BLUE LIGHT YOKOHAMA

P.J. Ochlan narrates quietly and steadily as Tokyo homicide Inspector Iwata and his partner, Noriko Sakai, investigate the horrifying slaughter of a family. Soon, the pair find themselves puzzling over the ritualistic aspects of the murder: black smudges, a strange incense smell, a large black sun inscribed in charcoal, and other odd clues. Ochlan delivers the narrative and disturbing descriptions in unaccented tones. Japanese names and terms are smoothy read with a credible accent. The story of the murder is interspersed with Iwata's memories of a poem and his earlier life. This gritty yet haunting story makes for an unusual police procedural. M.B.K. © AudioFile 2017, Portland, Maine [Published: MAY 2017]