The Red Collar

Tokyo MPD Mysteries #1

by M. Kato

Chief Inspector Hayashi Teruo is short-tempered, impatient and a perfectionist. When another one of his partners resigns, Teruo is assigned a new one transferred from Hiroshima. But this comes with a condition. If his partner quits before the end of the month, Teruo risks demotion.

Miyazaki Shinji wants to forget the problems of his past, focus on his new position at Tokyo MPD and work with the department’s best homicide detective. As a supernatural, Shinji speaks with ghosts of murder victims, gaining insight into the cases and solving them faster.

Before they get a chance to become acquainted, Teruo and Shinji are thrown into a new murder case. The body of a young man is found, killed with a weapon bearing a strange resemblance to a dog's collar. As more victims are discovered, they need to dig deeper and find the connection between them.

While working on the case, Teruo and Shinji are caught into an irresistible attraction. But being partners on duty and lovers in bed isn't easy. As Teruo slowly unravels Shinji’s secrets, he questions his partner's integrity, while Shinji is caught in endless lies threatening his relationship with Teruo as lovers and coworkers.




The Red Collar is a steamy police procedural with a paranormal twist. It's Book 1 in the series and features a happy ending. The book contains profanity and sexually explicit scenes meant for mature audiences only.

Genres: Paranormal, M M Romance, Fantasy, Romance, Mystery, Crime, Ghosts

378 pages, Kindle Edition

First published November 4, 2022

About the author

I’m an author of MM Romance set in Japan. I love blending spicy romance with other genres, such as paranormal and mystery. If you enjoy a mix of genres and very steamy scenes, you’re in the right place!

Keep in touch:

Newsletter signup for updates ➜ https://tinyurl.com/bdevcj26

Instagram ➜ https://www.instagram.com/m.kato_author/

Reviews

[Kati *☆･ﾟ · Rating 5 out of 5]

4.5***** stars


The anticipation of Teruo finding out Shinji’s secret (I, the reader, already knew about) had me on the edge of my seat. A lot more than the actual murder case they tried to solve.

“What I’m part of is complicated. If I tell you, you might end up regretting it.”
“Then don’t tell me. But I’m done.”

Thank god this is not a slow burn romance! Both detectives are attracted to each other pretty much immediately but all the secrets Shinji’s hiding doesn’t make it quite that easy. And there is a mystery about Teruo too, that made the thing between them even juicier and filled me with even more anticipation. This time for me finding out what’s going on.


I’m usually super bad with this and like NEVER get it right, if I have an inkling at all, but with this one I guessed the perp pretty early in the book, even if it was for the wrong evidence *lol. But I didn’t mind at all. I was still intrigued by finding out the How and Why of it.


Can’t wait to dive into the next one.


***********
Tokyo MPD Mysteries

Book 1 - The Red Collar - 4.5 stars
Book 2 - No Souls On The River - 4.25 stars
Book 3 - Violets and Violence - 4.25 stars
Book 4 - A Taste of Poison - release tbd

[~Nicole~ · Rating 3 out of 5]

Pfew..It’s so complicated to rate and review this book.. I’ll try to make it a constructive criticism and not a rant.
I have to start by saying I almost DNF it a couple of times but for whatever reason I really really wanted to read this book because it has such good bones and such interesting premise. The setting is Japan, the characters are Japanese, the atmosphere of the book is awesome and the murders/mystery was very intriguing so it should have been a hit but sadly it wasn’t. First of all the writing is amateurish. It’s blunt, the dialogues and the thought process are too simple and sometimes crass. For example:

“How’s your sex life, chief?” he asked. “There hasn’t been one in three years,” Teruo admitted. “There are spider webs down there.” He waved in the general direction of his groin.

Umm, ew.. That’s an old joke, I know , but it comes out as crass put in a romance book and in a conversation between the 2 MCs.
So, I was intrigued by the book and very annoyed by the writing.
My second complaint is one I always mention when reviewing books : slow burn, people, SLOWFUCKINGBURN!!!!! I wonder why an author doesn’t investigate to get an idea about how a successful mystery book’s couple come together? Always, the most successful murder/mysteries series have the romance and the steam built slooooowly.. I mean, give them a freaking friendship before giving them boners!! Teruo and Shinji have seen each other twice in a work capacity at crimes scenes and each has baggage and yet they “have a thing” for each other at about 17% in the book, completed with boners at inappropriate times and places, erotic dreams and an almost handjob at work , in the bathroom!! After 3 days!!!!! Why???? Why wouldn’t the author let them become slowly friends , let them know each other and be attracted to each other naturally without all this aggressive sexual vibe she set upon them??? She had time, this is the first book so it could have ended with a tentative I like you/I like you too and a kiss and leave the second book to build a solid and realistic relationship. I know, I’m ranting already, I can’t avoid it lol.
I have to add that, though the sex between Teruo and Shinji was HOT 🔥🔥 I didn’t appreciate that they were always thinking about fucking (though the book isn’t porny, thank God, the number of sex scenes is reasonable).
I do think these guys are cute together.They were tender and sweet to each other and I liked them together.At first I was fascinated by Teruo.. He gave off that aloof solitary wolf vibe but you know..insta lust ruined everything. And with all his smoking and his aloofness reminded me of Yosuke, the boss and MC from the Japanese romantic gay movie “No touching at all”
Shinji was a bit bland and forgettable, unfortunately.
The mystery was well done, I kind of suspected who did it though I wasn’t sure so that was pretty ok.
In conclusion, the writing needs improving (it needs the use of more literary devices to lose the bluntness) , the murder/mystery was good and not too convoluted (I personally prefer it like this) , the pnr bits were underdeveloped but I liked them and the romance needed a slower pace .
Oh, the cover is beautiful. Very eye catching.
So, If you like mysteries and don’t mind the insta lust and the simple writing, go ahead. It’s a pretty enjoyable book.

[PaperMoon · Rating 4 out of 5]

I was surprised how much I enjoyed this procedural with a hefty dose of paranormal in a Japanese cultural milieu. Yes, there was probably a little more M-M action than I would prefer in a murder procedural, but the MCs were strongly drawn and the murder methodology sufficiently intriguing to keep my full attention. I did however guess the murder 'perp' around the 70% way mark. A solid 4 star read and I've bought the next book in the series already.

[Patty · Rating 4 out of 5]

A murdered man is found in the shrubs of Yoyogi park. Around his neck there is a red dog tag dangling from a wire which is methodically wrapped around his neck. Soon, more victims are found with the same MO. Are these murders connected, and can our intrepid detectives catch them before more bodies begin to stack up?

The Red Collar—the first book of the MPD Mystery series—combines crime, the paranormal, romance, and sex. Chief Inspector Hayashi Teruo is the best detective in Tokyo. Due to personal and professional reasons, Teruo doesn’t take being lied to (or left in the dark). When he is assigned a new partner, he senses that he is hiding something from him; something important. Will this affect their ability to solve the case?

Miyazaki Shinji has turned down a promotion in order to be transferred to work specifically with Teruo. He arrives with a set of rumors about his possible malfeasance at his previous position. He also comes with a 100% clearance rate, and the skills Teruo looks for in a detective sergeant.

Shinji is a grim reaper working part-time for an organized paranormal group. His ability to interact with the dead helps solve crimes. However, his actions seem odd to those who watch him zone out and talk to himself.

The combination of the logical with the paranormal is done well by the first-time author, and soon the supernatural becomes accepted as reality. A romance develops between the two men which they start as being only about sex. However, we all know that when it comes to a romance story, deeper feelings begin to evolve.

I highly recommend this book.
I would like to thank LibraryThing for the opportunity to be an Early Reviewer for this book.

[Amur Thera · Rating 4 out of 5]

Last update, I promise... I have reinstated my rating after I managed to contact the author, who confirmed that they did not use an unethical AI tool to create these covers. I stand corrected, and I've reinstated my rating.

__________


I have decided to retract my rating because I do not support the use of unattributed AI-generated cover art.

The covers for this series have been updated (the new version is not yet on GR, but can be viewed on Amazon here), and the lack of attribution to a cover designer and the covers' similarities to other AI-generated book covers makes me suspect these covers were generated with an AI tool. Unfortunately, I was unable to find an email address or a contact form to ask the author for clarification. Therefore, I have decided to remove my rating for this book, either permanently or until the author properly attributes the designer of the cover.

__________


The good
+ Teruo respecting Shinji's skill at the job, instead of judging him just because he's the new guy
+ The mature way they communicated about their relationship
+ The setting. I liked the setting in Tokyo, and how naturally the customs were integrated in the writing
+ How Teruo handled learning more about the supernatural. It wasn't explained and resolved within a single conversation, which I appreciated
+ Shinji dealing with grumpy Teruo
+ Teruo cooking for Shinji all the time
+ Teruo being an absolute softie for his cats
+ Shinji buying Teruo cigarettes because he knows smoking helps him focus, instead of nagging him about quitting

The neutral
o I voluntarily reviewed a complimentary copy of this book. My review remains honest and unbiased
o I want to know what Teruo is
o The mystery was pretty straight-forward, and even made me wonder how the culprit wasn't suspected earlier. However, the focus of the book is not necessarily the mystery, but the happenings around it, and those were executed well

The bad
- The bullies seemed to have turned their lives around, but I was missing some kind of reason why. There is bullying, and then there is being cruel like these kids were. I don't really believe both of the instigators just changed their personality and grew up to be fine adults without some kind of event triggering a change
- Shinji called Teruo a hypocrite because Teruo also wasn't volunteering every detail about his life. However, Teruo not divulging everything about his past yet wasn't even remotely comparable to Shinji hiding information related to their case. There is a line between personal and professional, and Shinji should have realized how important it was to Teruo to have access to all available information regarding the case. Especially because they were trying to prevent the murderer from killing yet more people


This book didn't end on a cliffhanger, but the story is far from done. I'm very curious about the sequel, and I can't wait to find out what Teruo is and what it means. I hope these guys keep up their mature communication. Oh, and I hope they don't get in trouble at work. I'm watching you, Yoshida... Anyway, yes, I would recommend this book, but if you're really impatient then you're better off waiting until the rest of the series releases.

[Maijie · Rating 4 out of 5]

I read The Red Collar because the summary intrigued me. It turned out to be a surprisingly enjoyable and fun read. I've always loved the combination of mediums/psychics with mystery/crime in general so this book was just right up my alley.

The romantic relationship between Teruo and Shinji happened fast but personally I found that it worked rather well for the two of them. The chemistry was definitely there and the banter and interaction between the two was fun and engaging. The case was IMO, rather straightforward even with its supernatural elements. However, it was spun in a way lent itself to be interesting.

The story took place in Japan and the characters were all Japanese. I liked the subtle touches used by the writer to make the setting feel believable. The lore was fascinating including the organization that Shinji was a member of as well as the ability that Teruo has. Hopefully, these and more will be explored in the next book. The writer also was able to combine the mysterious and supernatural atmosphere with that of a detective/crime story quite well.

There were some parts where the pacing was slow and the dialogue a bit rough, but those parts didn't bother me as much. I'd like to know more about Teruo and Shinji's past and hopefully we get more of that in the next book.

Overall, I had a good time reading this book and I do recommend giving it a try.

4 stars out of 5 stars.

I received an ARC of this book and I have chosen to publish my fair and honest review.

[Shonee · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.25 🐈🐈🐈 (superior beings)

I'll start with the juiciest bit first: The killer did nothing wrong. I SAID WHAT I SAID. 💅🏽

The mystery was simple and not dragged out. Teruo's and Shinji's chemistry, once they got going for each other was hot and...easy. Like, they gelled together as a pseudo-couple way better than they had any right to. As much as I'm about to rip this book a new asshole with my gripes, I DID enjoy it, and I intend to eventually read book 2.

Onto the gripes!

-The mechanics of what these men get up in bed to defies the laws of physics in a "bodies don't work like that" way, and not a sexy "Oh, that's creative," way.
-Shinji says, MORE THAN ONCE, that Teruo's mouth tastes anything other than like an ashtray (Teruo smokes damn near a pack a day, there's no way). The fact that "Teruo tastes like coffee..." and "his mouth tastes sweet..." wasn't immediately followed by "...AND CIGARETTES" gave me an eye twitch.
-Teruo and Shinji both seem to follow the school of thought: "They've changed," and "it happened XX years ago," absolving someone of the hurt they've caused, even without an apology. That it can somehow un-traumatize a victim. THIS IS NOT OK.

Just these things alone knocked off nearly 2 stars.

[Cassandra · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was a pleasant surprise. A couple of my GR friends have read this lately and as I was heading to Tokyo, I added it to my Kindle.

Teruo is a senior police officer with the Tokyo Metropolitan Police. He has driven away most of his partners with his surly attitude and is now assigned Shinji, newly transferred in from Hiroshima. Shinji has supernatural powers, helping the dead to cross over which he had to keep secret.

There's immediate attraction between these two and they don't waste time falling into bed. There's good attention to detail with the setting (one of the parks where a murder was committed was close to what we stayed!).

My only niggle was some of the dialogue felt a little off at times. A little too 'westernised' but other than that, a solid read.

Onto book 2

[Debby · Rating 5 out of 5]

Chief Inspector Hayashi Teruo is difficult to work with. As a result, he just lost his most recent partner to transfer and now has been assigned a new one. He is told if he makes this one run, he risks demotion. Miyazaki Shinji joins this department from another and wishes only to forget his past. Thrown into a murder investigation within a very short time does not allow for getting to know your new partner. Miyazaki has a secret. He can see and talk to ghosts, an ability that helps him solve cases. Unfortunately, it is a secret and cannot be shared. The murder is particularly brutal with a wire and tag used to kill him. The wire and tag resemble a dog collar. As the murderer heats up so too does the relationship between Hayashi and Miyazaki, but Hayashi knows Miyazaki is hiding something and he is questioning Miyazaki’s integrity and more.

What an intriguing story this turned out to be. These two together were wonderful. They really seemed to fit with each other. The plot was engaging and revealed slowly. In fact, it is a topic that comes up often and more than one murder has happened as a result. Shinji’s abilities were gradually explained making it easy for Teruo, who noticed that Shinji was hiding something. In fact, Teruo has something going on himself and I am sure everyone wants to know what that is. This promises to be an intriguing series, one of the few I have read that is set in Japan.

[Gerbera_Reads · Rating 3 out of 5]

I liked the MCs and the paranormal aspect of the book. The world was somewhat built but still needed more background. The investigation, unfortunately, was written in a very amateur way. I didn't care for the lack of details and all the hunches the MCs had.

Another thing that really irked me was the positioning of the names first and last or last and first. There are two ways that are appropriate in Japan (I looked it up), so I wondered which was which. It was rather frustrating. I hope the author clarifies this point in the next book. (I am planning on reading it as well) Also, there were very few cultural nuances mentioned that make Japan and its people unique. I hoped, since the author chose Tokyo Japan as the ground zero for the series, that more descriptions and a bit of cultural immersion would follow to make the story richer. It didn't happen.

This was insta lust and had a good amount of steam but was made doable by good chemistry both men had in and out of bed. It's HFN for now with them. (Notice, how I do not name them? I am not sure which names are the first! LOL) Overall, this series has promise. The writing style is not bad. It was not a hardship to read this book. I hope the next one will be more clarifying in some aspects and more descriptive in others.

[Claudia · Rating 4 out of 5]

I absoluletly love it when I discover new authors and new series ... and I definitely hope this will get a series in the future.

The mystery was really well done, although I guessed a bit earlier who the culprit was, but it was very interesting. I especially enjoyed the cultural difference we see due to the location. there are not a lot of books in the MM genre which are situated in Japan and I thought it was really well done.

Regarding the relationship I got the impression that the author forgot about her own timeline ...the relationship and eg teruros injury were faster than the timetable for the murders. Which made it a bit unbalanced for me ... but it could be that I just got this impression as I finished before two books were the relationship develops over more than one book ... which I absolutely loved.

All in all, was this a really good read, which I totally enjoyed .. and I will definitely read more books by this author.

An ARC was provided by GRR and I am happy to give my honest opinion

[✩ ann ✩ · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.75*

If I would rate this solely on the romance part this would be a 3 star book at best for me. I liked the characters on their own but the romance itself fell very flat for me. I didn't mind it but it felt very rushed and was much more interested in what they were up to at work.

However, I very much enjoyed the Paranormal Criminal Investigation part of this story. Overall the whole murder case kept me very engaged and I liked reading about it. Shinji's part was super interesting and I hope the next book will have more of this! The setting itself was also very nice and played a part in my enjoyment.

[Jude: The Epic Reader · Rating 3 out of 5]

I loved the plot and the characters but the writing itself left something to be desired. I couldn't connect with many parts of the story, I do have high hopes the sequel though. I am trying to determine if this is a translated story or second-language situation, which would explain some of the writing style.
I was defiantly here for the relationship and some legal shenanigans. was not really expecting the supernatural aspects of it. I am going to read the sequel, though I wonder how long this series is going to be.

[Cindy · Rating 4 out of 5]

Chief Inspector Feruo gets a new partner in Shinji but there is something different about him. He communicates with ghosts. This book is not simple but intriguing with a great crime mystery to solve. The two cops are crazy about each other with lots of sexy times but can't share their secrets with each other. This book was a first for me by this author but I enjoyed it even though I didn't understand all the spiritual aspects. I received a copy of this book from Gay Romance Reviews and this is my honest opinion.

[Joscelyn Smith · Rating 5 out of 5]

Some wounds don't heal, they fester

Teruo and Shinji hit the ground running, I enjoyed watching them together. The case may have been solved but there are still so many questions and I really hope book two has some answers, it can't come soon enough.

[Siobhan · Rating 3 out of 5]

The Red Collar is the first book in M. Kato’s Tokyo MPD Mysteries series, and it is a story that had me a bit conflicted. For the most part, I enjoyed this one. However, there were some things that stopped me from loving this quite as much as I’d hoped.

A mix of crime and paranormal, this was a story that was perfect for me in many ways. I love stories that combine the two and am always eager to read more series that mix them together. As the first in the series, this certainly introduces many elements I want to know more about. There were a lot of questions left open at the end, elements that have the potential to be great, and I am curious to see how they develop throughout the series. That said, I did find this one a little too easy. The crime element was a wee bit too obvious, and the romance did not have the slow burn feel I’d expected from something that will be followed throughout a series. That is not to say I disliked it, simply that I had hoped for more.

All in all, an interest start to the series that has me curious about what comes next.

[Winter dweller · Rating 4 out of 5]

"The Red Collar" was an enjoyable read. ⭐⭐⭐⭐ The story is engaging, the pacing is smooth, and the characters feel lively and relatable. But let’s be real — the first thing that grabbed me was the cover. Red, sleek, and just magnetic. 📕✨ I think I spent more time admiring it than I probably should have, but hey, no regrets. 😅

[Rian Durant · Rating 5 out of 5]

Highly Enjoyable!

I really, really enjoyed reading this book and it is definitely my first 5 star read this year.
The crime/ mystery plot was well set up and although I kinda guessed who was the perpetrator it didn’t spoil my enjoyment. The atmosphere is great too.
I loved both MCs as well as the passion and honesty in their relationship. Yes, there are secrets at the start but the way they are resolved is without any unnecessary OTT dramatics. They conversations range from endearing to hilarious, and are always fun to read.
To be honest, I can’t wait to jump into Book 2.

[Emmy · Rating 3 out of 5]

3 ⭐️

This was an ok read 🙃 I flew through it and the mystery was kind of interesting but the relationship felt a bit forced and the world building a bit rushed (hopefully the sequels will make everything come together🤞)

Narrator: Timothy French

[SJ · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.5. Not sure how to rate it, but I read it! I put it down often and picked it up later, which is unusual for me. I either read it or quit it, but the premise and MCs were intriguing. The cover drew me in, too.
The book is a police procedural, a paranormal, and a romance between detective colleagues. The setting of Tokyo was different, yet it read like it was NYC. It seemed like not a lot of cultural differences.
I was digging all the elements that make up this book until it started dragging out. It was a bit too long and many dialogues and observations were repeated which had me skimming in places.
I liked the hot sex and that the MCs acted on the attraction in a mature way as it met their needs. The scenes with the newly departed and their confusion and sorrow had a lot of sad feels, (*Not sure it’s a SPOILER, because it’s a big plot point*) until I found out they weren’t so great of people, so that took away the feels and left the police procedural. The paranormal aspects were closely interwoven with the regular solving of these homicides. There were far more scenes involving the intricacies of the paranormal network and its handlers, than any other type scene in the story. There was a mysterious paranormal bad person and I guessed who it was even with the red herrings.
Chief Inspector Teruo and Sergeant Shinji were very attractive characters and I liked their no games personalities and interaction.

[Fay MMBookworm · Rating 4 out of 5]

4 stars with mixed thoughts.
Book set in Tokyo which I learnt a few things about the city as I read.
A good start to the book as Yeruo and his team closed another case which he’d been injured in. He was done with relationships but it didn’t stop his work friend trying to set him up.
Chief Inspector or Detective Teruo 33 was to get a new work partner but he need them to work together or there’d be demotions.

Sargent Shinji, 29, was to be Teruo’s new work partner but had a special gift of being able to talk to ghosts.
It's not long when they get their first murder case which turns into two with the same MO and there are others. As this was a murder mystery scenes are not pretty in this.
Shinji’s powers needed to unsealed to fully used from a other paranormal department. This was a very different way to portray a medium and ghost communications. I had mixed feeling about this as it wasn’t the normal scenario themed. It was forbidden to tell any non paranormal person of his powers, because of this it causes tensions and a break from their flings.
Hot chemistries happen after a work date until their almost get caught by their superiors.

I've read this authors books before and liked they style of writing. But the storyline of this with Shinji’s rules he had to follow felt wrong but those are just my thoughts.

The story contiunes and twists and dangers happen. A good mystery to puzzle out and I was caught with suprise with the third victims idendity.

[Lisa · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book contains a great blend of mystery, the paranormal, passion, and romance. As the book starts out, Tokyo Chief Inspector Hayashi Teruo finds himself assigned a new partner, after quickly going through other partners. His abrasive, gruff personality has earned him a threat from the superintendent that if he doesn't keep this one, he will be demoted.

Miyazaki Shinji is pleased to start his new assignment in Tokyo, after leaving Hiroshima precinct following the gruesome paranormal death of his previous partner. As a supernatural, he has a secondary part-time job to help spirits cross over. In his work in homicide, he can sometimes make contact with the ghost of the deceased person, gaining clues to solve the mystery. Now working with the attractive Teruo, he must keep that part of his life under wraps, since Teruo is not a supernatural.

When people start turning up strangled to death by someone using a wire around the throat, Teruo and Shinji begin to gather clues as they also get to know each other better. As their mutual attraction builds, they have a decision to make, to embark on a secret romance or to keep things strictly professional. This book has an intriguing solved mystery set in the backdrop of Tokyo, a dangerous paranormal world, a passionate romance, and a HFN ending that promises to continue to build in Bk 2 in the series.

[Susana · Rating 4 out of 5]

A gruesome series of mysterious murders, an even more mysterious new partner, random victims that are not so random at the end… Chief Inspector Hayashi Teruo is going to have a difficult time trying to solve these crimes, made even worse by his irresistible attraction to Miyazaki Shinji, who seems to be hiding secrets of his own. Teruo is about to discover that there are many more mysteries to discover in this world than those he is used to investigate…
Interesting characters, a mystery to be solved, the supernatural element… This book has everything to become an enjoyable read, and it is for the most part. It has its ups and downs, and its success depends a bit on what the reader is looking for. There are some bits where the narration slows down, and the murderer is a bit obvious (at least for me), but I chose to focus on the dynamics between Shinji ang Teruo, that I found really enjoyable, and the supernatural element which I found intriguing, so I did like it a lot.
I received an ARC and this is my honest review

[Janet · Rating 4 out of 5]

Intriguing paranormal crime novel

This was a decent crime novel, a not so slow burn romance novel, and an intriguing paranormal novel.
The crimes the two men were investigating were interesting enough, with the urgency due to the escalation putting pressure on them, and I liked how the paranormal aspect of the story was woven into the investigation.
I was expecting the attraction between the main characters to build slowly but they actually jumped in with both feet within days of meeting. I didn't not like it but it seemed very unrealistic in the circumstances. it would have been more convincing if they gradually became friends, especially with all that Shinji was obliged to hide from Teruo.
I thought the world-building was very good in respect of the secret organisation Shinji also works for. Without giving anything away, I found everything fascinating and can't wait to read the second book to see how the two men negotiate their relationship at home, at work and in respect of Teruo's new-found knowledge of Shinji's abilities and responsibilities.

[Donna · Rating 5 out of 5]

I found this book to be very interesting. I do not usually read paranormal/supernatural books, but the description of this one caught my interest. Teruo and Shinji are two homicide detectives in Tokyo, trying to solve a series of gruesome, bizarre murders. Shinji is able to talk to ghosts, which is great for working to solve the case, but not so good for hiding it from Teruo, Shinji’s superior officer. Add in the physical attraction between the two, and things get more complicated. As things get more involved, and more is learned about the organization to which Shinji belongs (still wrapping my head around that one), I found myself coming up with theories about the identity of the murderer and the motive, with many revisions along the way. The story held my interest, there were enough twists and turns in the plot, and the characters were believable and well-crafted. A good medium length read. I will watch for other work from this author.

[L · Rating 4 out of 5]

Teruo is a homicide detective in Tokyo who is a little rough around the edges. He’s scared away his last few partners and has to keep the next one or he gets demoted. Shinji is the new partner recently moved to town right as a new case pops up for them to investigate. Shinji, who is a part time grim reaper, finds that the case has supernatural aspects to it but he has to try to investigate without letting Teruo know about the supernatural world.

This story was engaging from the very beginning. Great storytelling, awesome world building, thoroughly enjoyable all around. There were a couple of awkward wordings and typos but not too distracting. A handful of spicy MM scenes, the romance aspect was all very realistic and lended well to the storyline. Interesting mystery that keeps you guessing through most of the book. I can’t wait for the next book.

[Emily Spady · Rating 4 out of 5]

I'm a simple woman: I like anything to do with cats, ghosts, m/m romance, and Japan! I thought this was a really clever idea and I liked the combination of genres. I'm excited to see what this author does with the next book(s) in this series.

[Juniper · Rating 4 out of 5]

There are so many intriguing elements in this story: there’s a murder mystery, a workplace romance between two detectives, one the quintessential “brilliant but a pain to work because he’s too brilliant for manners” type and the other handsome, good with people and…secretly a part of a dystopian supernatural bureaucracy that deals with ghosts. So…that’s a lot. For the premise and world building, I’d give this book 5 stars. The mystery is easy to get caught up in and all makes sense when the clues are put together— 5 stars there too. The romance? I’m more on the fence about. This is not a slow burn. It’s an instalust, maybe there are feelings but hey, in the meantime, let’s hookup in the bathroom at work kind of deal. Furthermore, while for the most part the author’s prose style works for me: it’s not always super polished, but it’s clear and readable, there are some…clunky terms and dialog exchanges around the physical parts of the main characters' relationship, which I didn’t love. There’s clearly the potential for more stories here, and I want to see these two solve more mysteries together, as well as maybe figure out exactly what connects them. I’m curious and more than a bit terrified to learn more about the supernatural stuff: the only thing more horrifying than the way ghosts work in this universe is the sheer soullessness of the deeply invasive and truly weird black ops/ secret corporation/ shadowy government-like agency that regulates it. Overall, an interesting read and a world I’d like to see more of.

I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.

[Patty · Rating 5 out of 5]

All the stars! I highly recommend this book! It was amazing.

The Red Collar is a unique and beautiful blend of paranormal, murder investigation and romance. All three are so well balanced, I’m impressed!

The book starts with Teruo, who is a homicide detective at the Tokyo Metropolitan Police. He’s grumpy (love that!) and a great cat dad (love that too) and his heart longs for love, but he is reluctant to start a new relationship since he was dumped in a horrible way by his ex boyfriend (fuck that dude!). He becomes attracted to Shinji (can’t blame him, Shinji’s hot and cute!) and he is confused about Shinji’s powers. He doesn’t understand them since Shinji’s keeping them a secret. This adds a nice level of conflict in the story as the lies affect them both and tests their relationship.

Shinji is a Shinigami, which is the Japanese version of Grim Reaper and also a homicide detective. This book has a different take on Grim Reapers and I like it! It was unexpected, but in a good way. Shinji has nightmares about a certain incident from his past (won’t mention it because it’s spoilery) and he’s looking to start fresh. He becomes involved with Teruo (who is also his superior officer) and realizes that Teruo can see his spiritual energy (for unknown reasons). His inner conflict about telling Teruo the truth or keeping silent was interesting. I’m glad they came to a healthy consensus about it. I rarely see characters having an actual, decent conversation about their issues.

Their romance is spicy and delicious! They start with physical attraction and only want to have fun, but they develop romantic feelings for each other. It’s not an insta-love, more like an insta-lust (and it was hot! the sex scenes were great!). They have a lot of chemistry and the transition between lust and love feels natural. They don’t proclaim their love for each other (not in this book) which feels very realistic because I see too many characters professing love after a few days / weeks of dating and I’m not a fan of that. Their banter made me laugh and Shinji’s flirting was yummy!

The investigation is intriguing and well crafted. I could easily follow it and I had a fun time trying to guess who the murderer was. I think this book is among the very few where the characters do actual police work and I loved the procedural blended with the paranormal.

The paranormal is amazing. Shinji's supernatural powers were interesting. He is also part of a secret paranormal organization that sort of keeps the world of supernaturals in check. The organization was in equal parts intriguing and scary because it seems to hold a lot of power. I hope this is going to be expanded in the next books. I will definitely follow the series.

[Els · Rating 5 out of 5]

I hadn't seen this on IG or anywhere else before until I saw it in a newsletter somewhere, a few weeks ago. The cover immediately drew me in and when I checked the blurb, I knew I had to read it. With October and my plan to read as much paranormal/ghost stories this month, I knew it was perfect. It's the first book I picked up when October started and I raced through it in a day. I think it's my first mm novel entirely set in Japan, with a cast of only Japanese characters and I love it. I'm kind of sad I didn't read this before our holiday to Japan last year, I definitely would have checked out some of these locations!

Anyway, the story is about two detectives on the police force but one of them has supernatural powers, he can speak with the dead (and some extra stuff I won't elaborate on). That ability is not common knowledge and is supposed to stay hidden from regular people but with a detective partner as smart and observant as Teruo, it's difficult for Shinji to keep his powers hidden. Add to that their growing attraction and respect for the other and things get complicated quickly.

I love their growing relationship, both professionally and personally and the recurring side characters are interesting. The mystery is well done, although I had a pretty quick idea of who the bad person was, but that may have been because I'm really suspicious when reading suspense stories.

I kept comparing the paranormal stuff with everything I have read or watched in manga and anime, because the use of the word shinigami always makes me think of Bleach :)

Going to immediately start the second book!