What's especially attractive about this is the wonderful partnership of these two very different but compatible (and eccentric) detectives who go about solving an old crime the author tells us he noted on a trip as foreigner to Japan. The female is commanding and sharp, domineering but recognises her newer partners extra special capacities as someone thinking outside the box - the crime seems intractable to us but they whittle their way through - but really the crime is awful and its ritual aspects and comments on a society's rascism are played out in ways that Iwaka and Sakai struggle physically and mentally (Iwaka is still reliving his wife's violent death) - it's the pleasure in reading how these two interact and how they treat others that for me is most appealing and kept me reading. Very tough, but also very entertaining. I hope there is more of this series to come.

I enjoy thrillers and have holidayed in Japan recently so I was really looking forward to this book.
Set in Tokyo it tells the story of an investigation into a series of murders by Inspector Kosuke Iwata. Kosuke is in a race against time to catch the murderer, dubbed the Black Sun Killer, before he murders again. There are also a series of flashbacks to Kosuke's childhood in an orphanage as well as other pointers to his fragile state of mind following some sort of trauma with his wife, Cleo,who lives in an institution and is very disabled.
The story sounds as if it should be interesting but to be truthful I did not find it compelling and I did not warm to any of the characters. In fact I did not really feel like I got to know any of them very well.; Iwata himself was something of an enigma. His focus on a pop song, Blue Light Yokohama, throughout the novel added nothing to the plot and I did not really see the point.
As for the murder investigation, the final plot revelation left me somewhat underwhelmed.
It was quite a slow book to read with lots of description and I would describe some of the language as quite literary
Over all Blue Light Yokohama was a disappointing read which promised more than it delivered. However this is only my opinion and if you like a slow paced literary thriller with an unusual setting it might be worth trying this book.
Thanks to Netgalley and the publishers for my advance copy in exchange for an honest review.

I actually want to give this book 3.5 stars; 3 seems too few and 4 seems just that bit too generous. This crime novel is inspired by a horrible true crime that happened in Japan where an entire family was murdered, but the killer was never captured. The book is intriguing, engaging and entertaining. But at times it was also very slow and plodding. I felt that huge sections could have been removed to streamline the story and engage the reader more.

The story follows Kosuke Iwata, a Japanese detective whose considered an outcast. Through the story you learn more about Kosuke and his background but at times I found it hard to empathise with him. The intrigue around Sakai intensifies through the book but at times I found myself asking questions about her and how certain conclusions were made that were glossed over.

Having never been to Japan I found it hard to follow all of the districts and how they all related to each other. Irrespectively mit was so interesting as I found the author beautifully describes the culture and the intricacies really added to the story.

I think this book is worth reading and I would definitely call it original and unique.

This is a good tale, set in Japan. A murder story, with other threads entwined, betrayal, loss, mental instability. Although I enjoyed the book I'm not sure I was transported to Japan, the dialogue seemed to me very unJapanese, at least compared to Japanese people I have met and worked with. Despite this there was enough to keep me interested until the end.

Really good story,complicated,confusing,complex characters. I would have given a 5 but sometimes just seemed to wander.

An exceptional debut crime thriller from Nicolas Obregon. A family are horrifically murdered in their Tokyo home but the police seem more interested in the death of a female Japanese celebrity. Inspector Iwata seems to have an uphill struggle in making any progress in the case while dealing with his own demons from his past. Whilst I occasionally struggled with remembering the unfamiliar Japanese names, the excellent writing ensured I was reminded of each character's role in the story. The many layers in the book eventually unfold and unlike some books that rush the end and explanations, this one left the reader satisfied with true completion. I hope this is only the first time we encounter Inspector Iwata and not the last.

Blue Light Yokohama is a well-written Police procedural/ crime novel which follows Inspector Iwata and his colleague Sakai investigated a triple homicide, strange symbols and mysterious rituals. There’s also what appears to be suicides with strange circumstances.

The plot is paced fairly slowly for the most part, though it does pick up at the end and really ramps up the tension. It features interesting and quite different characters, but I found I didn't hugely care about them, even though we get a lot of flashbacks to give more context to Iwata, for example. We didn't get a huge insight into why he made the decisions he did, though we found out more about how his childhood shaped him as an adult. I found that quite a few of the flashbacks didn't tell me a lot of relevant information, but they were entertaining to read anyway.

Blue Light Yokohama felt quite long, perhaps because it’s quite slow paced as I mentioned, but it's actually around average length – just over 400 pages. Perhaps what I felt was unnecessary information also made me think it’s longer than it actually is. The first third is quite intriguing and I was really drawn in, but the middle third is a little slow and I started to lose interest. The last third then picks up the pace again and reveals all in the concluding chapters, which I really enjoyed reading, and plenty of loose ends are tied up (though not all of them, which felt more realistic than when every single part is neatly finished off, as is the case with many other novels). There's some parts that I feel you'd need to suspend your disbelief for, but I really reading a novel set in Japan, somewhere I'd really like to visit one day, and it made a welcome change from crime novels set in America or England. This, coupled with the beautiful writing, made a change from some other crime novels - it sort of felt more ‘literary’ (a very vague term, I know - sorry!).

This novel is definitely still worth a read for crime fans; it offers something a little different in its style and setting. I just felt that some parts didn't quite draw me in as much as I wanted them to, leaving me a little less excited by Blue Light Yokohoma than I would have liked, considering its interesting premise.

Blue Light Yokohama

Set in Tokyo, this mystery crime novel follows Police Inspector Iwata as he deals with hostile colleagues and is in search of a serial killer. I really enjoyed this book, it's not an easy book to read in that you need to have time to concentrate on the story.

I voluntarily reviewed an ARC of this book, with thanks to Netgalley and the publisher. 4*

I loved this book it was beautifully written and a very interesting story. It grabbed me from the first sentence.

A very good crime book albeit rather unusual. Unusual because it is set in Japan, but unlike other books I had the pleasure to reed, this was not written by a Japanese but a Spanish author.

It is very atmospheric and very well written. We have a maverick detective with a lot of personal problems who is investigating a cold case (apparently inspired by a real murder) of the murder on an entire family with an apparent ritualistic motive.

As a police procedural is was pretty watertight but it is not the quick crime book you can read in a couple of hours. It is more literary and requires a bit of concentration. At times I was completely immersed in it, at others my interest waned. But stick to it as it is a worthwhile book.

Clare: @thebooktrailer

A serial killer thriller with ritualistic overtones is a high octane novel of its own - mix that in with the chaotic noise and maze of Tokyo streets, the dim of noise really ramps up the tension. For me this is what makes the book stand out - this is a police procedural and the detective is as troubled as they come, but the nature of the investigation and the busy landscape do confuse matters more, making it complex and multilayered.

I did struggle a bit with the multi threads in the story - we went that way, this way, the other way - but then this is what a real investigation must be like. There's a lot to pick up and flashbacks to the past of the detective when young were a little superfluous to the plot but these are just little niggles.
This stood out for me overall as I think the inspiration for the novel and therefore the different cultural differences in Japan could well lead to even more unusual cases in future novels.Giving victims closure is a huge draw and this thread was nicely carried through. A new series of police procedurals set in Japan? Yes please!

A Japanese procedural written by a Spanish author - now that's something unique.

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

I heard about this title via a 'read now' email and the description intrigued me especially since the book was apparently inspired by a real case.

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 they are given a secondhand case where a family of four had been murdered in their own home; a case 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 investigate the brutal deaths of the family it looks like there may have been a ritualistic element 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 by anything linking the victims. As they investigate further Iwata has to deal 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.

Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for providing an ARC.

Blue Light Yokohama is (as noted by every other reviewer) a Japanese police procedural. It is intensely readable and very well paced.

The hard boiled inspired tone wouldn't usually be my prefered genre so this initially grated on me, but was soon overcome. There were several lyrical turns of phrase I particularly enjoyed and the echoing of the song throughout was also a high point.

The highlights for me are the scenes with young Iwata.

Overall, I enjoyed this book and would look out for more from the author.

This was a very good book. Being set in Japan, it means it has a fresh take on a detective chasing a serial killer genre. The main characters were well written and developed and I found it hard to put down.

A good first book by Nicolas Obregon. It took a while to become acquainted with the Japanese names but soon I was hooked. A very unusual crime story set in Japan, full of lies and corruption and twists and turns but I found it quite enjoyable. A typical maverick detective with a sad back story. Possibly a few too many injuries to the main character?

This is possibly my first novel set in Japan, and to be honest I would say I was a little set back at first, battling to grasp and differentiate between places, references, and people. In the end though I'm pretty glad for the insight into Japan and its intricacies which included the Yakuza and the countries major suicide problems (which I believe the rate of which has eventually decreased after many many years). Additionally Nicolás Obregón has a descriptive style of writing that definitely gives you a feel of your surroundings.

I also had one major grudge with the writing during a large part of the book. We seemed forced to learn about the characters through their actions alone, both past and present (and in Iwata's case, past, extra past, and present). There just didn't seem enough narrative about how the characters thought, how they were making decision, their internal debates, etc. There were times I was frustrated that not more was provided (like why Iwata didn’t verbalise the fact that if they followed through with the ruse of pinning the murders on the convenient suspect the Black Sun Killer would simply strike again), or that too much was provided for no clear reason (a good example would be Iwata’s rendezvous in SOAP) but I later appreciated that the author wanted us to learn for ourselves the intricacies of the protagonist, including Iwata’s trust issues (for good reason) and that he is a conflicted and troubled soul (apparently even in his sexual preferences). Well at least that’s what I take from it.

I also feel the author did a splendid job of tying up the novel at the end. I personally enjoyed the conclusion a lot. Additionally the inspiration for the novel is intriguing in itself, and the way the title ‘Blue Light Yokohama’ was woven into the story, both as part of the blue lights in the fight against the suicide epidemic and as a crucial part of Iwata’s character was a splendid touch.

I did however have an issue with the way random lines of the song, scripture, and earlier conversations were quoted in random places in the book. Sometimes these were relevant, and sometimes they just came as a distraction. I will for now assume though that the main issue was due to the editing I had as part of the advance copy. Hopefully these quotes are better portrayed in the final revision.

All in all Blue Light Yokohama held a lot of promise and I am sure there will be a lot of good things to come from Nicolás Obregón in the future.
Favourite Quote: ‘Those on the precipice rarely judge the fallen’

Thanks to NetGalley and Penguin UK (Michael Joseph) and the author for an advance copy in exchange for an honest review.

Tokyo-based thriller – engaging stuff with plenty of action

I received a free copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

This novel takes place in Japan and is about a serial killer with ritualistic overtones. Inspector Kotsuke Iwata leads an investigation into the murders of an entire family and this leads into all sorts of area including police corruption, a cult and, along the way, he suffers a lot of injuries (maybe more than one might consider plausible).

This long novel is very interesting and keeps the reader on their toes and the characterisation is well-developed. Iwata, like many fictional detectives, is a troubled soul with a troubled past which is brought to light as the book progresses. He has suffered a great deal emotionally.

I'd recommend this novel to any fans of Patricia Cornwell or Jeffery Deaver

I received this book from Netgally via the publisher for an honest review!!

I was attracted to this book because it was set in Japan, I've never read any crime fiction set there and was eager to read it.

This is a story of a troubled cop who has just transferred from the country after a personal tragedy and the first case he is assigned is the multiple murder of a family, with a mysterious symbol painted onto one of the victims hands, as the body count rises, our protagonist has a race against the clock to solve these murders as well as dealing with his own personal demons and people who want to destroy his career.

Sound like every other police procedural you've read? that's because it is. Although this being set in Japan this story isn't any different to other stories I've read before, I did find this boom incredibly page turning at times but there were also sections that were incredibly boring and didn't bring anything to the story, this boom was very well written but could have been cut down slightly.

overall a fine read but not one that will stay with me in the months to come

An absolutely brilliant read,loved it

I must admit to being drawn to novels set in Japan and was keen to read this. It is the first in a proposed series featuring Inspector Kosuke Iwata. Iwata is a typical maverick cop – trained in the US, he stands up to the bullies who make his new, female, partner’s life a misery and has a background filled with tragedy. His first case, along with partner, Sakai, has been given to him after the previous investigating officer, Hideo Akashi, committed suicide and involves the murder of an entire family.

This is an interesting premise and based upon a real cold case. The Kaneshiro family were a Korean family, who have been horribly, and possibly ritualistically, murdered. Who would murder an entire family and what do the symbols, left behind at the scene mean? Despite the novel being set in Japan, and it being an extremely good crime story, I felt that this story really could have been set anywhere. It quickly turns into a typical serial killer thriller, albeit with a possibly bizarre and ritualistic angle.

Without doubt, this is beautifully written, but I was a little disappointed that the plot quickly became something quite familiar and I felt the author could have used the differences between Japan and the West more than he did. Obviously, Iwata being trained in the US may help him feel more comfortable to readers, but I think this novel could have been great for emphasising the differences, rather than the similarities. That said, a good start to a series and an interesting plot. I received copy of this book from the publisher, via NetGalley, for review.