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Jim Brodie #2
Tokyo Kill
Lorsqu’un vétéran de la Seconde Guerre mondiale se présente à l’agence de détectives de Jim Brodie, personne ne veut croire à son histoire. Il est persuadé qu’on veut l’exécuter, lui et ses compagnons d’armes, au nom d’une vengeance issue de son passé lié aux triades chinoises. Par respect pour l’ancien soldat, Jim accepte de l’aider.
Mais un meurtre barbare est commis peu après et Brodie comprend que les ramifications secrètes de son enquête vont l’entraîner beaucoup plus loin que prévu. Du jour au lendemain, il se retrouve plongé dans le monde inquiétant des triades, découvrant l’existence d’un ordre d’assassins dont les méfaits remontent au siècle précédent – et qui ne reculera devant rien pour arriver à ses fins.
« L’art, le social, la culture et la guerre – tout ce qui forge ou brise une société – se retrouvent dans le deuxième thriller de Barry Lancet. Après le magnifique Japantown, cet auteur à suivre continue brillamment sur sa lancée. »
The New York Times
« Une intrigue de première classe, aussi captivante que celle de Japantown. Jim Brodie est définitivement un héros à suivre. »
Booklist
Mais un meurtre barbare est commis peu après et Brodie comprend que les ramifications secrètes de son enquête vont l’entraîner beaucoup plus loin que prévu. Du jour au lendemain, il se retrouve plongé dans le monde inquiétant des triades, découvrant l’existence d’un ordre d’assassins dont les méfaits remontent au siècle précédent – et qui ne reculera devant rien pour arriver à ses fins.
« L’art, le social, la culture et la guerre – tout ce qui forge ou brise une société – se retrouvent dans le deuxième thriller de Barry Lancet. Après le magnifique Japantown, cet auteur à suivre continue brillamment sur sa lancée. »
The New York Times
« Une intrigue de première classe, aussi captivante que celle de Japantown. Jim Brodie est définitivement un héros à suivre. »
Booklist
424 pages, Kindle Edition
First published September 9, 2014
40 people are currently reading
1218 people want to read
About the author
Barry Lancet
12 books170 followersBarry Lancet is the author of the award-winning international suspense series featuring Jim Brodie. The latest entry is THE SPY ACROSS THE TABLE (Simon & Schuster) and sends Brodie careening from Washington, D.C. and San Francisco to Japan, then on to South Korea, the DMZ, and the Chinese-North Korean border in a story that could have been ripped from today’s headlines. In one of the first advance reviews, Publishers’ Weekly said that “Lancet keeps the suspense high through the exciting climax.”
The previous entry in the series, PACIFIC BURN, explores the tragic aftermath of the Fukushima quake-tsunami disaster and the real reasons behind the nuclear melt down. JAPANTOWN, the first Brodie adventure, won the Barry Award for Best First Novel, was initially optioned by J. J. Abrams, and is now under consideration at other studios. The second volume, TOKYO KILL, was a finalist for a Shamus Award for Best Novel of the Year and declared a must-read by Forbes magazine.
An American from California, Lancet has lived in Japan for more than twenty years. His editorial position at one of the Japan’s largest publishing houses allowed him access behind many closed doors, and his overseas experiences lend his novels a true insider’s authenticity.
The previous entry in the series, PACIFIC BURN, explores the tragic aftermath of the Fukushima quake-tsunami disaster and the real reasons behind the nuclear melt down. JAPANTOWN, the first Brodie adventure, won the Barry Award for Best First Novel, was initially optioned by J. J. Abrams, and is now under consideration at other studios. The second volume, TOKYO KILL, was a finalist for a Shamus Award for Best Novel of the Year and declared a must-read by Forbes magazine.
An American from California, Lancet has lived in Japan for more than twenty years. His editorial position at one of the Japan’s largest publishing houses allowed him access behind many closed doors, and his overseas experiences lend his novels a true insider’s authenticity.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 149 reviews
June 18, 2022
This book was just a nice combination of art, spy, action, mob all meshed up together… and that ending was a head spinner
September 11, 2014
A mesmerizing and meticulously constructed tale that whisks the reader away to some of the most shadowy and fascinating corners of Tokyo—and then down the rabbit hole. Masterfully crafted. Even better than Japantown. Barry Lancet does honor to the Japanese tradition of single-minded devotion to one’s art.
In Tokyo Kill we again meet protagonist Jim Brodie, expert in Japanese art and antiquities and heir to his father’s Tokyo-based private detective agency. I find Brodie to be a very likeable and capable protagonist, not only due to his impressive knowledge, skill, and intuition, but also owing to his admirable moral compass. Brodie is a man who holds himself accountable for his own decisions, for better or for worse. He exhibits selfless devotion to his family, his staff, his clients, and his colleagues in the world of Japanese artifacts—devotion that often lands him in dire circumstances, face to face with danger, with death only a breath away.
Tokyo Kill presents the reader with layer upon layer of mystery and intrigue. The novel plunges Brodie into "a vast collective of overlapping networks" reflective of Tokyo itself. Guilt-ridden World War II veterans and their offspring. Chinese Triads, spies, and expatriates. Practitioners of traditional Japanese arts. And seemingly ordinary people who prove to be much more than they first appear to be on the surface. Barry Lancet skillfully pits Jim Brodie against an array of ambitious, cruel, and relentless foes. The connections are often surprising but—much to the reader’s delight—they’re always plausible.
I was pleased that Lancet gave the hero a love interest in this second Jim Brodie novel. It will be interesting to see where this promising cross-cultural relationship goes in future installments of Brodie’s story.
While Tokyo Kill takes on serious themes, some of which entail sensitive issues regarding Japan's national psyche, it comes off as neither discouragingly heavy nor as flippantly shallow. These thoughtful themes are woven into the fiber of the story in such a way that they deepen and enrich both plot and characterization without slowing the pace a bit. Consequently, Tokyo Kill comes off as quality, enjoyable entertainment—entertainment with an agreeable balance of substance and fancy.
Tokyo Kill’s style is at times gutsy—a shade away from gritty. Graphic enough without giving in to sensationalist gore. Dialogue is very tastefully done.
My only real criticism of Tokyo Kill is that I am not a big fan of scenes in which the antagonist gives a full soliloquy explaining what he did and why he did it. Overall I don’t consider the one such scene in Tokyo Kill to have ruined the sequence, much less the entire book. I would simply have preferred to find out some of that information through the hero or one of his colleagues.
I was glad to have a day off when Tokyo Kill came out. I didn’t want to put the book down and I finished it the day after I got it. An even more telling indicator of its effect on me is that I did not want the story to end. I wanted to remain in Jim Brodie’s world a while longer. To me, that’s a mark of a truly good read.
Kudos again to Barry Lancet!
In Tokyo Kill we again meet protagonist Jim Brodie, expert in Japanese art and antiquities and heir to his father’s Tokyo-based private detective agency. I find Brodie to be a very likeable and capable protagonist, not only due to his impressive knowledge, skill, and intuition, but also owing to his admirable moral compass. Brodie is a man who holds himself accountable for his own decisions, for better or for worse. He exhibits selfless devotion to his family, his staff, his clients, and his colleagues in the world of Japanese artifacts—devotion that often lands him in dire circumstances, face to face with danger, with death only a breath away.
Tokyo Kill presents the reader with layer upon layer of mystery and intrigue. The novel plunges Brodie into "a vast collective of overlapping networks" reflective of Tokyo itself. Guilt-ridden World War II veterans and their offspring. Chinese Triads, spies, and expatriates. Practitioners of traditional Japanese arts. And seemingly ordinary people who prove to be much more than they first appear to be on the surface. Barry Lancet skillfully pits Jim Brodie against an array of ambitious, cruel, and relentless foes. The connections are often surprising but—much to the reader’s delight—they’re always plausible.
I was pleased that Lancet gave the hero a love interest in this second Jim Brodie novel. It will be interesting to see where this promising cross-cultural relationship goes in future installments of Brodie’s story.
While Tokyo Kill takes on serious themes, some of which entail sensitive issues regarding Japan's national psyche, it comes off as neither discouragingly heavy nor as flippantly shallow. These thoughtful themes are woven into the fiber of the story in such a way that they deepen and enrich both plot and characterization without slowing the pace a bit. Consequently, Tokyo Kill comes off as quality, enjoyable entertainment—entertainment with an agreeable balance of substance and fancy.
Tokyo Kill’s style is at times gutsy—a shade away from gritty. Graphic enough without giving in to sensationalist gore. Dialogue is very tastefully done.
My only real criticism of Tokyo Kill is that I am not a big fan of scenes in which the antagonist gives a full soliloquy explaining what he did and why he did it. Overall I don’t consider the one such scene in Tokyo Kill to have ruined the sequence, much less the entire book. I would simply have preferred to find out some of that information through the hero or one of his colleagues.
I was glad to have a day off when Tokyo Kill came out. I didn’t want to put the book down and I finished it the day after I got it. An even more telling indicator of its effect on me is that I did not want the story to end. I wanted to remain in Jim Brodie’s world a while longer. To me, that’s a mark of a truly good read.
Kudos again to Barry Lancet!
June 3, 2015
Der Klappentext beschreibst sehr gut, um was es in diesem Buch geht - daher verzichte ich auf eine kurze Zusammenfassung an dieser Stelle.
Ich wusste nicht, bis das Buch bei mir eingetroffen ist, dass es sich hierbei um einen zweiten Teil handelt. Auf die Gefahr hin, mich selbst zu spoilern, habe ich Tokio Kill dennoch gelesen, ohne den ersten Teil zu kennen - und das funktioniert ganz gut. Es wird zwar zwei - drei Mal auf die Ereignisse im ersten Teil angespielt, aber nicht detailliert und es war für dieses Buch meiner Meinung nach nicht von Bedeutung. Daher kann man dieses Buch auch gut unabhängig vom ersten Teil lesen.
Die Geschichte an sich fand ich wirklich sehr interessant. Es war mein erstes Buch, dass in Japan gespielt hat und generell mit der asiatischen Kultur zu tun hatte. Das fand ich sehr spannend und ich habe einiges gelernt (viele (geschichtliche) Dinge im Buch entsprechen Fakten, wie man später vom Autor aufgeklärt wird).
Leider hat es bis zur Hälfte des Buches gedauert, bis es für mich richtig spannend wurde. Ich hätte mir mehr Action erhofft, aber für mich kam es ein wenig zu kurz. Es gab zwar sehr interessante Szenen, aber die hielten sich leider in Grenzen.
Was mir gut gefallen hat, sind gewisse Wendungen am Ende des Buches - damit hätte ich zum Teil wirklich nicht gerechnet.
Der Schreibstil war sehr angenehm zu lesen und ich kam gut voran, nachdem ich mich eingelesen hatte. Der Autor versteht es, mit einfachen Worten eine ganz angenehme Atmosphäre zu verbreiten.
Charaktere
Die Charaktere waren trotz der guten Geschichte für mich leider nicht richtig greifbar. Mir hat die Tiefe gefehlt - was einerseits daran lag, dass das Buch aus Jims Sicht geschrieben wurde. Dadurch werden die anderen Personen leider nicht genug beleuchtet. Aber auch er war für mich nicht fassbar, zu unnahbar. Das fand ich wirklich sehr schade, denn das hat mir gefehlt.
Cover
Das Cover passt unheimlich gut zur Geschichte und gefällt mir auch sehr gut.
Fazit
Ein guter Thriller für Zwischendurch. Daher bekommt das Buch von mir 3 1/2 Sterne.
Ich wusste nicht, bis das Buch bei mir eingetroffen ist, dass es sich hierbei um einen zweiten Teil handelt. Auf die Gefahr hin, mich selbst zu spoilern, habe ich Tokio Kill dennoch gelesen, ohne den ersten Teil zu kennen - und das funktioniert ganz gut. Es wird zwar zwei - drei Mal auf die Ereignisse im ersten Teil angespielt, aber nicht detailliert und es war für dieses Buch meiner Meinung nach nicht von Bedeutung. Daher kann man dieses Buch auch gut unabhängig vom ersten Teil lesen.
Die Geschichte an sich fand ich wirklich sehr interessant. Es war mein erstes Buch, dass in Japan gespielt hat und generell mit der asiatischen Kultur zu tun hatte. Das fand ich sehr spannend und ich habe einiges gelernt (viele (geschichtliche) Dinge im Buch entsprechen Fakten, wie man später vom Autor aufgeklärt wird).
Leider hat es bis zur Hälfte des Buches gedauert, bis es für mich richtig spannend wurde. Ich hätte mir mehr Action erhofft, aber für mich kam es ein wenig zu kurz. Es gab zwar sehr interessante Szenen, aber die hielten sich leider in Grenzen.
Was mir gut gefallen hat, sind gewisse Wendungen am Ende des Buches - damit hätte ich zum Teil wirklich nicht gerechnet.
Der Schreibstil war sehr angenehm zu lesen und ich kam gut voran, nachdem ich mich eingelesen hatte. Der Autor versteht es, mit einfachen Worten eine ganz angenehme Atmosphäre zu verbreiten.
Charaktere
Die Charaktere waren trotz der guten Geschichte für mich leider nicht richtig greifbar. Mir hat die Tiefe gefehlt - was einerseits daran lag, dass das Buch aus Jims Sicht geschrieben wurde. Dadurch werden die anderen Personen leider nicht genug beleuchtet. Aber auch er war für mich nicht fassbar, zu unnahbar. Das fand ich wirklich sehr schade, denn das hat mir gefehlt.
Cover
Das Cover passt unheimlich gut zur Geschichte und gefällt mir auch sehr gut.
Fazit
Ein guter Thriller für Zwischendurch. Daher bekommt das Buch von mir 3 1/2 Sterne.
February 6, 2018
This second book in Barry Lancet's Jim Brodie series is even more action packed than Japantown. The author's eye for detail and ever-rising suspense make these thrillers entertaining as well as educational.
December 25, 2022
fun read. Lancet know a lot on what he is writing and do a fine tuning of good plot, culture and action.
April 6, 2017
What is it about Americans’ hunger for violence? Recently, more than 100 million of us watched the Superbowl, a classic annual gladiatorial display in which huge men appear onscreen appearing to do their utmost to injure one another — and are rewarded with enormous sums of money for doing so. I’ve never understood why anyone would spend hours mesmerized by flickering images to witness this mayhem. So, when I come across repeated instances of gratuitous violence on the printed page, I cringe. All of which explains why I found it very difficult to read all the way to the end of Barry Lancet’s thriller, Tokyo Kill.
So, why did I read this book to the end?
The reason why I drove myself to finish Tokyo Kill is simple: in other respects, it’s an excellent piece of work. Lancet writes reasonably well. He is a long-term resident of Japan and clearly has studied a great deal about its history and culture. His novel sparkles with engrossing detail about the country’s storied past and with insight about its culture today (although at times the digressions to explain the finer points do become tedious). And he clearly knows how to craft a thriller, creating a deep sense of mystery, suspense, and surprise. None of this bothered me. It was all the guts and gore splashed across the page that had me retching.
Introducing Jim Brodie
The protagonist in Tokyo Kill is Jim Brodie, the central character in what is now a series of three novels. Brodie is a fascinating character. In San Francisco, he owns and runs a small, struggling antique shop specializing in Japanese art and artifacts. He has also inherited a 50% share in Brodie Investigations, a firm his late father founded in Tokyo. Brodie divides his time between the two cities. As he was raised in Tokyo, he is bilingual, and he is proficient in Japanese martial arts. In fact, he is uncommonly tough.
That comes in handy when people try to kill him, which happens with unnatural frequency in the course of the novel. In fact, those attempts, which nearly succeed, subject Brodie to such a degree of physical damage, pain, and suffering that I find it difficult to understand how he could have survived the experience, much less risen from his hospital bed only hours later to seek out more punishment.
Tokyo, front and center
Brodie is in Tokyo tending to affairs at the detective agency that bears his name. A middle-aged “salaryman” bursts into the office demanding to speak with him, the man’s aging father in tow. The father, it develops, is 96 years old. He was a Japanese officer in Manchuria following Japan’s notoriously brutal invasion in 1937. Now, his old comrades are being murdered, one after another, and he fears for his life. Though his son disbelieves the threat, he hires Brodie Investigations to protect the old man. Naturally, additional murders follow. And therein lies the tale.
About the author
Barry Lancet has lived and worked in Tokyo for a long time. He was employed by one of Japan’s leading publishing houses for 25 years, “developing books” that were mostly about Japanese culture.
So, why did I read this book to the end?
The reason why I drove myself to finish Tokyo Kill is simple: in other respects, it’s an excellent piece of work. Lancet writes reasonably well. He is a long-term resident of Japan and clearly has studied a great deal about its history and culture. His novel sparkles with engrossing detail about the country’s storied past and with insight about its culture today (although at times the digressions to explain the finer points do become tedious). And he clearly knows how to craft a thriller, creating a deep sense of mystery, suspense, and surprise. None of this bothered me. It was all the guts and gore splashed across the page that had me retching.
Introducing Jim Brodie
The protagonist in Tokyo Kill is Jim Brodie, the central character in what is now a series of three novels. Brodie is a fascinating character. In San Francisco, he owns and runs a small, struggling antique shop specializing in Japanese art and artifacts. He has also inherited a 50% share in Brodie Investigations, a firm his late father founded in Tokyo. Brodie divides his time between the two cities. As he was raised in Tokyo, he is bilingual, and he is proficient in Japanese martial arts. In fact, he is uncommonly tough.
That comes in handy when people try to kill him, which happens with unnatural frequency in the course of the novel. In fact, those attempts, which nearly succeed, subject Brodie to such a degree of physical damage, pain, and suffering that I find it difficult to understand how he could have survived the experience, much less risen from his hospital bed only hours later to seek out more punishment.
Tokyo, front and center
Brodie is in Tokyo tending to affairs at the detective agency that bears his name. A middle-aged “salaryman” bursts into the office demanding to speak with him, the man’s aging father in tow. The father, it develops, is 96 years old. He was a Japanese officer in Manchuria following Japan’s notoriously brutal invasion in 1937. Now, his old comrades are being murdered, one after another, and he fears for his life. Though his son disbelieves the threat, he hires Brodie Investigations to protect the old man. Naturally, additional murders follow. And therein lies the tale.
About the author
Barry Lancet has lived and worked in Tokyo for a long time. He was employed by one of Japan’s leading publishing houses for 25 years, “developing books” that were mostly about Japanese culture.
November 6, 2014
Jim Brodie made his initial appearance in “Japantown,” an action-packed thriller and the series debut. He now returns in a novel which is no less filled with derring-do and lots of exotic descriptions of Japanese culture and history. Brodie inherited a half-interest in Brodie Security, founded by his late father and headquartered in Tokyo, and also operates an art dealership, which he claims is his main profession, in San Francisco.
In Tokyo seeking a rare painting, Brodie is approached by a 90-year-old veteran of World War II asking for protection because members of his military detachment in Manchuria during the war-time occupation by Japan were being murdered. After he supplies a security detail, events take over the course of the rest of the novel, as Brodie investigates the possibility of Triads, Chinese spies and others as the culprits. And that takes on a life of its own.
The author has lived and worked in Japan for more than a quarter century, and the flavor and information about the country permeates with authenticity throughout the novel. His description of various types of martial arts practiced in Japan is a further exhibit of his expertise. Powerfully written, “Tokyo Kill” is a very enjoyable read, and this reader is looking forward to additions to the series.
Recommended.
In Tokyo seeking a rare painting, Brodie is approached by a 90-year-old veteran of World War II asking for protection because members of his military detachment in Manchuria during the war-time occupation by Japan were being murdered. After he supplies a security detail, events take over the course of the rest of the novel, as Brodie investigates the possibility of Triads, Chinese spies and others as the culprits. And that takes on a life of its own.
The author has lived and worked in Japan for more than a quarter century, and the flavor and information about the country permeates with authenticity throughout the novel. His description of various types of martial arts practiced in Japan is a further exhibit of his expertise. Powerfully written, “Tokyo Kill” is a very enjoyable read, and this reader is looking forward to additions to the series.
Recommended.
March 19, 2019
OMG what can I say about this that hasn't already been said but here goes once again I have to say I loved how from the ever start it just pulled me in the pages, and once that started I could stop reading , had to know what happened next, had to find out all the Secrets and Lies that was been told and kept, who was trying to kill Jim and his friends, loved how Mr. Lancet mixed in the background of Japanese culture along with Chinese and the history of both that I didn't even know, it made every thing more real some how. I also loved how once again the main character Jim Brodie reminded me of my all time Japanese and Chinese detective movies like Great Charlie Chan Detective Mystery ,Mr. Wong, Detective just to name a few, would love to say thinks to Barry Lancet, Elizabeth Breeden as well as to Simion & Schunster for giving me a chance at win a copy of this book and letting me read once again a great story,if you love Mystery, Thriller & Suspense, non stop action, then you have to pick it up , because its all of that and more , not once did it let me down at all it delivered everything I love in a really great Mystery, Thriller & Suspense novel. five stars all the way
December 24, 2025
Read half this book with my ex when I was 22 and then half this year. Funny to see how much my reading ability has improved since then. This is kinda fun but, everything interesting in it is kinda undercut by how constantly smarmy the narrator is. Plus, great name
August 11, 2019
5/5- I love this series! Hardcore thriller/ mystery — (BOOK 2: The Jim Brodie series) — each book can be read as a standalone but the characters and subplots carry over and just get better in every book.
This book was even more fast-paced than book one, Japantown. I loved the history of both the Japanese and Chinese recollections of war. Barry Lancet is a master storyteller that manages to tell convincing break neck speed thrillers without the use of blue language or sex. I’d say this book has the same pace and depth as a Dan Brown novel, and that is GOOD!
I also appreciate the authors note(s) sharing with the reader what parts of the “history” and locations are fact or fiction. And also, the heartfelt dedication to the forgotten WWII Japanese veterans. It seems every war has this group of soldiers and it’s a shame they do not have an outlet to share their stories. I wish I could meet Mr. Lancet just to say thank you.
For sure and forever would rec this series. Bring on book three!
**********
Book 1: Japantown
Book 2: Tokyo Kill
Book 3: Pacific Burn
Book 4: The Spy Across the Table
This book was even more fast-paced than book one, Japantown. I loved the history of both the Japanese and Chinese recollections of war. Barry Lancet is a master storyteller that manages to tell convincing break neck speed thrillers without the use of blue language or sex. I’d say this book has the same pace and depth as a Dan Brown novel, and that is GOOD!
I also appreciate the authors note(s) sharing with the reader what parts of the “history” and locations are fact or fiction. And also, the heartfelt dedication to the forgotten WWII Japanese veterans. It seems every war has this group of soldiers and it’s a shame they do not have an outlet to share their stories. I wish I could meet Mr. Lancet just to say thank you.
For sure and forever would rec this series. Bring on book three!
**********
Book 1: Japantown
Book 2: Tokyo Kill
Book 3: Pacific Burn
Book 4: The Spy Across the Table
July 27, 2015
Dieses Buch hat mich direkt fasziniert. Schon das Cover ist wie ich finde unglaublich ausdrucksstark und versprach Spannung auf hohem Niveau. Ich muss gestehen, dass ich den Vorgänger von Barry Lancet nicht gelesen habe und so vollkommen unbefangen an diesen Thriller gehen konnte. Im Nachhinein kann ich zudem sagen, dass dies nicht von Nachteil gewesen ist und ich der Handlung auch so sehr gut folgen konnte ohne das vorherige Buch zu kennen.
Der Einstieg ins Buch ist gut, nicht zu abrupt und dennoch geheimnisvoll genug um gleich ins Geschehen eintauchen zu können. Natürlich muss man als Leser auch die Hauptfigur kennenlernen, der Thriller beginnt jedoch mit einer Art Erklärung der Ist-Situation. Die Vorstellung Brodies erfolgt während der weiteren Erzählung und über die Seiten hinweg lernt man ihn immer besser kennen. Ab und an gibt es eine kleine Erwähnung des vorherigen Buches, diese sind jedoch für den weiteren Handlungsverlauf uninterressant. Sie schüren allerdings ausreichend Neugier um mir zu verdeutlichen, dass ich wohl auch “Japan Town” unbedingt lesen sollte.
"Ich rief die findige Lady selbst an, um ihr mitzuteilen, dass wir eine Verabredung mit einem Mann hatten, der mir vier mal angedroht hatte, mich umzubringen. Sie war begeistert."
Zitat S. 250
Der Schreibstil Lancets ist einmalig. Er ist neutral mit der richtigen Würze an Nähe zum passenden Zeitpunkt. Dadurch wurde ich beim Lesen fast unmerklich an die Seite Brodies gezwungen und habe fieberhaft versucht den Killer zu identifizieren. Ein echtes Highlight ist der immer wieder einfließende trockene Humor, der dieses Buch zu einem echten Highlight für mich werden lässt. Kein anderer lässt Leichen und Attentate so gekonnt eiskalt und dabei fast amüsant erscheinen. An mehreren Stellen sind die Beschreibungen derart detailliert, dass das Blut fast von den Seiten tropfen könnte. Doch glücklicherweise ist dem nicht so.
Insgesamt vergebe ich daher für “Tokio Kill” die vollen 5 Sterne. Dieses Buch ist kein Pageturner. Es ist ein gekonnt geschriebener Thriller, der Nervenkitzel und Gänsehaut gepaart mit trockenem Humor bietet. Barry Lancet bietet mit diesem Buch die perfekte Basis für spannende Lesestunden.
Der Einstieg ins Buch ist gut, nicht zu abrupt und dennoch geheimnisvoll genug um gleich ins Geschehen eintauchen zu können. Natürlich muss man als Leser auch die Hauptfigur kennenlernen, der Thriller beginnt jedoch mit einer Art Erklärung der Ist-Situation. Die Vorstellung Brodies erfolgt während der weiteren Erzählung und über die Seiten hinweg lernt man ihn immer besser kennen. Ab und an gibt es eine kleine Erwähnung des vorherigen Buches, diese sind jedoch für den weiteren Handlungsverlauf uninterressant. Sie schüren allerdings ausreichend Neugier um mir zu verdeutlichen, dass ich wohl auch “Japan Town” unbedingt lesen sollte.
"Ich rief die findige Lady selbst an, um ihr mitzuteilen, dass wir eine Verabredung mit einem Mann hatten, der mir vier mal angedroht hatte, mich umzubringen. Sie war begeistert."
Zitat S. 250
Der Schreibstil Lancets ist einmalig. Er ist neutral mit der richtigen Würze an Nähe zum passenden Zeitpunkt. Dadurch wurde ich beim Lesen fast unmerklich an die Seite Brodies gezwungen und habe fieberhaft versucht den Killer zu identifizieren. Ein echtes Highlight ist der immer wieder einfließende trockene Humor, der dieses Buch zu einem echten Highlight für mich werden lässt. Kein anderer lässt Leichen und Attentate so gekonnt eiskalt und dabei fast amüsant erscheinen. An mehreren Stellen sind die Beschreibungen derart detailliert, dass das Blut fast von den Seiten tropfen könnte. Doch glücklicherweise ist dem nicht so.
Insgesamt vergebe ich daher für “Tokio Kill” die vollen 5 Sterne. Dieses Buch ist kein Pageturner. Es ist ein gekonnt geschriebener Thriller, der Nervenkitzel und Gänsehaut gepaart mit trockenem Humor bietet. Barry Lancet bietet mit diesem Buch die perfekte Basis für spannende Lesestunden.
December 30, 2014
I am on a hot streak lately of finding new to me suspense and thriller authors. My newest find is Barry Lancet. His hero lives part-time in Japan and part-time in the US. In Japan, he co-owns and runs his late father's security company while in the US he owns and runs a high-end.art and antique store. He's still learning about security work and relies heavily on his employees who are also partners.
"Tokyo Kill" is set entirely in Japan, a country and culture I know little about it. It is a fascinating place, judging by this book, and the author's love and respect for it come through clearly. He takes what is likely a touchy subject, World War II and the part that both Japan and China played in it and makes it the center of the story. Add in the tales of an emperor's lost treasure, love, romance, treachery, and family ties and Lancet gives us a complex. layered, complicated story that never lets up.
Lancet keeps the pace rolling with neither the reader nor the hero, Jim, having much time for a breather. Despite the fast-pace, Lance doesn't lose site of his characters as people. The story may be action driven but there are also tender moments with Jim's daughter, a potential girl friend and even his employees. He has a strong sense of justice, loyalty, and compassion. Those drive much of his actions and decisions during the story and it's a hard shock for him when he discovers that those beliefs and emotions have been used against him. There are so many twists and turns, and layers, that sometimes I had trouble keeping up but it was worth the effort. I loved that Lancet took some standard cliches and tropes such as
Triads and ninjas and made them fresh. He also isn't afraid to kill people off and one death in particular saddened me despite the fact that we really didn't see all that much of him while he was alive.
Take a chance on Lancet, you won't regret it. "Tokyo Kills" is compelling, original story telling with remarkable characters that will keep you reading until the end.
"Tokyo Kill" is set entirely in Japan, a country and culture I know little about it. It is a fascinating place, judging by this book, and the author's love and respect for it come through clearly. He takes what is likely a touchy subject, World War II and the part that both Japan and China played in it and makes it the center of the story. Add in the tales of an emperor's lost treasure, love, romance, treachery, and family ties and Lancet gives us a complex. layered, complicated story that never lets up.
Lancet keeps the pace rolling with neither the reader nor the hero, Jim, having much time for a breather. Despite the fast-pace, Lance doesn't lose site of his characters as people. The story may be action driven but there are also tender moments with Jim's daughter, a potential girl friend and even his employees. He has a strong sense of justice, loyalty, and compassion. Those drive much of his actions and decisions during the story and it's a hard shock for him when he discovers that those beliefs and emotions have been used against him. There are so many twists and turns, and layers, that sometimes I had trouble keeping up but it was worth the effort. I loved that Lancet took some standard cliches and tropes such as
Triads and ninjas and made them fresh. He also isn't afraid to kill people off and one death in particular saddened me despite the fact that we really didn't see all that much of him while he was alive.
Take a chance on Lancet, you won't regret it. "Tokyo Kills" is compelling, original story telling with remarkable characters that will keep you reading until the end.
August 26, 2021
Mr. Lancet's second outing with Jim Brodie piles complication on hinderance confounded by jealously, lying and paranoia. We discover reasons to be in Japan, China, the Carribean and places in between. We also learn plenty about Japan and history and swords and food. Mr. Lancet's technique is to mention something, then explain what it is. Or to explain something and then introduce it to the action. Either way, he gets his hooks into us and the story pulls us along for a jolly good ride. There is even a budding love interest wedged into the adventure and the mystery. Eventually, I will get to volume three of this trilogy and see how he pulls all the strings he has dangled. I am looking forward to it.
Recommended.
Recommended.
September 18, 2022
This was such a thrilling read , From the first page I was hooked.. Well written giving a good insight into the culture and happenings in Japan,
Jim Brodie's agency has been hired to protect and elderly Japanese gentleman from attacks that are happening to a specific set of soldiers who were in a secret branch of the army, while providing security for the elder it is the son that is brutally murdered and Jim brodie has been called in to identify the body this sends him chasing after who killed his clients son and after a rather brutal visit to a dojo he knows begins to wonder what he is up against
With the help of his lead detective, Jim survives deadly attacks and learns about the things that men will kill to keep and how far they are willing to go.
Jim Brodie's agency has been hired to protect and elderly Japanese gentleman from attacks that are happening to a specific set of soldiers who were in a secret branch of the army, while providing security for the elder it is the son that is brutally murdered and Jim brodie has been called in to identify the body this sends him chasing after who killed his clients son and after a rather brutal visit to a dojo he knows begins to wonder what he is up against
With the help of his lead detective, Jim survives deadly attacks and learns about the things that men will kill to keep and how far they are willing to go.
August 12, 2021
I really enjoyed reading this boook. The story is fast-paced, full of action, and gives the reader a lot of insights into Japanese culture and way of life. Brodie mixes well the Eastern and Western cultures, feels at home on both sides of the world, and has strong ties with his co-workers and a few friends. He also is a loving father who wishes to be more present to his young daughter. What really called my attention is his determination to find the truth and to reach the end of all matters he pursues. This is the first book I read by Barry Lancet and I´ll be looking forward to reading the other books in this series. Great thriller!
May 23, 2014
I received an advance copy of this new thriller--absolutely loved it due to the sense of place, well-defined and growing characters, and the nonstop action. While the plot is complex and unexpected, the book is still character driven and Lancet's knowledge of Japan, its history, personality, culture, and art, is a terrific enhancement. I would have loved to wait for the audio, but this book was too good to age on my shelves until then!
February 26, 2021
Well, it's like a hardboiled version of Dan Browns Robert Langdon which is mainly settled in Japan. So, yes, it's nice to learn about Japanese culture and arts - but the hardboiled bit in the first person narrative is just a little too much. And if the plot really does make sense...?
Well overall it's been ok and you might need such a book every once in a while and even though I wouldn't believe it yet I feel I might even read the third part of this series one day...
Well overall it's been ok and you might need such a book every once in a while and even though I wouldn't believe it yet I feel I might even read the third part of this series one day...
February 22, 2022
Electrifying, Tokyo Kill is fast-paced and one of those books you will not be able to put down until the very end.
Jim Brodie an antique dealer is back in Japan after experiencing the tragedy of San Francisco's Japantown murders. He now has inherited his father's PI firm and is deep in a new case where he needs to be careful or else he will find himself running for his life.
Can't wait to read more!!
Jim Brodie an antique dealer is back in Japan after experiencing the tragedy of San Francisco's Japantown murders. He now has inherited his father's PI firm and is deep in a new case where he needs to be careful or else he will find himself running for his life.
Can't wait to read more!!
January 4, 2015
Exciting and intriguing premise: treasures of gold, jewelry, porcelain and art given to the Last Emperor of China, Pu Yi, by the Japanese in Manchuria are sought today by persons unknown who will go to extreme lengths to get it. Full of action, plot twists, history. And lots of interesting facts about Japanese kendo, judo, and the Japanese sword or koto.
December 21, 2015
I won this on Goodreads, will let you know what I think. Finished the book, my 1st for this author, it is an interesting story, many twists and turns. A lot of violence and historical insight to WWII.
May 21, 2021
I love this story for its suspense, excitement, and action. The suspense is so high that it sometimes scares me. I love the book and all of its characteristics.
January 5, 2024
Noda and Jenny ate as usual. Really interesting plot and loved the multiple settings of the story. The multiple plot twists at the end got me.
October 23, 2022
Originally posted on my blog Nonstop Reader.
Tokyo Kill is the second Jim Brodie thriller by Barry Lancet. Released in 2014 by Simon & Schuster, it's 336 pages and is available in hardcover, paperback, audio, and ebook formats. It's worth noting that the ebook format has a handy interactive table of contents as well as interactive links and references throughout. I've really become enamored of ebooks with interactive formats lately.
This is a very well written modern thriller with an imperfect but morally responsible protagonist and a lot of gritty realism. It's set in Asia, and it's clear the author is intimately familiar with the setting and culture and does a good and believable job taking the reader along. Jim Brodie is compelling, meticulous and morally unambiguous, which gets him into difficulties more often than not. He's an expert in Japanese art, as well as partner and heir to his father's PI agency.
Although it's the second book in the series, the mystery and denouement are self contained here, and readers who jump in with this book won't have difficulties following the story. There are now four books extant in the series and they're all well constructed and exciting, so the series as a whole would be a good candidate for a weekend binge read.
The story is peppered throughout with transliterated Japanese words and phrases. The words are italicized in the text and translate easily in context (the author is quite adept). It adds verisimilitude without adding difficulty.
The plotting is taut and the complex story is interwoven skillfully. There are several disparate subplot threads throughout and they are wound together seamlessly.
Four stars. An exciting and transportive read. Some light swearing and a fair bit of gunplay and violence.
Disclosure: I received an ARC at no cost from the author/publisher for review purposes.
Tokyo Kill is the second Jim Brodie thriller by Barry Lancet. Released in 2014 by Simon & Schuster, it's 336 pages and is available in hardcover, paperback, audio, and ebook formats. It's worth noting that the ebook format has a handy interactive table of contents as well as interactive links and references throughout. I've really become enamored of ebooks with interactive formats lately.
This is a very well written modern thriller with an imperfect but morally responsible protagonist and a lot of gritty realism. It's set in Asia, and it's clear the author is intimately familiar with the setting and culture and does a good and believable job taking the reader along. Jim Brodie is compelling, meticulous and morally unambiguous, which gets him into difficulties more often than not. He's an expert in Japanese art, as well as partner and heir to his father's PI agency.
Although it's the second book in the series, the mystery and denouement are self contained here, and readers who jump in with this book won't have difficulties following the story. There are now four books extant in the series and they're all well constructed and exciting, so the series as a whole would be a good candidate for a weekend binge read.
The story is peppered throughout with transliterated Japanese words and phrases. The words are italicized in the text and translate easily in context (the author is quite adept). It adds verisimilitude without adding difficulty.
The plotting is taut and the complex story is interwoven skillfully. There are several disparate subplot threads throughout and they are wound together seamlessly.
Four stars. An exciting and transportive read. Some light swearing and a fair bit of gunplay and violence.
Disclosure: I received an ARC at no cost from the author/publisher for review purposes.
October 16, 2024
Rating: 3* of five
The Publisher Says: In the second thriller of this new series from “a fresh voice in crime fiction” (Kirkus Reviews), antiques dealer-turned-P.I. Jim Brodie matches wits with an elusive group of killers chasing a long-lost treasure that has a dangerous history.
When an elderly World War II veteran shows up unannounced at Brodie Security begging for protection, the staff thinks he’s just a paranoid old man. He offers up a story connected to the war and to Chinese Triads operating in present-day Tokyo, insisting that he and his few surviving army buddies are in danger.
Fresh off his involvement in solving San Francisco’s Japantown murders, antiques dealer Jim Brodie had returned to Tokyo for some R&R, and to hunt down a rare ink painting by the legendary Japanese Zen master Sengai for one of his clients—not to take on another case with his late father’s P.I. firm. But out of respect for the old soldier, Brodie agrees to provide a security detail, thinking it’ll be an easy job and end when the man comes to his senses.
Instead, an unexpected, brutal murder rocks Brodie and his crew, sending them deep into the realm of the Triads, Chinese spies, kendo warriors, and an elusive group of killers whose treachery spans centuries—and who will stop at nothing to complete their mission.
I RECEIVED A DRC FROM THE PUBLISHER VIA NETGALLEY. THANK YOU.
My Review: Oh great...Japanese assassin dynasty first, now Chinese triads.
Not my favorite transition. Nor is the grafting on of the seemingly inescapable "love interest," a woman (natch) to help Our Hero forget the wife he lost before book one began. I'm not as forgiving the second time out. The same "Asian assassin dynasty is invincible until white guy raised in their culture comes along to show 'em how it's done because because they killed his wumman" stuff that turned me off of James Bond happens here.
Do better. This crud's tired and so am I. Though I admit the artistic bit of the series interests me, it felt totally unintegrated into the story this time; permaybehaps the miasma of heterosexuality, always disagreeable to me, got in my way.
Wharever; I'm out.
The Publisher Says: In the second thriller of this new series from “a fresh voice in crime fiction” (Kirkus Reviews), antiques dealer-turned-P.I. Jim Brodie matches wits with an elusive group of killers chasing a long-lost treasure that has a dangerous history.
When an elderly World War II veteran shows up unannounced at Brodie Security begging for protection, the staff thinks he’s just a paranoid old man. He offers up a story connected to the war and to Chinese Triads operating in present-day Tokyo, insisting that he and his few surviving army buddies are in danger.
Fresh off his involvement in solving San Francisco’s Japantown murders, antiques dealer Jim Brodie had returned to Tokyo for some R&R, and to hunt down a rare ink painting by the legendary Japanese Zen master Sengai for one of his clients—not to take on another case with his late father’s P.I. firm. But out of respect for the old soldier, Brodie agrees to provide a security detail, thinking it’ll be an easy job and end when the man comes to his senses.
Instead, an unexpected, brutal murder rocks Brodie and his crew, sending them deep into the realm of the Triads, Chinese spies, kendo warriors, and an elusive group of killers whose treachery spans centuries—and who will stop at nothing to complete their mission.
I RECEIVED A DRC FROM THE PUBLISHER VIA NETGALLEY. THANK YOU.
My Review: Oh great...Japanese assassin dynasty first, now Chinese triads.
Not my favorite transition. Nor is the grafting on of the seemingly inescapable "love interest," a woman (natch) to help Our Hero forget the wife he lost before book one began. I'm not as forgiving the second time out. The same "Asian assassin dynasty is invincible until white guy raised in their culture comes along to show 'em how it's done because because they killed his wumman" stuff that turned me off of James Bond happens here.
Do better. This crud's tired and so am I. Though I admit the artistic bit of the series interests me, it felt totally unintegrated into the story this time; permaybehaps the miasma of heterosexuality, always disagreeable to me, got in my way.
Wharever; I'm out.
January 12, 2019
Book Review: Japantown (Book 1) and Tokyo Kill (Book 2), Jim Brodie series by Barry Lancet
As a student of Japanese culture who actually lived in Japan, I had high expectations that perhaps these books may be where one would find fresh perspectives from a "gaijin" writer - a thriller writer at that, juxtaposed against the subtle delivery and stellar quality of novels of the Murakami and Ishiguro variety.
I really wanted to like both books, but it just wasn't to be.
The first novel is interesting enough - about "shadow powerbrokers". Japantown is in reference to a San Francisco neighborhood, not in the streets of Japan, and indeed much of the story takes place in the U.S.A., with the finale staged in Long Island, NY.
References to Japan are studied, caricatured and contrived, not natural. The protagonist's elaboration of the adoption of Chinese kanji into the Japanese language is quite a bit off. There are indeed well-researched cultural references to Japanese art, handicraft, history, even dark culture - tsuba, tansu, washi, Lord Hideyoshi, Sengakuji, 47 ronin, Tokugawa "Dog Shogun", nedayashi.
The villains' safe harbor in the story, Soga-jujo, is not a place that would realistically exist. Giving Western names to some of the main killer-villains baffles, these being Japanese individuals.
The "James Bond" wannabe protagonist cannot be defeated in hand-to-hand combat, won't be killed by bullets, but yet has the temperament of an adolescent, frequently losing his cool. "What the hell are you doing?", says the martial arts zen master in protest to a Japanese speaker.
The second book is a bit more readable with an interesting plot about lost WWII treasures and a few good lessons in East Asian history. But again much of the action occurs outside of Japan with a generous share of stereotype pop culture concepts that the Japanese are going to be all about karate chops, Kendo sticks and brutal Yakuza types.
The final battle in this second book is also removed from Japan - in Miami and the Caribbean.
Review based on advance reading copies provided by NetGalley and Simon & Schuster.
As a student of Japanese culture who actually lived in Japan, I had high expectations that perhaps these books may be where one would find fresh perspectives from a "gaijin" writer - a thriller writer at that, juxtaposed against the subtle delivery and stellar quality of novels of the Murakami and Ishiguro variety.
I really wanted to like both books, but it just wasn't to be.
The first novel is interesting enough - about "shadow powerbrokers". Japantown is in reference to a San Francisco neighborhood, not in the streets of Japan, and indeed much of the story takes place in the U.S.A., with the finale staged in Long Island, NY.
References to Japan are studied, caricatured and contrived, not natural. The protagonist's elaboration of the adoption of Chinese kanji into the Japanese language is quite a bit off. There are indeed well-researched cultural references to Japanese art, handicraft, history, even dark culture - tsuba, tansu, washi, Lord Hideyoshi, Sengakuji, 47 ronin, Tokugawa "Dog Shogun", nedayashi.
The villains' safe harbor in the story, Soga-jujo, is not a place that would realistically exist. Giving Western names to some of the main killer-villains baffles, these being Japanese individuals.
The "James Bond" wannabe protagonist cannot be defeated in hand-to-hand combat, won't be killed by bullets, but yet has the temperament of an adolescent, frequently losing his cool. "What the hell are you doing?", says the martial arts zen master in protest to a Japanese speaker.
The second book is a bit more readable with an interesting plot about lost WWII treasures and a few good lessons in East Asian history. But again much of the action occurs outside of Japan with a generous share of stereotype pop culture concepts that the Japanese are going to be all about karate chops, Kendo sticks and brutal Yakuza types.
The final battle in this second book is also removed from Japan - in Miami and the Caribbean.
Review based on advance reading copies provided by NetGalley and Simon & Schuster.
July 26, 2023
"Tokyo Kill" by Barry Lancet is an electrifying and captivating thriller that seamlessly weaves together elements of World War II history, present-day Tokyo, and the dangerous world of Chinese Triads. The story unfolds as an elderly veteran seeks protection from Brodie Security, setting off a chain of events that thrusts Jim Brodie, the protagonist and antiques dealer, back into the world of investigations.
What starts as a seemingly straightforward security detail quickly escalates into a gripping tale of murder and mystery, pulling Brodie and his team into a web of intrigue involving Chinese spies, kendo warriors, and a group of ruthless killers with a sinister mission. Lancet skillfully immerses the reader in the complexities of Tokyo's underworld, masterfully balancing action with historical and cultural references.
The novel's strength lies in its rich character development and immersive storytelling. Jim Brodie, with his sharp wit and tenacity, makes for a compelling lead, and his interactions with the diverse cast of supporting characters bring depth to the narrative. The seamless blending of historical events and modern-day espionage adds an extra layer of intrigue, keeping readers on the edge of their seats throughout.
Barry Lancet's meticulous research is evident in the authenticity of the settings and the historical context, elevating the overall reading experience. From the vivid streets of Tokyo to the enigmatic world of the Triads, each location and subplot feel vivid and well-crafted.
"Tokyo Kill" is a riveting page-turner that keeps readers hooked from start to finish. Lancet's ability to combine history, culture, and pulse-pounding action sets this book apart as a must-read in the thriller genre. Whether you're a fan of mystery, historical fiction, or espionage thrillers, this novel is sure to leave you craving for more of Jim Brodie's adventures.
What starts as a seemingly straightforward security detail quickly escalates into a gripping tale of murder and mystery, pulling Brodie and his team into a web of intrigue involving Chinese spies, kendo warriors, and a group of ruthless killers with a sinister mission. Lancet skillfully immerses the reader in the complexities of Tokyo's underworld, masterfully balancing action with historical and cultural references.
The novel's strength lies in its rich character development and immersive storytelling. Jim Brodie, with his sharp wit and tenacity, makes for a compelling lead, and his interactions with the diverse cast of supporting characters bring depth to the narrative. The seamless blending of historical events and modern-day espionage adds an extra layer of intrigue, keeping readers on the edge of their seats throughout.
Barry Lancet's meticulous research is evident in the authenticity of the settings and the historical context, elevating the overall reading experience. From the vivid streets of Tokyo to the enigmatic world of the Triads, each location and subplot feel vivid and well-crafted.
"Tokyo Kill" is a riveting page-turner that keeps readers hooked from start to finish. Lancet's ability to combine history, culture, and pulse-pounding action sets this book apart as a must-read in the thriller genre. Whether you're a fan of mystery, historical fiction, or espionage thrillers, this novel is sure to leave you craving for more of Jim Brodie's adventures.
August 16, 2018
I received this book through a Goodreads' Giveaway. This was a good fast read. Jim Brodie has received notoriety/celebrity since the solution of the Japantown murders. He is on a combination buying trip/vacation with is daughter in Tokyo, when Brodie Security is approached by a WWII Japanese army officer and his son. The old man was part of a Chinese occupation unit. The unit's survivors and their families are being murdered and he's requesting protection. Brodie Security takes the job and the client's son is brutally tortured and murdered that evening. As the search for the perpetrators continues, one of the Brodie Security employees is murdered and Brodie is attacked. The more they investigate, the stranger the case is, Brodie meets a WWII Chinese survivor, who witnessed massacres, a Chinese super-spy, the treasure of China's last emperor and some really bad men.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
July 18, 2020
An excellent, fast read full of twists and turns. Loved the mystery, but also amateur detective Brodie. I can see why the first novel was optioned by Bad Robot. This definitely could be a franchise of movies. Equal parts detective, art dealer, and single father he tries to balance life as the mystery takes off. The historical and cultural aspects make the rich detail really stand out. Everything from the food, to the street life, to the dojo it kept moving. Even thought the location moved 3 times, the story was cohesive and the mystery kept developing. I had an idea, but the twists at the end were a complete surprise. Overall a great series and I’m going to go back and pick up the first book. A new favorite series for sure.
March 2, 2024
Very suspenseful thriller that keeps you hooked, with a pretty wild ending that throws you a curveball.
The first half doesn't seem to have the best pacing and is a little slow in my eyes, but it still does enough to keep you interested and wanting more.
However, once you get about halfway through, you very quickly go down the rabbit hole of all the possibilities and different leads being thrown at you. The second half does a very good job at keeping you hooked, wondering what's going to be revealed next.
The first half doesn't seem to have the best pacing and is a little slow in my eyes, but it still does enough to keep you interested and wanting more.
However, once you get about halfway through, you very quickly go down the rabbit hole of all the possibilities and different leads being thrown at you. The second half does a very good job at keeping you hooked, wondering what's going to be revealed next.
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