Shitamachi Scam (Detective Hiroshi Series Book 6)
Rights Sold
Description
Awards & Endorsements
Author(s)
Michael Pronko
| Publisher | Michael Pronko Publishing |
| Publication | Dec 15, 2023 |
| Format | Paperback/Softback |
| ISBN | 9781942410317 |
| Pages | 348 |
| Dimensions | 5.5 x 8.5 |
| Age | Adult 18+ |
| Price | $24.99 |
Shitamachi Scam (Detective Hiroshi Series Book 6)
In Tokyo’s old quarter, the past doesn’t fade. It gets stolen.
A frail woman is hit by a motorscooter on a quiet street in the Shitamachi district—one of Tokyo’s last neighborhoods untouched by the high-rises and commercial sprawl. To Detective Hiroshi Shimizu, it seems more than an accident. And then the money starts to move.
As Hiroshi digs deeper, he uncovers a slick network of scammers targeting Tokyo’s elderly—con artists draining savings, pensions, deeds, and lives. With his mentor Takamatsu, his razor-sharp colleague Ishii, and the grizzled ex-sumo detective Sakaguchi at his side, Hiroshi finds that scammers don’t only work at the bottom of the heap.
The old Tokyo of Shitamachi—the one with shopkeepers, alleyways, customs, and public baths—is disappearing. Urban renewal would beautify Tokyo, but at what cost? What begins as low-level fraud twists into something far darker: a city-wide grift on Tokyo’s most expensive currency—real estate.
As the case unravels, Hiroshi realizes the low-level criminals aren’t the only ones cashing in on Japan’s aging society. Every lead takes him deeper into the narrow backstreets and fading lives of Shitamachi, and into the corporate boardrooms and government offices where the powerful work to clear the old to make way for the new.
Shitamachi Scam is Tokyo noir at its most human—a slow burn through the city’s forgotten alleys, where modern crime runs on smooth talk, and justice doesn’t always arrive in time.
In Tokyo, respect for the elderly is fading. Along with their savings. Along with their lives.
Reviews, Awards & Endorsements
Review
"Carving his unique niche in a crowded genre, Pronko continues to craft believable contemporary crime fiction with enrapturing plots that work both as a cultural study and page-turning thriller." Independent Review of Books
"A well-crafted noir crime novel that combines a suspenseful storyline, rich character development, and a profound understanding of a significant societal issue." Five Stars Literary Titan
"As in his other books, Pronko succeeds in delivering yet another dimension of the megacity that is Tokyo. He uses shitamachi for great atmospheric effect, gradually building a sense of darkness and claustrophobia while erecting a landscape primed for white-knuckled physicality." BestThrillers
"The pacing of this story is pitch-perfect, and the conflicts are well-conceived and executed. It's a simple story told in intricate layers. But even in the gritty storytelling, you get a sense of positivity. He makes Tokyo come to life for readers who are curious about the city and wonder what it's like there." Reader Views Five Stars
"Michael Pronko lives, breathes, and captures the streets and culture of Tokyo as the story evolves, one of the strengths of the Detective Hiroshi cases in general and Shitamachi Scam in particular." D. Donovan Midwest Book Review
"If you are a fan of thrilling crime and mystery novels, you will certainly enjoy how this series lifts the veil and reveals the criminal behavior behind some of the perceived politeness, formality, and mystique of Japanese culture." Reader's Favorite Five Stars
"Another winning story complete with corruption and murder, yet balanced with thoroughly developed characters that seasoned readers have grown to love and appreciate. Pronko truly has a gift for superb storytelling that is well-crafted, entertaining, and thoroughly captivating." Feathered Quill
"Balancing revelatory character development and relationship building with hard-nosed investigation, this sixth installment of the Detective Hiroshi Series is brimming with well-strung tension. This well-paced procedural is entertaining and eye-opening, delivering an authentic portrait of Tokyo life, as well as a glimpse at the city's seedy underbelly. Pronko continues to craft believable contemporary crime fiction with enrapturing plots that work both as a cultural study and page-turning thriller." Self-Publishing Review
"Pronko's meaty thriller takes tim...
“Carving his unique niche in a crowded genre, Pronko continues to craft believable contemporary crime fiction with enrapturing plots that work both as a cultural study and page-turning thriller.”
“As in his other books, Pronko succeeds in delivering yet another dimension of the megacity that is Tokyo. He uses shitamachi for great atmospheric effect, gradually building a sense of darkness and claustrophobia while erecting a landscape primed for white-knuckled physicality.”
Award
Winner Mystery Independent Press Award (2023)
Best of 2024 Mystery/Thriller Booklife Prize (2024)
First place Category Chanticleer CLUE (2024)
Finalist Best Thrillers (2024)
Finalist SPR Book Awards (2023)
Finalist Chanticleer International Book Awards (2024)
Silver Award Reader Views Reviewers Choice Awards
Gold Award Literary Titan (2023)
Author
Michael Pronko
Michael Pronko is a Tokyo-based writer of murder, memoir and music. He writes the Detective Hiroshi series of detective mysteries set in Tokyo and the Tokyo Moments series of essays on Tokyo life. Both series have won awards and five-star reviews. Michael also runs the website, Jazz in Japan, which covers the vibrant jazz scene in Tokyo. During his nearly 30 years in Japan, he has written about Japanese culture, art, society and politics for Newsweek Japan, The Japan Times, and Artscape Japan and appeared on NHK TV and Nippon Television about his writings.
Michael grew up in Kansas City, studied philosophy at Brown University, and then traveled for years. He taught English in Beijing for two years and studied Chinese for one year. Somewhere in there, he finished an MA in Education and another in Comp Lit before completing his Ph.D. on film adaptations of Charles Dickens.
He finally settled in Tokyo as a professor of American Literature at Meiji Gakuin University. His seminars focus on contemporary novels, American culture, and film adaptations. His research interests include film adaptation, crime fiction, jazz, and contemporary novels. After discussing Kurt Vonnegut or Jackson Pollock in class he’s in the right frame of mind to wander Tokyo contemplating its intensity.
All of his books have received awards and strong editorial reviews. Kirkus Reviews selected his second novel, The Moving Blade for their Best Books of 2018. His next two novels received Mystery of the Year from Thrillers.com. The fourth in the Tokyo Moments series, Tokyo Tempos, was awarded winner status by the Pencraft and Nonfiction Authors Association and was editor’s choice at Feathered Quill.
More at:
http://www.michaelpronko.com/
https://www.facebook.com/pronkoauthor
https://twitter.com/pronkomichael