I enjoyed this book which I read as an advance copy through NetGalley. As I am not familiar with Japanese names, I found myself getting lost and having to check who was who occasionally That said, this was a good story mainly set in Tokyo where a detective is transferred from the country he is allocated an historical case involving the deaths of a Korean family to investigate. There are times when the plot is thoroughly gripping and I would happily read the next of this authors books.

The backdrop for this psychological thriller is Tokyo. Writing a bold and ingenuously different police procedural Obregon captures the exoticism of the east with its glitter and grit. Throw into the mix an unconventional but tormented hero and one has an eerily evocative thriller. Tokyo PD is not the usual PD we are accustomed to in the west. Iwata recently reinstated to a new post is investigating a disturbing multiple murder. He soon discovers that the murderer is a serial killer. Nothing is as it seems, not even his partner Noriko Sakai. He knows time is against him from dual perspectives the killer and his superiors. Honour and integrity being an integral part of Japanese society, corruption in TMPD would increase the pressure on Iwata but he senses an undercurrent that he cannot place. Obregon adeptly plays on this undercurrent until the very end. Undercurrents figure hugely in the novel making it an edgy read. Will he solve the murders in time to apprehend the murderer? Fast paced from the start swinging back and forth in pace with the evidence the tale is blessedly lucid though its amazing that Obregon keeps up with it. Not familiar with Tokyo one found it a bit difficult to keep pace with the fast changing scenario but this does not detract from an otherwise atmospheric read. Iwata or should I say Obregon, playing his cards close to his chest gives nothing away until the very end. His personal torment gives him an edge over the murderer and his hostile colleagues. The entire novel is well layered interspersed with Japanese wit. Just as one thinks one has the hang of it, Obregon adeptly twists the plot leaving one gasping in shock and delight. Crackling with energy from the very first page, the tension is palpable making this a nail biting read. This is the first in a series of novels but can be read as a stand-alone. One cannot wait for the sequel.

Blue Light Yokohama is Nicolas Obregon's debut novel. A crime thriller set in Japan, sounded like my perfect book, and I really wanted to love this novel. It had so much promise, and I love books that are set in Japan, somehow I seem to be drawn to them. But sadly this novel fell a little short somewhere for me. Inspite of a lot of twists and turns, it just never really seems to 'get going' as it were.

Kosuke Iwata is a new arrival on the Tokyo homicide team when a family of four are found brutally murdered in their own home. There are barely any clues to point the team towards the perpetrator except a half empty ice cream tub, an open web brower on a laptop and an offensive black sun painted on a ceiling in the victims' home.

The murderer has been careful, there are no fingerprints to be found anywhere, no blood except the victims', no DNA fibres- nothing. Iwata wonders where on earth to start, he feels out his depth already and the pressure is mounting. As the newest member of the homicide team he is expected to deliver results, after all he is an experienced officer.

But he has never seen anything like this before...

Blue Light Yokohama has quite a few flashbacks, some of which are helpful in getting to know its characters, and some of which are sadly not. I felt like there was a bit too much of an emphasis on a backstory for Iwata, when truthfully I'm not sure he needed one. For me he was an interesting enough character.

Of course, this is only my opinion and if you like a good police procedural with a few twists and turns thrown in for good measure, then this novel is definitely the one for you. For me sadly, it wasn't the novel I hoped it would be - but I would read this author again, as I'd be interested to see what else he might have up his sleeve.

A superior procedural / crime / thriller with an evocative sense of place and culture. A cut above the normal genre work - the author clearly has a deep understanding of Japanese culture, both in the workplace and in private (and the conflicts inevitable between the two).

Not just a police murder mystery, but more of a reflection of how tragedies and hardships affect our lives for eve,r even changing who we are. Has a Scandi-noir feel as the main characters are slightly sad and there are graphic descriptions of the bodies.

This is not the normal crime thriller that I read and I found it a very difficult book to get into. I did not warm to Inspector Iwata and found his character a trifle annoying. The flashbacks and the references to the situation (whatever it is) with his wife became annoying and detracted from the plot. I personally found it difficult to remember who was who because of the Japanese names. I remember having the same problem with War and Peace but this was remedied with a second reading - perhaps I should try that.

This is my personal feeling about the book and I am sure that there are others who will be intrigued by it.

An interesting change from the usual British, American or more recently Scandinavian thrillers so I was very excited to read it. However it somehow missed the spot and left me rather underwhelmed. The descriptive passages were in abundance maybe a little too much and not enough given to what the characters were thinking.
I wouldn't want to put anyone off reading it as it is certainly different so refreshing in that way but just not for me.

A heart-racing, page-turning crime thriller set in Tokyo

In 1996, police officer Hideo Akashi watches as a young woman stabs a cable-car attendant before throwing herself out of the car to her death. 15 years later, Inspector Kosuke Iwata is brought in to the Tokyo Metropolitan Police Department to take over from Akashi, who has just committed suicide. Iwata’s first case is the murder of a family of four, but this is no ordinary killing – the father’s heart has been removed and a large black sun painted on the ceiling. Shortly afterwards, an elderly woman is killed in the same way and the same symbol is found in her house. Iwata struggles to piece together the clues that point towards a dangerous, ritualistic serial killer, but soon finds himself facing animosity from within the police force and struggling with the demons of his own past. When he finds out that Akashi may have known something about the murders, he sets out to discover what secrets have been hidden from him and how the murders might be linked to Akashi’s suicide. Unfortunately, the killer is closing in on his next victims, and Iwata’s decision could end up putting him and the people around him in grave danger.

This was a truly excellent crime thriller, with a high-tension opening that instantly sets the pace of the story. From then on, the action and cliff-hangers kept coming, resulting in a book with very few dull moments and not a single slow chapter. As Iwata discovers more and more clues about the grisly murders and delves more into the past of the victims, we as readers follow along on tenterhooks, which each revelation of the killer’s overall plot being unexpected but also making sense in the context of what we already know. The final reveal of the identity of the murderer comes as a surprise due to both the cleverness of the writing and the many misleading suspects, and the story wraps up with a dramatic climax that managed to tie up most of the loose ends in a satisfying way.

As well as having a captivating plot, Blue Light Yokohama is also very well written and the author creates an extremely atmospheric (although quite bleak) portrayal of the city of Tokyo. As Japan is somewhere I have never visited (but often wanted to), it was interesting to read about it from the alternative perspective of Iwata who, as a character, is rather cynical about his city. As well as this, Iwata’s personality and actions are explored and explained through flashbacks to his childhood and past, which gave an interesting perspective on an extremely complex and damaged character without the need for lengthy descriptions of his thoughts and feelings, and also allowed the reader to understand what drives him towards his goals. The rest of the characters were examined in less depth but were still mostly believable and multi-dimensional.

Some of the components and scenes of this novel were extremely dark, and some readers might find it a bit upsetting. The idea of a ritualistic serial killer may also be a bit too extravagant for some people and some of the connections that Iwata makes when investigating did seem a little strained, but not so much as to make it unbelievable. My main issue with this book was that the lyrics and phrases that were interspersed within the text became a bit too constant and distracted from the otherwise talented writing at times.


Overall, this was a well-written crime novel that any fan of this genre would enjoy. It is hard to believe that it is Obregon’s first novel, as his storytelling ability is exceptional and I will definitely be looking out for more stories from him in the future.

Daenerys

Breakaway Reviewers received a copy of this book to review.

Inspector Iwata is a new recruit to the Tokyo police force, taking on a complicated case with an unhelpful partner.
Unfortunately, I found this book hard to follow, incessant flashbacks and randomly inserted song lyrics made it a struggle to read. Iwata is the latest is a series of "flawed" inspector/detectives but where Kurt Wallander, Erlendur Sveinsson, even Ray Lennox succeed is that these are inherent to their character, and you want them to be successful. Iwata's back story is hardly explained and it's hard to really care about him. As for the case, I found it predictable, and I was struggling to even make sense of it.
I'm sorry but I'm hoping other people enjoyed this more than I did.

This is an incredibly atmospheric book which leads us through the investigation of a series of murders in the Tokyo area. It is quiet and understated, eschewing flashy set pieces and focusing more on character exploration and motivation. As a result, the pace is a little slow to begin with and it won't appeal to those who need their mysteries with a little more action. For me, I really relished the ponderous quality of the narrative. It mirrored the real nature of police investigation, being methodical and often monotonous, This is a literary detective story and I really liked it. I did have a couple of issues in terms of plot predictability, but all in all, this is a great book.

Blue light yokohama by Nicolas Obregon is a mystery and thriller and general fiction (adult) read.
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 . . .
A good read with good characters. Little slow in places but then it gets to be so I can't put it down. 4*. I voluntarily reviewed an advanced copy of this book from netgalley.

Nicolás Obregón is to Japan as Stieg Larsson is to Sweden! Gripping and compelling reading an excellent plot too. Couldn't really fault it except it was difficult to keep up with the gender of the characters purely from their names unless you know some Japanese.

Having just landed at the homicide department in Tokyo, Inspector Iwata is immediately thrown into a seemingly unsolvable case which claimed the life of the previous Dectective assigned to it. In a crime that's based on real life events, an entire family has been murdered in their home. The killer was cool enough to spend time on the internet after the murder and leave a mysterious symbol behind. With a reluctant partner, a department rife with bullying and corruption and a raft of personal issues of his own, Iwata is up against it from the start.

This has all the classic ingredients of a good crime story. There's complex twists and turns and the story has real layers and jumps back and forth in time without being confusing. It's a stunning book for a first time novelist. There's a real depth to the writing, which is poetic at points. Tokyo is described beautifully and the author shows the darker side of city without veering into cliche. I hope this is part of a series, the character of Iwata certainly has plenty of mileage left in him.

I received a free ARC from NetGalley in exchange for a fair review.

I had high hopes of this book, the setting in Japan and noir-ish music references boded well. However I found the plot rather confused, some strands left unresolved, and some very implausible elements. It reminded me rather of Jean Christophe Grange - high gothic and highly improbable! I imagine a series featuring the main protagonist is planned but since one of the more promising characters will not be making it into a second book I'm not sure I would see enough appeal.

The lights of the city are so pretty Yokohama,
Blue Light Yokohama
I’m happy with you
Please let me hear Yokohama
Blue Light Yokohama
Those words of love from you”

With its Japanese setting, Nicolás Obregón has created an original and engrossing police procedural.

Inspector Kosuke Iwata has been transferred to a new post within the Tokyo Police Department, Homicide Division. His first assignment will be no easy task, it's a multiple murder of gruesome proportions, and involves the slaughter of the entire Kaneshiro family - Father, Mother, Son and Daughter. The crime scene reveals clues that point to a ritualistic killing, not least the symbol of a large black sun.

Iwata is your archetypal flawed cop, fighting his own personal demons, and we're gradually given insights into what shaped his life, what made him the man that he is today. We know that his transfer was the result of a personal tragedy, but the tragedy, along with his troubled childhood is only revealed to us very gradually.

As the investigation gathers pace, it becomes clear that this multiple murder wasn't the first that the Black Sun Killer had carried out, and more importantly that it won't be his last.

You'll need complete concentration for this one, as it pulls you in many directions with its twists, lies, corruption, and red herrings, but it's definitely worth it. I wondered at times how each snippet of information was going to fit into the storyline as a whole, but it all came together perfectly.

It was beautifully written, and a good start to what is to be a series.

*Thank you to Netgalley & Penguin UK Michael Joseph for my ARC in exchange for an honest unbiased review*

Blue Light Yokohama is a crime thriller set in Tokyo that is both tense and well-written.

This is the first thriller I've read that is set in Japan and it was both eye-opening and at times difficult to follow, as I know embarrassingly little about Tokyo. However, Obregón is quite good at explaining about the culture without making it sound like a text book.

The story develops slowly before ramping up to an almost ridiculous pace in the last few pages.
It's an interesting story, and not an easy one to guess. Though there is a lot going on; suicides, murder, cults, occult, not to mention Iwata's back story, at times it does feel a bit busy, and I had to remind myself of who's who and what's what. However, it did grip me at the end and I read the last half especially in a rush.

It took me a while to connect with the lead character, Kosuke Iwata. He is built on a fairly recognisable detective character; troubled past, maverick attitude, drinking problem. But there are elements that lift him to something a bit higher, and he also seems to have a softer, more delicate side than a lot of other detectives in fiction.

His past is slowly revealed through the book, with flashbacks to his childhood and earlier years, which creates an interesting counter-story to the main plot and breaks it up when it becomes a bit too swamped.

What really sets the book apart for me is Obregón's writing; if you take all the confusion away Blue Light Yokohama is a fairly common thriller with a troubled detective, hidden back story and unlikely murderer, but the language and descriptions give it an almost dream like feel.

The prose is littered with perfect little descriptions that are both unique and accurate. Here are a few of my favourites:

"His head was a rung bell. His ankle was cracked porcelain."

"Cranes in the distance slept like flamingos."

"The cold painted his breath on the air, smiling faces forming in the white."

The writing combined with a gripping, if somewhat formulaic, thriller, makes Blue Light Yokohama an intriguing read.

My rating: 3.5/5 (rounded up to 4 stars for Goodreads and NetGalley)

I received a digital copy of the book via NetGalley in return for an honest review. My thanks to the author and publisher.

I struggled to finish this book. I was put off early on by the amount of swear words used, I didn't think they were in context. I also found it jumped around but never really resolved some of the storylines.

Not my kind of novel, but it was very well written.

Gripping, haunting, atmospheric and utterly captivating. - crime fiction at its best

I found this to be overly complex at times and very slow to begin with.
It certainly improved the further you read.