Shinjuku, the hottest part of Tokyo
The Poison Ape
A Shinjuku Shark Novel
By Arimasa Osawa
Translated by Deborah Iwabuchi
Fiction / Crime / Hardboiled
Paperback, 320 pages, 5.5 x 8.25 inches
978-1-934287-24-8
U.S.$15.95 / CAN$17.95
It’s where gangsters—yakuza—stake their claims and run operations. They leech onto establishments and demand “protection money.” They run gambling operations and sell paint thinner to huffers. Gangs from Taiwan have recently put down roots in the area, having been flushed from their homeland. Inspector Samejima, known as the Shinjuku Shark, is a lone detective who stalks the yakuza in his relentless pursuit of justice.
A dangerous professional hit man is prowling the streets of Shinjuku. He is known only as Du Yuan—the Poison Ape. Will Samejima be able to find the hit man before he wreaks havoc on the gangs in Shinjuku? Can club hostess Nami untangle herself from the twisted string of events before it’s too late?
The second installment of Japan’s best-selling series is a stand-alone work filled with twists, turns, and fast-paced action. The Poison Ape will keep you on the edge of your seat. Dive into this amazingly vivid and surprisingly touching saga.
Arimasa Osawa has received the Eiji Yoshikawa New Writer Award, the Japan Myster Writers Association Award, and the Naoki Prize for his Shinjuku Shark novels. Many of his other hardboiled works have also been awarded prizes and adapted to the screen.
PRAISE FOR THE POISON APE
“One of those books that readers will see as a black and white movie in their heads.
It’s a fist to your face in a dark alley.”
—The Agony Column
“As artless and blunt as a police report, [The Poison Ape] exerts the same cold-blooded allure as one—and reads so fast you won’t need a bookmark.
—Genji Press
“…Samejima’s compelling struggle to find the truth and the startling revelation of the killer’s motive will leave most readers eager for the next book in the series to become available.”
—Publishers Weekly
“Japanese screenwriter and novelist Osawa might find good company with television writers/producers like David Milch (NYPD Blue) or Barry Levinson (Homicide: Life on the Streets) for his depictions on television and in print of hard-hitting action and gritty police life. His popular detective series, now available in English, gives hard-boiled fans and police drama enthusiasts what they are hungry for.”
—Library Journal
“Shinjuku Shark is a rich, heavily-styled crime thriller worth the wait for its debut in English… This heated, hardboiled tale maintains its satisfying mystery through the final pages.”
—Reno News and Review
“…A tough, taut book with loads of action. Ed McBain would love this guy. The good news is that Shinjuku Shark is the first of a series and there are plenty more to come.”
—The Globe and Mail
