police procedural books.

Nicolas Obregon has just earned a permanent place on my TBR shelf. A sharp, chilling tale told in the sparse, exacting style of Japanese crime fiction.

A Korean family of four is brutally murdered in a Tokyo flat. The heart of the father is cut out, and a black sun is painted on the bedroom ceiling. Police Inspector Hideo Akashi investigates but ends up committing suicide by jumping off Tokyo’s Rainbow Bridge. The Police homicide department is overstretched following Akashi’s death and the high profile murder of prominent actress Ming Fong. The inexperienced Inspector Iwata and Assistant Inspector Sakai are drafted in to take over Akashi’s investigation into the original murders. This was a wild ride of a book that really put me through my paces as a reader. I loved Inspector Iwata and was intrigued to find out so much about Japan, the attitude to Koreans that was prevalent there and getting caught up in the murder and mayhem of this macabre case. I enjoyed exploring the case more widely too after I found out that it was rooted somewhat in a true case. Not for the faint-hearted this one but I guarantee if you're not easily disturbed you'll find much to love in this original quirky read. I loved it and have already gifted it to two other crime fiction fans who I know will love it as much as me!

I really enjoyed reading this book which is a crime novel set in Toyko. It follows Inspector Iwata as he deals with hostile colleagues as he searches for a serial killer. I found it to be an easy and compelling book which was inspired by the real life murder of a Japanese family.

A cracking good story, well told and thrilling. I was reminded of the writing of Haruki Marukami in some respects, but Nicolas Obregon has produced an original book in a totally different genre. I really enjoyed it.

This is Obregon's Japanese Noir debut novel set in Tokyo, the first in a series featuring Inspector Kosuke Iwata, a new addition to the homicide police division of the city. He inherits a case where the previous investigator, Hideo Akashi, killed himself by jumping off Tokyo's Rainbow bridge. Based on a real life unsolved case, it involves the macabre murders of the entire Korean Kaneshiro family, the parents and two children. The father's heart has been removed, there is evidence of rituals and a symbol on the ceiling of a large black sun. Iwata is assigned and assisted by his partner, Noriko Sakai, a woman with a disturbing history and unpopular in the department. The title of the novel is drawn from song lyrics that permeate and haunt the narrative.

Iwata is the archetypal traumatised protagonist, a man plagued by a terrifying and tragic history, so much so that you wonder if there is any further horrors could be heaped on the poor man. Unusually, he has been trained in the US. There is little in the way of tangible evidence or motive behind the killings but Iwata senses that the serial killer has not come to an end, in which he is proved to be right. He tracks down the history of the black sun symbol and uncovers other murders in the past that have been associated with the black sun. Further murders and apparent suicides take place that include a famous film star and the widow of a judge. In the search for connections Iwata goes to Hong Kong. Finding himself isolated, Iwata races against time and under threat of having the case taken away from him as he encounters the 'Children of the Black Sun' cult and their mesmerising leader, Takashi Anzai.

This is a beautifully written novel with a dark intricate plot that disturbs. It is tense and suspenseful, full of twists and red herrings. The investigation uncovers lies and secrets, and the issues of police and political corruption. Obregon has created and developed a complex character in Kosuke Iwata, a man you want to know more about and I can easily see him sustaining a series. One of the perks of reading this book is the author's depiction of Tokyo and Japanese culture and the vibrant details that bring it to life. An enthralling and entertaining read that I recommend. Many thanks to Penguin Michael Joseph for an ARC.

Blue Light Yokohama. Nicolas Obregón.

Taught yet lyrical - a gripping and original detective novel which is not for the faint hearted.

At once intense, brutal and lyrical this a taught and complex detective story wit a difference. Kosuke Iwata its tortured protagonist has just been assigned to Tokyo Homicide Division after an extended period of leave, his task to solve the ritualistic murders of a family of four. TMPD was the case wrapped up quickly, cleanly and too eagerly for Iwata the cerebral detectives who sees links and connections where he shouldn’t.

The story dips in and out of present and past both revealing Iwata’s past and getting to the roots of what has led to these horrific killings. Obregón pulls no punches and as more victims emerge Iwata fights a seemingly losing battle to prove they are connected and continue with the case. Even his partner the tough, brittle Sakai has her doubts. Through it all the refrain of the song, ‘Blue Light Yokohama” haunts Iwata drifting in and out of his mind, linking back to his childhood.

Naturally distrustful anyway, Iwata knows in his gut that he can’t rely on or confide in the members of the corrupt and violent department - even Sakai is an unreliable sidekick although he trusts her to a point. The only ones he comes to truly rely on are Hatanaka, an earnest young cop and Shindo his immediate boss whose hands are largely tied. As Iwata realises the truth of the matter he is in a race against time to catch the perpetrator and save lives.

An excellent read, this novel will grab you from the start and not disappoint. With feet planted firmly in two camps; the hard boiled detective genre which moves at breakneck speed towards its dramatic conclusion and the exploration of suffering souls. We see pain in all its guises, not least in the gradual uncovering of Iwata’s past.

Obregón’s sense of place is unerringly well drawn. We are shown the world of the novel with all its beauty and degradation in language which is a feast for those who enjoy the taste of the written word. The characters major and minor are convincingly drawn. Iwata is a tenacious and sympathetic hero who I would like to see more of.

Thanks to the publisher and NetGalley for an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

I love a good thriller, and was really excited to read this debut. I’ll admit at first I found it a little difficult to get into, however I realised that the author was very cleverly setting the scenes so that I could fully immerse myself in Japan and the “little cities in a big city”. Iwata is an arrogant police officer and its hard to like him but you can feel the passion he feels for justice and in finding the murderer, which I didn’t see coming. Definitely worth a read.

This is the first of many and promises to be a thrilling series. It’s beautifully written and the storyline grips the reader from the first page. Intense, interesting and compelling - I look forward to reading more in this series and seeing the character of Inspector Kosuke Iwata develop.

A book I have wanted to read for a while. An interesting location set among the Tokyo police department and a new author to me well received.
This novel does not disappoint on any level; the locations excite and intrigue and the backdrop of shops, billboards and culture pack the story with sensual interest.
The world of the crime investigation is also featured as in any police procedural you may have read but here you have bowing and a hierarchy based on different values. This though is a strong crime thriller where cult and ritual appear to be motivators however there is little to base hard evidence on to build the case. Plenty of motives on the face of it and a number of suspects but no real facts to link it all together.
Tokyo is s police inspector down when one of their finest takes his own life, a country boy recently having been on long term compassionate leave gets the nod. Inspector Iwata is that officer and the main protagonist in this wonderful book. He takes over the late detectives case load and inherits this demanding investigation that spirals quickly into this hunt for a mass murderer.
Iwata is an unusual cop and we slowly learn bits of his background that enable us to warm to him yet he is something of a lone operator which makes his integration difficult and his superiors move to dropping him early on in his probationary period.
The case gets more complicated, Iwata more driven and isolated but he possesses a great self belief and a deep sense that only he can solve this mystery. When he goes rogue he seems to not only going out on a limb but his very career is on the line.
The work is littered with song lyrics and moments from his past. It sometimes appears confusing on first reading but the tension ensures the pace never slows and the experience is more rewarding.
This book will take you out of your comfort zone but take you on a journey you will not forget. A novel to be embraced and enjoyed by a large audience.