SYNOPSIS

THE MOVING BLADE

A TOKYO MYSTERY

Bernard Mattson devoted his life to Japanese-American relations. As the go-to man in Tokyo for behind-the-scenes diplomacy, he helped keep the Japanese-American alliance in balance, and East Asia at peace. Right before he’s about to give an important address on the future of Asia, he’s killed in his home—his stomach slit open by a sword.

His estranged daughter, Jamie, a beautiful half-Japanese, half-American wants to know why. She stumbles on clues that suggest he was killed for what he found in the national archives while researching his own autobiography. His book manuscript and upcoming speech have disappeared, and Jamie soon finds out her father uncovered dangerous secrets.

Detective Hiroshi Shimizu and sumo wrestler-turned-detective Sakaguchi dive into the neighborhoods of shitamachi, the back alleys of Golden Gai and the Yokosuka Naval Base to find the sword-wielding killer. When more bodies turn up, Hiroshi must leave the safe confines of his office and use his gut instincts to find what was in Mattson’s book that was enough to kill for.

With advice from veteran detective Takamatsu, who is on suspension, Hiroshi uncovers what Mattson knew—and what it meant. With the future of East Asia in the balance, Hiroshi decides his own safety comes in second, even if he’s too late.

The Moving Blade is the second Tokyo-based mystery in the detective Hiroshi series by award-winning author Michael Pronko.

EXCERPTS FROM THE BOOK

From Chapter 1

Hideyasu Sato rarely took jobs involving foreigners. They usually lived in tall apartment buildings, kept little cash and had bad taste in valuables. But this job was pitched as an easy in-and-out with good pay and a light load. Getting into the house was, as always in Tokyo, a cinch. He slid a small tension wrench into the keyhole of the kitchen delivery door, levered it up, poked in a rake pick, and after a few tickles, the lock plug spun loose and he was in. The homeowner had just died, so Sato timed the break-in during the funeral—the best time to rob anyone in Tokyo.

From Chapter 4

Hiroshi found Sakaguchi balanced over the bisected, blood-oozing body in the small cul-de-sac. His sumo bulk was awkward against the delicate white crime scene booties stretched over his big shoes. Hiroshi stayed a few steps back, dodging the detectives and specialists hustling back and forth from the body to the evidence bags in the wider lane. Hiroshi moved closer and Sakaguchi stood up, blocking a full view of the body. The medical examiner looked up from where she was crouched over the body. “Except for his spine, he’s in two pieces. Short sword. Single stroke. Clean as a laser scalpel.”

From Chapter 7

The owner, a bonsai of a man with all but the keenest parts trimmed away, stood behind the counter explaining fittings to a customer. The tendons of his forearms flexed as he slipped collars and ray skin grips on and off, explaining precisely what worked and what did not. The owner’s neat-cut ponytail and traditional sagyo-bakama work clothes made it seem like he and the customer, a salaryman in office clothes, were talking across centuries, not just a counter. Hiroshi walked to a vertical rack in the corner holding tameshigiri, tatami mats rolled in tight round bundles. It took Hiroshi a minute to figure out what they were for—sword practice.

From Chapter 8

To the side, a third man leaned on the counter, one leg propped on a stack of old encyclopedias. He was thin as a sumo judge’s gunbai fan, with stringy grey hair down both sides of his sunken face. The taut pucker of smoker’s wrinkles held his last comment unfinished as they turned silently towards Sakaguchi. From his pocket, Sakaguchi pulled out a flash drive with copies of the files found on the dead man in Golden Gai. He held up the USB drive in his thick hand. “I’m wondering if you could tell me more about these. I’m Detective Sakaguchi, homicide.”

From Chapter 10

“You don’t hate it, do you?” “No, but I don’t love it, either. It is what it is.” “What about life outside work?” “New York’s great. I loved shopping, but I couldn’t keep up with my rich friends.” “Try living on detective pay.” “Is it low?” “I track down embezzlers, scammers and cheats who make mil- lions, illegally, while I get paid a pittance.” “My pay’s less than a pittance and it’s boring.” Jamie downed the last half of her beer in one go. The waiter looked to see if she wanted a refill, and Hiroshi motioned for another. “I’ll stay a few days and get his stuff pulled together. But, would you help?” she asked in a small voice. “I don’t know how to—”

From Chapter 19

Jamie wrapped her arms around him and buried her face in his chest. Her backpack, one strap in hand, bounced against his legs as her body convulsed with sobs, distress and confusion streaming out in wet heaves. Hiroshi pulled her tight against him, turning her away from the duct tape and patting her back. He felt her body loosen and relax in the darkness of the back lane. “It’s all right,” he repeated until her crying slowed. “I can’t go back to my father’s tonight,” she said, clearing her throat, her face still plastered against his chest. “There will be two officers there.” “Can’t you take me somewhere else?” “Where?” “Any place.” “Okay.” “And stay with me?” “Okay.”

From Chapter 40

“What took you so long?” Takamatsu asked. “He almost got killed today,” Sakaguchi said, nodding at Hiroshi up front. “Sword.” Ueno looked back at Takamatsu in the rearview mirror before pulling out of the streets around the station onto the Shuto Expressway, a long twisting ribbon of highway devoid of traffic in the desolate hours of the morning. “Street smarts is one thing you can’t teach,” Takamatsu said, peering over the seat at Hiroshi.

REVIEWS

“Pronko’s portrayal of Japan is an elegant balance of Japanese customs with an American-style hard-boiled procedural. A tight, rock-solid installment in a series that’s only getting better.” Kirkus Reviews (starred review)

“The action-packed plot is not just a dramatic whodunit piece, but a slice of life piece inspecting Japanese heart and minds. Insights and flare keep the story fast-paced and informative.” D. Donovan, Midwest Book Review

“A true page turner with main characters that come alive with intelligence, curiosity and imperfections. Pronko combines suspense with light-hearted moments as he takes readers to back-alley ramen shops, crowded train stations and busy Tokyo streets.” Blue Ink Review

“One of the year’s best thrillers. A string of grisly murders, high stakes geopolitics and the prose of a master craftsman elevate this crime thriller to rarefied air. Thanks to Pronko’s expert pacing, the build-up is anything but predictable.” BestThrillers.com.

“Great attention to detail in setting, lifestyle, and characters create an atmospheric, tense, and engaging read. Plots, protests, questions, and secrets drive the reader forward.” 5 stars Reader’s Favorite

“The second book in the Detective Hiroshi series is another cracker: real tension and a scenario which is (unfortunately) only too believable. Highly recommended.” 4 ½ stars The Bookbag

“An intriguing murder mystery. Pronko brought this story to life so much that I found myself hoping that none of the negative aspects could possibly be true.” Paige Lovitt for Reader Views

“This is a first-rate murder mystery, played out against the exotic urban backdrop of Japan’s largest city, and expertly written. Five-plus stars. Publisher’s Daily Reviews

“A powerfully written crime novel; often stark and unsettling. The characters spring off the page. Highly recommended!” The Wishing Shelf

“Detailed and compellingly plotted, and like Pronko’s earlier work, there’s enough here for both Japanophiles and those with little knowledge of the country. For anyone with a fascination or even a curiosity about Japan, this is a great crime novel.” Crime Fiction Lover

“As a detective story, this novel knocks it out of the park. This book succeeds as both an homage to Tokyo and a savagely entertaining mystery that will grip readers and keep them guessing until the violent, octane-fueled finish.” SPR Review

“A stellar novel with a unique storyline and setting. The Moving Blade is fresh and original.” BookLife Prize

“Pronko is a skilled craftsman at harmoniously blending plot, subplots, sidebars, and backstories. This is a crime thriller that will stimulate your head, your heart, and your adrenal glands simultaneously. Isn’t that the best kind?” Hollywood Book Reviews

“Pronko’s action-packed novel is full of East Asian and international politics and plenty of sociological commentary. Fun and thrilling throughout, an excellent potboiler—an exciting modern mystery.” 5 out of 5 Foreword Clarion Reviews

THE AUTHOR

Michael Pronko

I have lived, taught and written in Tokyo for fifteen years. I work as a professor at Meiji Gakuin University teaching American literature, culture, film, music, and art. Fielding questions from my students about Jackson Pollock or Kurt Vonnegut and then wandering through Shinjuku’s neon mayhem always puts ideas for writing into my head. Teaching keeps me searching for the heart of life in the world’s biggest city.

I have written for many publications in Japan: The Japan Times for a dozen years, the once-great Tokyo Q, a learner-oriented weekly ST Shukan, Winds magazine, Jazz Colo[u]rs (in Italian!), and Artscape Japan. I have run my own website Jazz in Japan (jazzinjapan.com) for almost a decade. I also helped found Japan’s first bilingual jazz magazine, Jazznin and continue to publish academic articles and run a conference on teaching literature.

The essays in Beauty and Chaos: Slices and Morsels of Tokyo Life were originally published in Newsweek Japan in Japanese and then collected together in a single volume in 2006. Two more collections followed, also in Japanese, The Other Side of English—An Anti-Grammar Manifesto and Tokyo’s Mystery Deepens, both in 2009. These other two collections will soon be out as e-books in both Japanese and in English.

Until now, these essays have never been published in English. Their popularity here in Japan has led to my being invited for regular appearances on programs for NHK (Japan’s PBS) and Nihon TV’s “The Most Useful School in the World.” It’s fascinating to video-fy the essays, but TV is a very different mindset from the written word. Essays seem to capture Tokyo best, or at least offer a calm space from which to ponder it all.

I was born in Kansas City, also a very different world from Tokyo. After traveling around the world and popping in and out of graduate school, I lived in Beijing, China for three years. Now, I live in Tokyo with my wife, Lisa Yinghong Li, who also teaches and writes.

Two mystery-thrillers set in Tokyo, The Last Train and Tokyo Hand will be coming out soon!

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THE MOVING BLADE

A TOKYO MYSTERY

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