Prefecture D — Hideo Yokoyama

Four novellas, each centered on a mystery and the unfortunate officer tasked with solving it, by “the dean of Japanese noir” and author of Six Four (Kirkus Reviews, starred review).

Season of Shadows

“The force could lose face . . . I want you to fix this.” Personnel's Futawatari receives a horrifying memo forcing him to investigate the behavior of a legendary detective with unfinished business.

Cry of the Earth

“It's too easy to kill a man with a rumor.” Shinto of Internal Affairs receives an anonymous tip-off alleging a station chief is visiting the red-light district -- a warning he soon learns is a red herring.

Black Lines

“It was supposed to be her special day.” Section Chief Nanao, responsible for the force's forty-nine female officers, is alarmed to learn her star pupil has not reported for duty and is believed to be missing.

Briefcase

“We need to know what he's going to ask.” On the eve of a routine debate, Political Liaison Tsuge learns a wronged politician is preparing his revenge. He must now quickly dig up dirt to silence him.

Prefecture D continues Hideo Yokoyama's exploration of the themes of obsession, saving face, office politics, and interdepartmental conflicts in these crime-fiction novellas set in the same world as Six Four -- named one of the best books of the year by the New York Times Book Review, Washington Post, and San Francisco Chronicle. Placing everyday characters between a rock and a hard place and then dialing up the pressure, he blends and balances the very Japanese with the very accessible, to spectacular effect.

“Yokoyama's characters are not lost but adrift, swept up in inner longing, dissatisfied with or even broken by many of the aspects of their lives . . . Fascinating.” -- Los Angeles Times

“These four tales explore the satisfactions, frustrations, and base and noble emotions of those who devote their lives to a profession where saving face is a priority and ethical conundrums are a frequent challenge. [The author] immerses us in an environment at once familiar and exotic; his stories' mysteries are solved in a manner that surprises the mind and moves the heart.” -- Wall Street Journal

“Fans of hard-boiled fiction will enjoy seeing how Japanese cop shops work.” -- Kirkus Reviews (starred review)