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Shig Sato #2
The Thief's Mistake
Shig Sato's life isn't what it used to be. And he doesn't like it one bit. No longer a cop and still in mourning his wife, Sato returns to Tokyo as a private investigator. When the Kobayashi twins are arrested for murder, they turn to Sato for help. What Sato finds is fraud, greed, murder, arson, and an autistic boy whose life is in danger. For Sato the case becomes a race against time – to protect the child and stop a killer.
ebook
First published April 28, 2015
19 people are currently reading
39 people want to read
About the author
Joseph Mark Brewer
10 books39 followersJoseph Mark Brewer grew up in Ohio and at an early age developed an interest in reading, writing, and discovering the world around him. An enlistment as a journalist in the US Navy gave him the opportunity to travel throughout Europe and Asia. He has continued working at that craft at publications in the US, Canada, and Japan. His years there are the inspiration for his 12-part Shig Sato Mystery series.
When he's not writing about Shig and Japan, he's busy with the upcoming Tom Becker, Bounty Hunter series; a magical realism romance, and a historical novel about an unlikely murder linked to the 1919 "Black Sox" World Series scandal. He also writes a variety of short fiction, such as his warm-hearted collection of holiday short stories SANTA CLAUS IS COMING TO TOWN. Some of his short stories have appeared in the international anthologies TWISTED TALES and CROOKED TALES.
When he's not writing about Shig and Japan, he's busy with the upcoming Tom Becker, Bounty Hunter series; a magical realism romance, and a historical novel about an unlikely murder linked to the 1919 "Black Sox" World Series scandal. He also writes a variety of short fiction, such as his warm-hearted collection of holiday short stories SANTA CLAUS IS COMING TO TOWN. Some of his short stories have appeared in the international anthologies TWISTED TALES and CROOKED TALES.
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Displaying 1 - 8 of 8 reviews
June 23, 2017
Did I like it?
By all means. It’s different to the first book in the series. Neither better nor worse. Sato is no longer a police officer. Struggling with the recent dead of his wife. There’s not really a riddle for the reader to be solved. You know who? Why? You’re following Shig finding out all the bits and pieces to solve the crime
What I didn’t like
I wasn’t really a fan of the parts told from the sight of the thief. Not that these parts are bad written, not at all. It’s just the thief is short tempered violent. And I don’t get why he does what he’s doing. Parts of it can be explained by rage, revenge, etc. But not all, at least not for me. Which doesn’t mean that the parts from the thief’s pov are bad. I just don’t get the guy
Would I recommend it?
Absolutely. Crime fiction, Japan, interesting characters. Positive ones (Sato, Abe, etc.) and not so positive ones( the kid’s mother, Tanaka) 18 out of 20 points Looking forward to book 3.
By all means. It’s different to the first book in the series. Neither better nor worse. Sato is no longer a police officer. Struggling with the recent dead of his wife. There’s not really a riddle for the reader to be solved. You know who? Why? You’re following Shig finding out all the bits and pieces to solve the crime
What I didn’t like
I wasn’t really a fan of the parts told from the sight of the thief. Not that these parts are bad written, not at all. It’s just the thief is short tempered violent. And I don’t get why he does what he’s doing. Parts of it can be explained by rage, revenge, etc. But not all, at least not for me. Which doesn’t mean that the parts from the thief’s pov are bad. I just don’t get the guy
Would I recommend it?
Absolutely. Crime fiction, Japan, interesting characters. Positive ones (Sato, Abe, etc.) and not so positive ones( the kid’s mother, Tanaka) 18 out of 20 points Looking forward to book 3.
July 11, 2017
Outstanding job
The authors style of writing is easy-to-follow and yet enjoyable it keeps you in suspense why you try to figure out what's going on main character Sato is right character . It surprises you with his insight and ability to solve the crime . Enjoy this authors work it's easy to follow but that keeps you in suspense
The authors style of writing is easy-to-follow and yet enjoyable it keeps you in suspense why you try to figure out what's going on main character Sato is right character . It surprises you with his insight and ability to solve the crime . Enjoy this authors work it's easy to follow but that keeps you in suspense
June 21, 2017
One of the pleasures was reading this book because it was written in Japan.I have enjoyed reading it and liked the characters. Read this book in one evening. I recommend this book to read.
January 13, 2020
Interesting
The story develops slowly, but the writing is so good that it doesn't drag. The differences between Japanese and American police make for a good read
The story develops slowly, but the writing is so good that it doesn't drag. The differences between Japanese and American police make for a good read
July 8, 2020
Fascinating
enjoyable
good story
good read
highly recommended
enjoyable
good story
good read
highly recommended
July 1, 2015
When a crime thriller, centered on an insurance fraud scheme, begins with a character saying “Nothing could be easier,” we readers instantly understand, “Right. Trouble is to commence immediately.”
That is essentially where the plot begins in, “The Thief’s Mistake.” From there, criminals converge on the scene of interest, a reluctant private investigator becomes involved in the case, and the movers and shakers on the police force not so secretly hope to make him their favorite suspect.
The author does a fine job of linking the disparate characters together, and the plot is quite interesting. I found the lead character, Shig Sato, to be compelling. A former member of the police force, he is possessed of a calm demeanor and a penetrating acumen – thoughtful, non-reactionary yet assertive when necessary.
The book left me disappointed in its depictions of the supporting characters. They were a bit thinly drawn, vaguely similar to one another, and cliché descriptors kept creeping in. Because the author utilized the multiple-points-of-view writing technique, as a reader, I felt I learned too much about what each character was thinking and feeling; thus, the lack of hidden motivations disrupted the suspense of the narrative. I must note, however, that there are certainly many readers out there who find this technique quite satisfying in a book because they enjoy learning most of what is in each character’s head.
By far, the best scene in the book occurs when Shig questions the autistic child who is caught up in the middle of the crime. This is the one character that the author does not allow the reader to know what he is thinking. The reader feels the enjoyment of suspense and the urgency of the moment as the grown-ups must somehow find a way to get this child to communicate with them.
Over all, “The Thief’s Mistake” demonstrates that the author possesses a strong degree of story-telling talent, and I look forward to observing his growth as a writer in his future works.
That is essentially where the plot begins in, “The Thief’s Mistake.” From there, criminals converge on the scene of interest, a reluctant private investigator becomes involved in the case, and the movers and shakers on the police force not so secretly hope to make him their favorite suspect.
The author does a fine job of linking the disparate characters together, and the plot is quite interesting. I found the lead character, Shig Sato, to be compelling. A former member of the police force, he is possessed of a calm demeanor and a penetrating acumen – thoughtful, non-reactionary yet assertive when necessary.
The book left me disappointed in its depictions of the supporting characters. They were a bit thinly drawn, vaguely similar to one another, and cliché descriptors kept creeping in. Because the author utilized the multiple-points-of-view writing technique, as a reader, I felt I learned too much about what each character was thinking and feeling; thus, the lack of hidden motivations disrupted the suspense of the narrative. I must note, however, that there are certainly many readers out there who find this technique quite satisfying in a book because they enjoy learning most of what is in each character’s head.
By far, the best scene in the book occurs when Shig questions the autistic child who is caught up in the middle of the crime. This is the one character that the author does not allow the reader to know what he is thinking. The reader feels the enjoyment of suspense and the urgency of the moment as the grown-ups must somehow find a way to get this child to communicate with them.
Over all, “The Thief’s Mistake” demonstrates that the author possesses a strong degree of story-telling talent, and I look forward to observing his growth as a writer in his future works.
October 19, 2016
This book was a definite page turner. I’m a writer and I thought the plot was expertly planned and executed and I was so impressed by how well the characters were portrayed. There is a line in Chapter 17 “I suspected something might happen, but I didn’t think it would come to this.” and that is exactly how I felt about this story. The author kept me guessing until the final chapter.
I’ve also lived in Japan and after reading this book it was clear to me Brewer has an in-depth understanding of the Japanese culture and Japanese mannerisms. As well as this, his descriptions of Japanese towns, houses, roads, and shops were all authentic.
In regards to the protagonist, I particularly loved the way Shig Sato was portrayed as a man with such strong emotional attachments to his recently deceased wife and I was touched by the way Sato interrogated the autistic boy because this was carried out with so much compassion and kindness. Sato’s relationships with the police, his colleagues, and his friends were also typical of the way a Japanese person behaves and I think readers can learn a lot about the Japanese mindset and Japanese customs when they read this book.
Admittedly, there are some minor errors in the text that could be ironed out with a quick proofread but these mistakes do not in any way detract from how enjoyable this story is to read. I’m pleased that this book is part of a series because Shig Sato is a very interesting and likeable character and I’m sure Brewer’s other books would be just as entertaining as this one.
I’ve also lived in Japan and after reading this book it was clear to me Brewer has an in-depth understanding of the Japanese culture and Japanese mannerisms. As well as this, his descriptions of Japanese towns, houses, roads, and shops were all authentic.
In regards to the protagonist, I particularly loved the way Shig Sato was portrayed as a man with such strong emotional attachments to his recently deceased wife and I was touched by the way Sato interrogated the autistic boy because this was carried out with so much compassion and kindness. Sato’s relationships with the police, his colleagues, and his friends were also typical of the way a Japanese person behaves and I think readers can learn a lot about the Japanese mindset and Japanese customs when they read this book.
Admittedly, there are some minor errors in the text that could be ironed out with a quick proofread but these mistakes do not in any way detract from how enjoyable this story is to read. I’m pleased that this book is part of a series because Shig Sato is a very interesting and likeable character and I’m sure Brewer’s other books would be just as entertaining as this one.
September 16, 2017
This is a great book. It grabbed my attention from the first page and kept me intrigued until the very end. I enjoyed the way it was written and there were just enough twist and turns to keep me interested.
Displaying 1 - 8 of 8 reviews