Unknown Male (Inspector Iwata, #3) by Nicolás Obregón

Unknown Male (Inspector Iwata, #3) Reviews

• 
  Maureen

  *4.5 stars *
  
  After spending the last 10 years working as a private detective in LA, Inspector Kosuke Iwata returns to his native Japan, primarily to take charge of an investigation into the murder of English exchange student Skye Mackintosh, but there are also some ghosts of his own that he needs to exorcise while he’s back on home turf.
  
  Running parallel to this investigation is that of numerous missing sex workers. The perpetrator is quite unremarkable - his disguise? He has no distinguishing features, nothing that would induce someone to give him a second look, someone who just blends in with the rest of us - the perfect persona for a serial killer!
  
  This time out Inspector Iwata really has his work cut out - his orders are to find the student’s killer quickly - with the Tokyo Olympics due to start, the powers that be want it resolved before it sours the reputation of Tokyo.
  
  Nicolás Obregón’s writing is so beautiful that it belies the dark content within, and make no mistake this IS a chilling noir tale - it’s also very complex as Iwata painstakingly digs into Tokyo’s sleazy underbelly, resulting in a fair few suspects, but none of whom feel quite right to Iwata, but he keeps digging until he gets the required results. Loving this series ( although it can be read as a stand-alone). Another riveting read from Mr Obregón!
  
  *Thank you to Netgalley and Penguin UK - Michael Joseph for my ARC. I have given an honest unbiased review in exchange *
• 
  Paromjit

  In the 3rd of Nicolas Obregon's series, Inspector Kosuke Iwata leaves LA after working as a PI for missing persons, returning to Tokyo after an absence of 10 years, a place that holds memories of trauma, tragedy, sorrow, and grief. Obregon's Japan set Noir drips with atmosphere as he immerses us in the neon lights of the city, it's culture, criminal underbelly, sex workers, the growing tribes of homeless living by the river, a Tokyo anxiously preparing for the upcoming Olympics. Iwata has returned at the behest of his old mentor and boss, Commissioner Shindo, a terminally ill man, now a frail shadow of himself, to serve as consultant and lead Inspector on the politically sensitive case of the murder of 22 year old English exchange student, the beautiful Skye Mackintosh at a love hotel. Arriving in Tokyo with Skye's grieving family and boyfriend, Dylan White, is DC Anthea Lynch, a woman of mixed Nigerian and Irish heritage, to support the family and observe the murder investigation.
  
  Iwata's appointment stirs up resentment and jealousy in his police team, and whilst his and Lynch's position owes more to PR and reputation management than any integrity, the two mismatched detectives form a strangely effective partnership. Additionally, Iwata had an ulterior motive in accepting the case, he wants to address the demons that haunted his troubled childhood, planning to address old injustices but will this threaten his new life with 'son' Santi? Meanwhile, fear runs rampant amongst women with the disappearance of sex workers. They are the victims of a sick and unhinged serial killer, Mr Soto, a careful and intelligent salaryman, unobtrusive, unremarkable in apearance and demeanour, the invisible man that is noticed by no-one as he goes about his well planned everyday macabre life.
  
  This latest addition to the series by Obregon is the best one yet, he shines with his rich and lyrical descriptions of a Tokyo that feels like a living, breathing, vibrant and contrary character in its own right, a multilayered and complex city well practiced in the art of seduction, but hard faced, cruel, ruthless and unforgiving, yet insidiously unforgettable, a city that makes its mark on a person for life. The central protagonist Iwata faces the horrors of his past, Hideo Akashi's final moments, the unbearable memories of the loss of Cleo and Nina, and Norika Sakai. He begins to find a certain sense of coming to terms with who he now is as he lays the ghosts of his past to rest, bringing Santi to Tokyo, gaining a much needed measure of peace. This is a beautifully written novel, you can visualise the city and the diverse range of characters with ease, everything all feels so vividly alive, with its echoes of the old classic crime noirs. A brilliant read. Many thanks to Penguin Michael Joseph for an ARC.
• 
  Raven

  So we come to the last instalment of Nicolas Obregon’s remarkable Tokyo trilogy featuring former detective Kosuke Iwata. Having previously reviewed both Blue Light Yokohama and Sins As Scarlet and quite frankly, raved about both, I approached Unknown Male with more than a sense of delicious anticipation. What I love about Obregon as a writer is the way he so consistently holds his reader in the palm of his hand and the sense of real storytelling that is so absolutely central to the narrative. I must admit that I find it hard to define what it is about his writing that enthrals me, but will try in my own ham-fisted way to do so…
  
  Firstly I think Obregon’s obvious love affair with Tokyo is absolutely central to this book, and his fearlessness in portraying this city with very much a love/hate edge to his depiction of it: “As he walked, he inhaled a cologne of rubbish, exhaust, wet concrete. No city had more nameless streets or alleyways…To walk through her ways was to be inveigled in her web…She murmured from steam vents and snickered from overflowing gutters.” All through the book the intangible hold of the city both on the main characters, and the general populace is front and centre, with Obregon exposing the pulsing beat of a city where there is a real sense of sink or swim, poverty or success and a constant feel of movement in “this shingle beach of crossed purpose“. Obregon also emphasises how easily people become lost, in this teeming morass of people, whether slaves to a wage, slaves to people basest violent desires, and how people seek to navigate a society that slows for no man. Although our detective figure Iwata is a native to the city, Obregon also instils in him a feeling of having to get to grips with this mercurial city after time abroad, and the very particular problems that arise in having to almost start afresh in navigating its unique idiosyncrasies.
  
  Iwata himself is also a complicated soul, imbued with a deep sense of morality pertaining to his professional standards and the way he conducts himself in relation to this particular investigation. However, back amongst his countrymen he does at times seem like a square peg in a round hole, as his methods and thought process put him at odds with his fellow investigators. He is an outsider, but in that mould proves to be extremely effective at approaching the case from a different angle, and intuitive thinking. The issue of morality is explored in many ways throughout the book both through Iwata who is also seeking some personal retribution, but also through the British female detective Anthea Lynch (who finds herself despatched to Tokyo after a serious blip in her own career) and individuals involved with Skye, the murder victim. Throw into the mix one of the most strangely motivated serial killers I have encountered for some time (the thermos flask-eugh) and what Obregon gives us is a real smorgasboard of the good, the bad and ugly where the lines of morality and decent behaviour become fractured, and at times difficult to discern. People acting in surprising and unpredictable ways give a real emotional heft to this book, and also work beautifully in concealing the real villains of the piece, with revenge being another incredibly strong motif resonating through the characters.
  
  I think it goes without saying that Unknown Male has secured a place in my Top 5 of the year with its masterful depth of characterisation, use of location with Tokyo as a living and breathing entity so crucial to the lives and crimes unfolding within it, and the way that the book keeps you in its grasp from beginning to end. It is the close to a trilogy which left me tinged with sadness as I loved these books so much, but also heartens me that hopefully more readers will discover these for themselves. Absolutely outstanding.
• 
  Lou (nonfiction fiend)

  Unknown Male is the third instalment in the Inspector Kosuke Iwata series and how could I resist reading it given I am a Japanophile and these gripping thrillers are based in Tokyo, Japan. Each instalment can be read as a standalone as the story is self-contained, however, you will miss out on Iwata's backstory somewhat. It follows a seemingly ordinary guy living his life the way most people do; working day in day out and going back each night to his family home where his wife and child await him. But Mr Soto is a serial killer with a penchant for the sadistic which results in a number of sex workers being cruelly plucked from the seedy Tokyo underbelly and subjected to horrifying torture before being murdered in cold blood. The second strand of the plot revolves around the death of a young British girl, Skye Mackintosh, discovered at a hotel who was in the country studying. This means Iwata must liaise with Anthea Lynch from the Metropolitan police service back in the UK.
  
  I thoroughly enjoyed this complex and compulsive story and feel it is Obregon's best to date. It's jarring how one can be a brutal killer yet hold down a job and have a pretty mundane and uneventful family life too. It reminds us that you never know who could be doing what. Iwata and Lynch are in some ways mirror images of one another as they both have disgraced themselves in the line of duty and have lost the respect of many of their peers. They have overstepped the mark one too many times and appear to have problems listening to their superiors and following rules. Although sometimes rules are there to be broken. The tale is a gripping and fascinating one and the depictions of Tokyo were magical and so vivid I felt as though I was actually there. Not for the faint-hearted, this is a gritty, gruesome page-turner with twists aplenty and a shocking conclusion to put the cherry on the cake. Many thanks to Michael Joseph for an ARC.
  
• 
  Bruce Hatton

  This is the third novel of a series, although the first I’ve read. Apart from a section dealing with the central character’s childhood and his poisonous relationship with his father, I still found it read pretty well as a standalone.
  Inspector Kosuke Iwata leaves the US, where he has been working as a private investigator and returns to Tokyo after a 10 year absence at the request of his old boss to investigate the murder of a 22 year old female English student.
  The novel is actually set slightly in the future: 2020, to be precise, and Tokyo is busy getting prepared for the forthcoming Olympic games. Obregon paints a picture of a city in turmoil; full of corrupt politicians, seedy suburbs ruled by gangsters and legions of homeless people subsisting on the river banks.
  Almost predictably, Iwata’s attempts to solve the murder are thwarted by police officers envious of him being given the lead role. His only ally, it seems, is English police officer DC Anthea Lynch who arrived as liaison for the victim’s family.
  This is an intricately plotted novel which actually deals with two separate crimes. The location descriptions are very evocative and there is a strong cast of characters, including the complex and troubled Inspector Iwata.
• 
  Rowena Hoseason

  This a rather more accessible story than most home-grown Japanese crime fiction (like The Devotion Of Suspect X, and similar). The clever investigative tangle retains the hallmarks of its genre – an implacable killer, a genuinely perplexing mystery, complex characters motivated by conflicting experiences – but it’s not as outright bizarre as some Japanese fiction can be. Even so, this sophisticated story is definitely more challenging than the average police procedural.
  
  This is the third book to feature the intellectually brilliant but psychologically scarred Inspector Iwata. He returns to his native Japan after years in America, as a stranger in a strange land, not a welcome prodigal son. But he’s the perfect (…expendable) person to assign to a sensitive case which involves the death of a young English woman.
  
  I read the first Iwata book (Blue Light Yokohama) a while back and missed the next one, so was somewhat behind with the character’s development. That wasn’t a problem: the story of Unknown Male is entirely self-contained. Obregón instils real depth in his characters with minimal exposition. He’s unleashed a genuinely ghastly killer, one who manipulates his victims with callous brutality but who passes unnoticed in the commuter throng. An anonymous salaryman, invisible in his dark suit and white shirt, an insidious stalker with a heart full of hate.
  
  The investigators are rather more colourful and no less intense. A British police officer is sent to Tokyo as a liaison / observer, and she is a splendidly conflicted character in her own right. She’s provides a familiar reference point for western readers to engage with an unfamiliar, occasionally unfathomable culture.
  
  Even so, there are many moments of savage brutality, quiet poetry and oblique misery in Unknown Male. Don’t expect to be spoon-fed a straightforward story: much is understated or ambiguous… like that brilliant title, for instance.
  
  Superb storytelling for the patient reader who enjoys the challenge of literary crime fiction. Not necessarily an easy ride!
  8/10
  
  I review stacks more crime / fiction in detail over at
  http://www.murdermayhemandmore.net
• 
  Renita D'Silva

  Wonderful
• 
  Chris

  I could not put this book down, each one of the Inspector Iwata novels has had me so enthralled that I finished in one sitting. The descriptions of Tokyo are gritty and beautiful. Highly recommend each one of these novels
• 
  Elite Group

  A dark and gripping thriller set in the seedy underbelly of Tokyo
  
  Detective Inspector Kosuke Iwata is called back to his native Japan for the first time in almost 10 years to investigate the murder of a British exchange student, Skye Mackintosh, who has been found dead in a sordid ‘love hotel’. The orders are to find the killer before the start of the Tokyo Olympics, to avoid damaging the city’s international reputation, and DC Anthea Lynch is brought in from London to support Skye’s grieving family and to assist in the investigation. At the same time, the police department in Tokyo are dealing with the disappearances of several sex workers. The man behind this, the unremarkable Mr Sato, is hiding in plain sight, his complete normality and lack of distinguishing features the perfect mask for the evil, sadistic killer within. As Iwata hunts for Skye’s murderer, he finds himself clashing with the rest of the police forces who resent him as an outsider, and also realises his return to Tokyo means he must face some of his own demons from the past.
  
  This is the third of Nicolas Obregon’s novels that I have been fortunate enough to read, and it certainly does not disappoint. Despite being part of a series, it can easily be read and enjoyed as a standalone story, with a whip-fast plot and plenty of twists, turns and chills packed in throughout. The author’s descriptions of Tokyo are so incredibly atmospheric and detailed that the reader almost feels as if they are there under the neon lights and amongst the hustle and bustle of the city, with both its beautiful and its dark sides described perfectly. Iwata is a complex and empathic character with a strong sense of morality, whose motivations and loyalties are put to the test as he comes to terms with his past losses, including his beloved wife and child. Lynch is also an interesting character and her relationship with Iwata as a fellow outsider worked well. However, the standout character in this novel was the chilling Mr Sato, a monster with a human face, whose sick and twisted behaviour stayed in my mind long after I put down the book.
  
  My criticisms of this novel are few, but I would potentially say that the development of Iwata’s character is not as expanded in this instalment as in the previous books. Additionally, some parts of this story are very dark and gruesome indeed, and some readers may find them gratuitous, and the ending twist was perhaps a little predictable.
  
  In conclusion, I very much enjoyed this novel, and whilst it may be the last instalment in the Inspector Iwata series, I sincerely hope it is not the last I read of this author. I cannot recommend this series enough to any fan of crime thrillers.
  
  Daenerys
  
  Elite Reviewing Group received a copy of the book to review.
• 
  Sandra

  After a gap of ten years, Kosuke Iwata has returned to Tokyo to investigate the murder of a young British student, Skye Mackintosh. The Olympic Games are about to begin, the eyes of the world are on Tokyo, and the Japanese authorities have to be seen to do everything by the book. DC Anthea Lynch from the Met has been sent over with Skye’s family to assist as she speaks some Japanese. Like Iwata, she has a disregard for authority but is also an excellent detective.
  There is a parallel storyline about the disappearance of sex workers; there does not appear to be any connection between the two cases. The story mostly focuses on Iwata, interspersed with the thoughts of Mr Sato – an ‘invisible’ man in a suit, with a horrific secret.
  I have read all of Nicolas Obregon’s books featuring Kosuke Iwata (Blue Light Yokohama and Sins as Scarlet) and this is his best yet – a gripping thriller with just the right mix of description, action and dialogue. Even though Nicolas Obregon is not a native of Japan, his poetic descriptions of the neon-lit streets of Tokyo, and insights into Japanese culture, make Unknown Male a wonderful example of Japanese noir. It remains to be seen whether this is the last book to feature Kosuke Iwata, but I hope we catch up with him again one day. Thanks to the author, publisher and NetGalley for a copy to review.
  
• 
  Jo

  Iwata has been working in the US for ten years as an investigator when he's recalled to Japan to find out who murdered an English girl in a love hotel. There are tensions with the local police, the higher ups and the press. Meanwhile, there's an unknown male disappearing sex workers. This was brilliant; I liked the characters and the twists were enough to keep you reading. Slightly gross serial killer at work who pretty much put me off my tea which doesn't happen very often. Not sure if there will be more books about Iwata but if this was the final one, it left him at a good point.
• 
  Elias Chase

  An absolutely fascinating book. I was unaware of the first two books in this trilogy, but I will most definitely be back tracking and reading those as well. The author kept the story descriptive enough, but not overly so, where you could really find yourself engulfed in the story and turning the next page without even realising it. Some of the graphic scenes where phenomenal and disgusting — to write so well about the mind of a killer… that’s talent.
• 
  Mrs Z

  Oh wow! This was brilliant! Set in Tokyo, a detective is recalled to solve the case of English girl who has been found murdered. But there is so much more to it than this! Loved every page. I’ve not read any of the other books in the series, but I definitely will be now.
• 
  Simona

  Really enjoyed this - This is book 3 - I’ll read the others
• 
  Kath

  I have to admit that I struggled a bit with this book. Every so often I was taken out of the story by something that wasn't quite written as fluidly as maybe it could have been. That or some of the Japanese parts didn't quite translate for me. That said, the story was gripping and quite dark at times - graphically so on occasion. Not for the faint hearted!
  So... Mr Soto goes to work, comes home, sees his wife and child, all normal behaviour you'd think. But he has a secret. He likes to abduct, keep, torture and kill. He's not a nice man. Especially with some of the other stuff he does on the side, if his main aim isn't heinous enough.
  But our story isn't all about him. An English girl has been discovered dead in a love hotel. Tasked to investigate are two disgraced and wounded police - one Japanese, the other an English liaison. Both very good at what they do investigator wise but both a little fond of blurring the lines of authority!
  And so begins a rather convoluted tale that takes everyone out of their comfort zones as they try to get to the truth of the matter.
  I say convoluted. It was convoluted all the way through until towards the end where everything seemed to be wrapped up quite quickly. A bit too neatly if I have to say. To be honest, and I have to be, this book appeared to me to be more about the investigators than what they were investigating. As I didn't really get on with either of the main two characters that meant that the book fell a little flat to me. It also contained some rather graphic scenes that, although obviously spoke to character, were a little over the top gruesome.
  But, something compelled me to keep reading. I guess I wanted justice for the victims and just needed to see it meted out. It helped that I did connect to some of the lesser characters in the book and they kept me going all the way. My persistence was rewarded by a satisfying, albeit a tad contrived, ending. The action scenes were well played out and the investigation itself was intriguing, the explanation satisfying most of my quibbles along the way.
  All in all, a solid read that although the during was dubious for me, the ending made up for it. I think that it was more that the author's style of writing didn't quite suit me. My thanks go to the Publisher and Netgalley for the chance to read this book.
• 
  Jacqueline sharp

  This is normally the type of book I enjoy and read without looking up from the page, but there was just something for me personally that just didn’t work, I’m not sure what it was. It could possibly be the translation. But I’m not sure. However I am certain there are lots of readers out there that will read this novel and absolutely love it.
  
  The story is quite a dark one, it’s most certainly not a cozy mystery story, so if that’s what you are looking for this is definitely not it. This novel is not for the faint hearted. I have read many of these types of novels and even I struggled with some of the content. There are some graphic scenes of mutilation and torture. Set in the underbelly of Tokyo, a young girl is found dead in a love hotel. The investigators on the case are two disgraced officers one is English Lynch and the other is Japanese Iwata. They are both good investigators but both also like to blur the lines a little.
  
  But then you have Mr Soto, who appears as a normal man, married and having one child, he goes to work, comes home to the family, nothing unusual there, so what is it about him? Turns out he has a dark side, he’s not the nice man you see leaving his family and going to work. He has a secret, he likes to abduct, keep, torture and kill. He is not a nice man at all, what makes it more scary is the fact that he does look normal, you would never suspect him of such heinous crimes. He could be your average next door neighbour.
  
  I didn’t quite gel with the characters as I didn't find anything to like about them, certainly Mr Soto was creepy, but even Lynch and Iwata just didn’t do anything for me, it’s nice to have at least one character that you could like and feel they had redeeming qualities. But not here. The story is at times deeply disturbing but at the same time gripping. This is the first Japanese noir book I have read, I did like some of the descriptions of Japan and life in Tokyo.
  
  The book is well written although the translation didn’t flow right at times. If you like gritty gruesome Japanese noir then this is a book for you.
  
  I would like to thank #Netgalley and #Penguinpunlishers for an eARC of this book in exchange for an honest, fair and unbiased review.
• 
  Alan

  ‘It had been almost ten years since Iwata had been back to Japan, a long time anywhere but a Tokyo lifetime.’
  
  Set just before the start of the 2020 Olympic Games, this is the third entry in Obregón’s series of books involving Kosuke Iwata. After feeling slightly disappointed in the previous outing (Sins as Scarlet, set in the US and Mexico), this was a welcome return to Japan for our damaged detective. The twin elements of the plot may or may not be connected: a series of disappearances among the girls working in the sex industry is sending shockwaves through the city; meanwhile an English girl is found beaten to death in a love hotel. Iwata is assigned to the case of Skye Mackintosh, and is helped by the new character of Anthea Lynch, an officer from the London police.
  
  The two strands of the story are both intriguing; whilst we know from the outset who is killing the prostitutes – the undistinguished, ordinary-looking salaryman Mr Sato – the Mackintosh case gets more and more complex. Somehow the two cases get mixed up and everyone involved is put in peril.
  
  This is a fast-paced, involving thriller. The narrative tone is very much in the vein of the Sam Spade/noir era (‘In San’ya, trouble was nobody’s business. The rest was business as usual’), but it feels toned down since the previous book, where it was a little too intrusive. The character of Iwata continues to be the focus of attention; indeed, his return to Tokyo to accept the case is merely an excuse for him to delve more into his own background, a mission of vengeance on his own part. The appearance of Anthea Lynch, herself a damaged individual, certainly leaves the door open for them to team up again.
  
  Tokyo, and Japanese culture and society, are crucial to these stories, which is why I feel that the second book just didn’t pack the punch that the other two do. This is a welcome return to Japan, and I hope that other books in the series don’t stray too far again from Iwata’s natural environment. It is exactly his place in Japan – being a hometown boy but also feeling alienated from the place at the same time – that both defines him and gives depth to the stories. A worthy 4.5 stars. Great stuff.
  
• 
  Jennifer Li

  #UnknownMale is part of a crime noir series set in Japan but this has a standalone crime to be solved. An English foreign exchange student has been murdered, and with the Olympics only days away, people at the top want this case closed quickly. An exiled detective Kosuke Iwata is asked to return from US back to Tokyo to lead the investigation. Iwata has his own motive for returning so he agrees. But he soon realises this isn’t an open and close case, as the killer is a completely unremarkable man who wears the same black suit each day, boards the same train to work each morning and comes home to his wife and son each night. In the crowds of Tokyo, he is impossible to find..
  
  💭This is a dark and gritty story, which illuminates the more sinister and miserable side to Tokyo’s dark corners and underbelly filled with corruption, violence, prostitution and poverty. Obregon’s writing style evokes this chilling atmosphere which lingers in the air and I have to admit I had to turn the lights on to check the doors were locked last night before I could think about sleeping 😅
  
  There’s a lot of disturbing graphic descriptions in this book which isn’t for the faint hearted about the killer and his crimes. The story demonstrates the killer’s methodical and disciplined style which definitely adds to the chilling nature of the killer, particularly contrasted against what seems on the surface to be a normal man who lives a seemingly normal life. Someone who won’t leave your imagination in a hurry.
  
  The detective is also an interesting character who seems to be harbouring a disturbing past, and who is mysterious and complex. It’s hard to know if you can even trust him at points in the story.
  
  ⚖️A convincing and gripping crime thriller which transports you to a dark and secretive side of Tokyo. Perfect read for those who enjoy crime thrillers with noir elements. Reminds me of Sin City films in portrayal and mood of the book.
• 
  Catalina

  It's safe to say I really love Obregón's writing style. Especially when he writes about Japan: so atmospheric, so "Japanese" that it really feels like a book written by a native. And then his characters: Iwata is simply perfect, in my view! His torment is so real, so palpable, I always feel it in my bones. And it's the same with other characters too. The author sure has a magic pen when it comes to transmitting the inner turmoils of his characters and of the city itself.
  I actually had issues with this book, yet I couldn't not give it 5 stars, because at the end of it, no matter what I disliked, I just felt touched. So very touched, so emotional, so wowed and so willing to read another installment.
  That being said, it seemed to me, this novel was a bit rushed maybe? Or better said, the various narrative lines weren't well interconnected.
  Sato's story is very dark, gruesome even. Literally some passages made me wanna puke. But Obregón was a bit skimpy with the details. I would have liked to read way more about Sato's master-plan, even details about the victims, no matter how gruesome. His arrest also comes out of the blue(I am not saying it cannot happen, I am sure it is based in reality but...) and felt a bit as if it was there just to give a chance to shine to some of the secondary characters like Anthea.
  Then the "link" between Sato and Skye is underdeveloped. It is suggested but not explored and then nothing comes of it, enough to make one wonder if it was needed...
  But the twist was very well done, I really didn't see it coming...not at all!! Plus tying up a few loose ends like Iwata's father, Shindo etc is also well delivered and works wonderfully in the context.
• 
  Anne

  Thank you to Netgalley, the publisher and author for this ARC.
  
  I’ve not heard of this author before and thought the short description of it looked interesting. I have to say I really enjoyed reading this book. There are two storylines - the first of an ordinary, hard working family man who is a sadistic serial killer and secondly the murder of a young British lady who is studying in Tokyo and the disappearance of sex workers. The main character is an ex detective who is asked to return to Tokyo to investigate the murder of the British victim. The UK also send out a police officer to help with the investigation. I felt the story was well written and flowed well and was easy to follow. It held my attention from start to finish. It was very descriptive and I could picture the scenes in my mind. There were quite a few twists in the story and a shocking reveal of the murderer at the end that I did not see coming.
• 
  Chrissie

  Unknown Male is a compelling thriller set in Tokyo around the time of the Olympics.It, begins with an English girl found dead in a love hotel .Two Detectives are tasked with solving the crime one Japanese one English Iwata and Lynch both have been disgraced in the past but are excellent at solving crimes .Meanwhile a serial killer who takes women mostly prostitutes walks around free and anonymous,just an ordinary man in a suit ! Mr Soto is a monster who has killed seven women already but appears so normal .I found the beginning of the book quite a slow read and struggled with the Japanese names but I soon got into the story and The ending was good if a little rushed .Many thanks to the Publisher the Author and NetGalley for my review copy in return for an honest review . .
• 
  Kim

  This was an intriguing police procedural thriller. To be honest these police procedurals set in Japan are some of my favorite types of thrillers to read. The cities and countryside of Japan give way for some interesting storylines for sure.
  
  Nicolas Obregon really captures the moodiness of Japan in his writing. Iwata is a great main character and I look forward to reading more stories involving him. The addition of Anthea Lynch means Obregon can branch out into UK/Japan thrillers some more, please do.
  
  This book is not for the queasy though, some of the descriptions were phewwwww off-putting to say the least. But that just means the writing is working, no? My stomach may have been turned.
  
  My copy was provided by NetGalley for review, all opinions are my own.