Fallen Angel

Only In Tokyo Mystery #2

by Jonelle Patrick

The dangers of wealth and beauty emerge from the shadows in the latest Only in Tokyo Mystery... Like a modern geisha, Hoshi makes a handsome living as the #1 hostboy at Club Nova, pouring champagne and whispering sweet nothings into the ears of women who pay him a fortune for the pleasure of his company. But the party's over when Tokyo Detective Kenji Nakamura begins looking into the death of one of Hoshi's customers, a young woman found dead after spending an evening with him.As Kenji's search for the killer leads him deep into the red-light district, the last person he expects to run into is part-time English translator, Yumi Hata. But fear for her friend Coco has drawn her into Club Nova, and she agrees to help Kenji hunt down the predator who is targeting the desperate women of Tokyo.Kenji and Yumi's chase leads them from love hotels to a hidden museum where family secrets unfold like a diabolical puzzle, trying to catch the killer before it's too late...

Genres: Japan, Mystery, Crime

358 pages, Kindle Edition

First published March 19, 2013

About the author

Jonelle Patrick is the author of five novels set in Japan, and has been writing about Japanese culture and travel since she first moved to Tokyo in 2003. In addition to The Last Tea Bowl Thief and the Only In Tokyo mystery series, she produces the monthly newsletter Japanagram, and blogs at Only In Japan and on her travel site, The Tokyo Guide I Wish I’d Had.

She also teaches at writing workshops, appears as a panelist at Thrillerfest, and was the keynote speaker at the Arrow Rock Writing Workshop.

She’s a graduate of Stanford University and the Sendagaya Japanese Language Institute, she’s also a member of the Mystery Writers of America, International Thriller Writers, and Sisters in Crime. She divides her time between Tokyo and San Francisco.

Author website: https://jonellepatrick.com
Only In Japan blog: http://jonellepatrick.me
Monthly newsletter: https://japanagram.me
Facebook: JonellePatrickAuthor
Twitter: @jonellepatrick
Instagram: @jonellepatrick

Reviews

[RuthG · Rating 5 out of 5]

I really enjoyed reading this book. The mystery is very clever and kept me guessing right along with the characters. Patrick's descriptions of modern Japanese nightlife were easy to picture and contained information I had not previously known. I always like to learn something new when I read a book and this one fulfilled that goal. In the previous book I felt that Yumi was not as strong a character as she needed to be. She has developed some backbone now and in this book is much more believable. She still struggles with her personal dilemmas but she is much more her own person and I like her better because of it. I'm looking forward to reading her next adventure and also seeing how she handles her personal situation.

[i. · Rating 4 out of 5]

Although I have visited Tokyo several times, I have never been to a host club and I didn't find the idea appealing either. However, Jonelle Patrick describes the world of those popular clubs in Kabukicho very skilfully and tactfully. The reader understands the situation of the workers of those places and gets an insight into a world unknown to most foreign visitors.

I liked the characters and I found the plot interesting and entertaining at the same time. This was my first book by the author but I feel hooked now to her Only in Tokyo series and I think I may end up reading all of them.

I strongly recommend this novel to fans of Japanese culture and to curious readers.

www.theleisurediaries.blogspot.com

[Renae Lucas-Hall · Rating 5 out of 5]

I’ve studied the Japanese language and culture and I’ve also lived and worked in Japan but I have a very limited understanding of the male host industry and I also know very little about the world of mizu-shōbai (the night-time entertainment business in Japan) so this book was a real eye-opener. The author has clearly done extensive research to make this book come to life and I was very impressed by how cleverly she meshed the intricacies of the Japanese culture into an intriguing and delightful story. I also thought the book was skilfully written with a brilliant plot, full of twists and turns, and I thoroughly enjoyed reading the Japan-related analogies and finding out more about the protagonists, as well as the fascinating secondary characters such as Miho Yamaguchi and Mrs. Ono . It was also great to see the Japanese concepts “on” and “giri” expressed throughout the book. The writing clearly shows how these principles exist within the Japanese ethic system and how they apply to the lives of every Japanese person, regardless of their social standing. “On” is the Japanese concept that represents a sociological and psychological sense of indebtedness after receiving a favour. “Giri” is the give-and-take principle in social situations that drives the Japanese people to fulfil their duties. As you turn each page, you can clearly see how the “on” and “giri” principles were applied in relation to the courtship between Ichiro and Yumi and how it also had an impact on the interactions between the male hosts and their customers. The other Japanese principle that was wonderfully portrayed throughout the book was the concept of the senpai (senior) and the kōhai (junior) and how this mentor system affected the relationship between Hoshi and Shinya in the host world as well as Kenji and his workmates in the police force, in regards to their responsibilities to each other. Overall, this is a fantastic book and I’m looking forward to reading “Idolmaker” – the next book in the series.

[Jennifer Varnadore · Rating 5 out of 5]

I was looking for the same kind of thrill in this novel that I had gotten while reading Nightshade, and I promise you...it did not disappoint. Fallen Angel has all the action, drama, and fashionable living that Nightshade has. It also is just as detail-oriented. As someone who has read all of Jonelle's blog, I can assure you, this woman has set her eyes on the prize, and followed through full force. She experiences in her own life many of the things within the novels and it definitely leaves a more realistic edge to the stories.

This novel was set in the more male fashion driven host club Club Nova in Kabuki-cho for a great part of the book. It is a life of lavish luxury, and men making sure women feel wanted. This is something all women long for. The amount of detail put into these scenes are wondrously choreographed, especially when you get to delve into Hoshi's mind. I think that this was a rare treat, as it let you see his mysterious character. I personally liked delving into his mind, and by the end I was cheering for him all the way. Ahhh...gotta love the true motivations for him. Hoshi and Saki forever!!! <3

This book also delved more deeply into Kenji and Yumi's chemistry ridden, chaotic attraction. I can understand how Yumi feels obligated toward Ichiro, and yet her true emotional attachment can lie somewhere else. For her, guilt is a grim companion, because of this fact. She wants to do right by her family, and her family's future. She doesn't want to impose or disappoint anyone, but in the situation where she has been thrown into, someone has to hurt. She would rather it be herself, so she pushes her love and desire aside. Kenji, he pushes back, but in the end would sacrifice all to have Yumi be no more than happy or at least, not scandalized. He truly loves her, and this really shows.

Betrayal, Love, Lust, Drama, Murder...all in a day's work for Kenji Nakamura and Yumi Hata. :)

[SARIT · Rating 4 out of 5]

Patrick's descriptions of modern Japanese nightlife were easy to picture and contained information I had not previously known.
Fallen Angel has all the action, drama, and fashionable living. It also is just as detail-oriented.
The novel was set in the more male fashion driven:
1st- Hoshi - The host club Club Nova in Kabuki-cho for a great part of the book. It is a life of lavish luxury, and men making sure women feel wanted. This is something all women long for. The amount of detail put into these scenes are wondrously choreographed.
2nd - Kengi - the policeman and he's conflicts between the politics in the the police office and the politics that reflact on his work from the outside.

It also delved more deeply into Kenji and Yumi's chemistry ridden, chaotic attraction. I can understand the obligation of Yumi toward Ichiro (through matchmaking), in conflict with her true emotional attachment. For her, guilt is a grim companion, because of this fact. She wants to do right by her family, and her family's future. She doesn't want to impose or disappointment anyone.
I think that somewhere along the story she steal the foucos... she is the the one who actually solving the problem and introduce the solutions on silver plat to Kengi.

I also like the teacher of Coco, her best friend lightheaded and funny in her own way.Her figure resemble another conflict in Japan - their liberal and the understanding attitude toward this dark world of the Kabuki-cho which everybody use (men and women as one) from one side and on the other side their contempt at the daylight. It is so easy to increase our earning by take part in this world.

Myho is really creepy, but she is another strong female character between other strong females in the book like: Cherry which also support her family, saki- Hoshi's wife, Ami- Ichiro's ex-girlfriend, Jun Matsuda- which manage the Matsuda family business and Nobu cousin.

[Katherine Catmull · Rating 4 out of 5]

Liked it as much as her first which I liked a LOT. Besides the fast pace & mystery & romance etc, I love the range of Japan she captures -- everything from the four-starriest restaurants to love hotels with convenient manacles attached to the beds--sketchy host clubs to wooden puzzle-box rooms in the manor of an old samurai family. I'd love to visit Japan someday, but even if I do, I don't think I'll ever be quite so immersed in the society as I am in these books.

[Marina Sofia · Rating 4 out of 5]

Very enjoyable, introduces us to the unknown world of Japanese host bars - yes, there is such a thing!

[Adelyne · Rating 5 out of 5]

(+) Well written mystery, with enough detail to get me really gripped but without boring me with the details (I'm don't really enjoy flowery language with mysteries, I'm more of a get-on-with-the-plot type for this genre, so if you disagree with me on this, then this book is probably not for you).

(+) The plot twists were reasonable, and the mystery is very cleverly played out – I didn't see it coming yet what transpired was very plausible, unlike some books where for the sake of a plot twist something magical seems to happen.

(+) Despite the setting in Japan, which is traditionally a male-dominated society, I liked the use of a female lead with a strong character. One who is willing to go out of her way to stand up for justice, and one who is not obsessed with worrying about her fiancee's opinion.

(+) A truly "Only in Tokyo" mystery, as there was sufficient detail about Japan and the nature of host clubs there (the main setting of the novel), and also about how family life and some description of old samurai weaponry.

Overall: I enjoyed this book very much, sufficiently to convince me to buy the other books in this series. It has everything that I ask of a mystery novel – not overly scary, written in a way that is to the point and where the substance comes from the plot rather than the language. There is enough description to distinguish the novel as one that is set in Japan (as opposed to a novel which happens to be set in Japan, but could well be anywhere else) and a good, plausible plot twist. A strong and likeable protagonist, supported by a network of equally likeable side characters. 5 stars, my first of 2018.

[Mark A Dispenza · Rating 4 out of 5]

Patrick is a long-time frequent residential of Tokyo, and the intimate knowledge of the country and its premier city is fully on display to the delight of anyone with an interest in modern Japan. Even better, it takes us into a world many Japanese are not even aware of - the inner workings of the host and hostess clubs that dot Japanese entertainment districts. The novel is very well plotted but has what I believe is one distinctly glaring weakness - her stated protagonist, Police Det. Kenji Nakamura, is too passive to carry the action. It's his love, Yumi, who is the true protagonist and driver of the action that propels the story forward. Ms. Patrick chose the wrong protagonist.

[David Doel · Rating 4 out of 5]

I bought this after reading and loving "The Last Tea Bowl Thief" by the same author. This was not nearly as good although it was an excellent police story. The romance part was not as enjoyable to me. This novel does offer interesting information about modern-day Japan. I wish she had included a glossary to define the Japanese terms she used.

I have one more of her novels from this series which I will read.

[María · Rating 4 out of 5]

I really enjoyed this book. Once I started it, I couldn't put it down. I discovered it through good reads and although I didn't know the author, I decided to give it chance...It was so worth it!

[Lisa · Rating 4 out of 5]

4.5 stars

It has been a few years since I sank my teeth into a good mystery book, so when I received a copy of Fallen Angel free from Jonelle, I couldn’t wait to give it a go. Set in a side of Tokyo we never really hear about it, this book is a real eye opener to the seedy side of Tokyo’s nightlife.

The first half of the story introduces the reader to many characters, who all play a part in the main story, but also have their own sub stories that are delicately intertwined into the book, to give the characters more background and turn this into a really in depth book.

The main story running through this book is to try and work out who killed hostess Cherry, and is branding other hostesses. What I loved was that there was so many characters in the book it was difficult to try and pinpoint it on any one of them. I do like to pride myself that in books/films I can usually figure out the ‘whodunnit’ part, only with Fallen Angel I decided who it was, then changed my mind repeatedly, and I didn’t figure it out at all, and loved the twist with the story line. I loved the fact that most of the way through the book there were so many little stories running with the main one, that I was a tiny bit disappointed when there was a huge chunk of the book dedicated to the cracking of the case towards the end. Now I understand this needed to be done or the book would have never ended, but I would have liked a small chapter or two in between from one or two of the other characters to break it up a little bit.

I really enjoyed the whole mystery of the book, the characters were really brought to life, as well as that underground Tokyo night life which really makes you think. The only reason I knocked this down to a 4 star was there was a lot of use of Japanese words, and although I managed to pick up on some of the more frequently used words and their meanings, there were sometimes when I really to decipher some of the words and their meanings, which was a little off putting. But that said, that is for me personally as a reader, and I think the use of the Japanese words made it seem like a more authentically Tokyo based book.

Another thing I loved was the personal touch of the photographs that had been placed at the end of the book. These showed pictures of the people and places which made the book seem even more realistic and I wish I had had a paperback copy of this book so I could have taken a peek at the photos as I was reading to have a more real picture in my head of the things I was reading about!

I will definitely be reading more of Jonelle’s work, my brain really enjoyed trying to figure the story out and it was nice to finally read a mystery that wasn’t predictable reading with an obvious ending.

[Timothy Miller · Rating 5 out of 5]

Whenever I read one of Jonelle Patrick's Only in Tokyo books, I feel that I've followed her down the rabbit hole to Wonderland. Host clubs, hostess clubs, love hotels, cat clubs, dog swimming lessons, samurais--yes, there's even a bartender who worships Alice in Wonderland--and all this beneath a veneer of respectability as strict as Victorian England's. And that's just the setting.
(Now, having worked in a Japanese hotel in Chicago, I realize there's a great deal of our culture which is puzzling to the Japanese. But I'm starting to think they outrank us for weirdness.)
Once again Kenji Nakamura, detective, has to convince his superiors that they're dealing with murder in a country where murder simply does not occur. Once again his old flame Yumi becomes drawn into the investigation--on his side, against him, on his side?
And once again, there's a gallery of villains who would put Dr. No. and Goldfinger to shame, as well as Kenji's greatest foe, the stifling Japanese bureaucracy and powerful ruling class.
Have I mentioned the twists and turns? There are too many to count. Have I mentioned the villain (or is he?) known only as the Zombie? Let's just say that when Patrick subtitles her books "Only in Tokyo", she's not kidding.

[Darlene · Rating 5 out of 5]

I do not usually like mysteries. That said, I love this series, Only in Tokyo, by Jonelle Patrick. There are so many layers to the stories, plots and sub-plots. In fact, she writes similarly to the wooden locks found in the story. I love the characters: Yumi and Kenji. Not just them, Ms. Patrick manages to build believable support characters and antagonists.

Murder and blood, though part of every day news, are topics I find hard to look at. In reading, I am usually into books as far away from reality as I can. But the way Jonelle treats that part of the story is gentle. She just presents the characters' reactions to the deed. I nearly tagged this as a cozy mystery, but it didn't feel very warm and safe. It felt more like Castle than CSI if that helps the future buyer. It doesn't have the humor of Castle but the warmth is there.

Romance is a driving force in the series, but it isn't angsty or squishy like chic-fic. It is more a growing relationship of school friends who find themselves in a sort of working relationship.

The most fun for me is learning about the Japanese culture. Tokyo becomes a character unto itself. Thank you, Jonelle, for letting me read your book!

[Hpnyknits · Rating 3 out of 5]

again, the strong element of these books is the social commentary and descriptions of Japanese ways and customs. like young people who have to take over their parents "crimes" debts, and scarifies for honor of the family. the hosts and hostesses culture as well as the very strict hierarchy in any career and the class system.
very good observations.
and now we get a glimpse of the strong double standard. what is ok, even cool, for men, is scandalous for women.

as for the mystery itself- I guessed at half way who the killer was, even as the secondary story tried to confuse.
the premise of the secondary story- letters a concubine/mistress/maid supposedly wrote to the master who impregnated her, is very far fetched. Japanese kanji letters are are too hard to read for scholars, let alone hundreds of years ago when most people did not read or write, most certainly women of lower classes!
the other reason for only 3 stars, that in an attempt to help this book be a "stand alone" the author lifted whole paragraphs from her first book! not cool.

[Tracy Hanson · Rating 5 out of 5]

Don't be fooled into thinking this is a guide-book. It is a great mystery set in Tokyo. I enjoyed learning about the "specialised" hotels and the host/hostess clubs through the various characters. It was interesting to read about the restaurants and parties, and other unique places in the book especially with the added bonus of bits of Japanese history (although doesn't detract from the book at all). Was great to read about the locations and it seems that the author has researched them,
rather than just added bits into the book which she felt they were like (as in some cases with other authors). I would suggest that you read them in order although I wouldn't say it ruins them to read them out of zinc - my humble opinion, but do think you would enjoy them more if they were read in order . Saying that Fallen Angel contains the same action and drama Nightshade. One author that knows how to capture their readers and does it brilliantly.

[J. · Rating 4 out of 5]

Fallen Angel is a complex mystery full of interesting characters. It also shows Japanese nightlife in Kabuki-cho and the conflict between traditional Japan and modern Japan. The book provides more than just a setting in Japan; it provides an immersion into the culture and people of Japan.

[MissyGirl]

listed in kindle as "new title"

[Suzy Wilson · Rating 1 out of 5]

Couldn't get past the first chapter.