The Hunter: A Detective Takako Otomichi Mystery

by Asa Nonami

Book Overview

From award-winning author Asa Nonami comes her first English-language publication. Introducing Tokyo detective Takako Otomichi, who teams with a veteran detective to solve a bizarre murder. Their inquiry takes a whole new tack when bite marks on the victim are linked to a series of fatal attacks by a wolflike predator. Kodansha International In The Hunter, the first English translation of the atmospheric, gritty and character-driven work of prize-winning,...

• Format: Hardcover
• Language: English
• ISBN: 4770030258
• ISBN13: 9784770030252
• Release Date: December 2006
• Publisher: Kodansha
• Length: 269 Pages
• Weight: 1.32 lbs.
• Dimensions: 0.9" x 6.3" x 9.0"

Customer Reviews

layered and unique

The plot is very creative and unique - more "mysterious" than a lot of mysteries. And the tense relationship between the female detective and her misogynistic partner (a conservative older cop) seems very real - their banter and interaction is as interesting as solving the crime. This book is written from a woman's perspective - to the extent that I would consider it feminist genre fiction. The author doesn't hit you over the head with the feminist angle - but seeing the Japanese police from the perspective of a female insider is an interesting twist on the usual murder mystery. The challenges that the female cope faces from everyone she encounters serves as a biting social critique of the status female professionals in Japanese society.

Great characters, intriguing look into Tokyo police system

The characters make this one stand out; Takako is a female cop who has to put up with all kinds of chauvinism in her department, even from her own partner, Takizawa. But Takizawa develops into a sympathetic character, and as the two cops work their way through a series of bizarre killings, their reactions to each other, never sinking into cliche, make for a terrific story on their own. And the ending is a real thrill-ride, literally.