Officer Shimada and the Disappearing Girl

by Will Ferguson

An empty elevator. A missing girl. A brother’s obsessive search for the truth.From bestselling and Giller Prize–winning author Will Ferguson, Officer Shimada and the Disappearing Girl begins in southern Japan with a young woman entering an elevator late at night.When the doors open, she has vanished.Fifteen years later, her younger brother Kaito has worked his way up the ranks to police inspector, still haunted by his sister’s disappearance.On a sleepy island in Okinawa, Kaito tracks down Shimada, a senior officer who once solved an impossible elevator crime decades earlier. The unlikely pair travel back to the city where Kaito’s sister first disappeared. Together, they retrace her steps and uncover the truth of what happened that night.The story of a lost family, lifelong regrets, and quiet desperation, Officer Shimada and the Disappearing Girl pulses with action and leaves readers guessing until the end.

Genres: Mystery, Crime, Japan

306 pages, Paperback

Expected publication February 23, 2027

About the author

Will Ferguson is an award-winning travel writer and novelist. His last work of fiction, 419, won the Scotiabank Giller Prize. He has won the Stephen Leacock Medal for Humour a record-tying three times and has been nominated for both the IMPAC Dublin Literary Award and a Commonwealth Writers’ Prize. His new novel, The Shoe on the Roof, will be released October 17, 2017. Visit him at WillFerguson.ca

Ferguson studied film production and screenwriting at York University in Toronto, graduating with a B.F.A. in 1990. He joined the Japan Exchange Teachers Programme (JET) soon after and spent five years in Asia. He married his wife Terumi in Kumamoto, Japan, in 1995. They now live in Calgary with their two sons. After coming back from Japan he experienced a reverse culture shock, which became the basis for his first book Why I Hate Canadians. With his brother, Ian Ferguson, he wrote the bestselling sequel How to be a Canadian. Ferguson details his experiences hitchhiking across Japan in Hokkaido Highway Blues (later retitled Hitching Rides with Buddha), his travels across Canada in Beauty Tips from Moose Jaw, and a journey through central Africa in Road Trip Rwanda. His debut novel, Happiness, was sold into 23 languages around the world. He has written for The New York Times, Esquire UK, and Canadian Geographic magazine.

Reviews

[Huguette · Rating 5 out of 5]

I absolutely loved this book. Officer Shumada reminded me of Columbo. He observes everything and doesn’t miss a thing. He exasperates the police inspector Kaito with his constant questions and his refusal to just drop the case. I wasn’t happy with the way the book ended but I have to admit it was all very well done.

I don’t know why the description says not yet published. I borrowed it from my public library.

[Michael]

My conversation with Ferguson discussing the book here:
https://umfm.com/programming/broadcas...

[Virginia Van · Rating 4 out of 5]

When Superintendant Kaito arrives for an inspection of the one person police station on a tiny island in southern Japan, Officer Shimada is puzzled. Why would Kaito make this his first stop after being appointed regional superintendant? And why is he so interested in the old story of Shimada's solution of the myserious death of a man alone in an elevator? After an evening of drinking, Shimada realizes that Kaito's real concern is the myserious disappearing of his sister 15 years ago when she got into an elevator in the bar building where she worked and, when the doors opened, she hd simply vanished.

This elegantly written novel is a locked-room mystery with a twist. The characters are fully realized and complex and the Japanese setting is brought vivildy to life.

[Davina · Rating 5 out of 5]

One night, a girl enters an elevator, but when the doors open again, she has mysteriously vanished. Fifteen years later, her brother is still consumed by the need to find out what happened to her. What follows is a slow-burning investigation that takes readers across southern Japan, uncovering clues and secrets that have lingered for years.

I love a slow-burn detective story, and this one dragged me all over southern Japan to solve the mystery.

It’s been a while since I stopped everything and finished a book within a couple of days simply because I NEEDED TO KNOW. The suspense, the gradual reveal of clues, and the pacing were exactly what I wanted from a detective read. I loved how the story took its time, allowing the mystery to unfold without rushing toward the answers.

I also really enjoyed being transported back to Japan, especially the quieter island settings. The atmosphere was beautifully written and added so much to the experience. It wasn’t just about solving the mystery; I genuinely enjoyed being immersed in the setting along the way.

The chemistry between our main characters was another highlight. We have a young, grey-coded, highly accomplished superintendent who is also the brother of the missing girl, paired with an older, more settled senior officer who brings a much more positive outlook. Their contrasting personalities made for an entertaining dynamic and gave the investigation an extra layer of enjoyment.

And the ending? It felt right. Everything came together in a way that satisfied me, and I appreciated how the mystery was resolved.

If you enjoy slow-burn detective stories, atmospheric settings, and mysteries that take their time revealing the truth, this one is definitely worth picking up. I had such a good time with it.

[Tasha · Rating 4.25 out of 5]

I loved this mystery and it kept me guessing for most of the book. I did realize the solution to the puzzle before the reveal, just by a hair. The characters felt so alive to me, particularly Shimada's wife Nami. Her love, joy, and vitality fill each page she is mentioned on and I can picture those dimples and hear that guttural laugh. I fell in love with all of the characters and islands and could feel the salt spray, heat and humidity. This was really well done and I wish Shimada would not retire so I could follow him on another adventure, camera and guidebook in hand.

[Rick · Rating 5 out of 5]

Fascinating characters; persistent Officer Shimada juxtaposed with frustrated Superintendent Kaito. The Japanese setting was refreshing. I did not like the solution of the case, however, the book is very worthwhile and strongly recommended.