The Wrong Goodbye

by Toshihiko Yahagi

A classic slice of Japanese hard-boiled noir paying homage to the master of the Raymond Chandler.The Wrong Goodbye pits homicide detective Eiji Futamura against a shady Chinese business empire and U.S. military intelligence in the docklands of recession Japan.After the frozen corpse of immigrant barman Tran Binh Long washes up in midsummer near Yokosuka U.S. Navy Base, Futamura meets a strange customer from Tran's bar. Vietnam vet pilot Billy Lou Bonney talks Futamura into hauling three suitcases of "goods" to Yokota US Air Base late at night and flies off leaving a dead woman behind.Thereby implicated in a murder suspect's escape and relieved from active duty, Futamura takes on hack work for the beautiful concert violinist Aileen Hsu, a "boat people" orphan whose Japanese adoption mother has mysteriously gone missing. And now a phone call from a bestselling yakuza author, a one-time black marketeer in Saigon, hints at inside information on "former Vietcong mole" Tran and his "old sidekick" Billy Lou, both of whom crossed a triad tycoon who is buying up huge tracts of Mekong Delta marshland for a massive development scheme.As the loose strands flashback to Vietnam, the string of official lies and mysterious allegiances build into a dark picture of the U.S.-Japan postwar alliance.

Genres: Mystery, Fiction, Japanese Literature, Thriller, Translated Fiction, Detective, Crime

384 pages, Paperback

First published September 10, 2004

Reviews

[Paromjit · Rating 5 out of 5]

Toshihiko Yahagi pays homage to the classic hard boiled detective noir genre, such as the likes of Raymond Chandler in this dense and complex post-war Japanese yarn featuring Homicide Detective Eiji Futamura, of the Kanagawa Prefectural Police Department, a man more interested in solving crime, unlike the police focus on how things looks rather than how they are. The frozen and scarred dead body of an immigrant barman Tran Binh Long turns up on the shores close to the Yukusuka U.S. Naval Base. Futamura meets drunk American pilot, Billy Lou Bonney in strange circumstances at Tran's bar, the two become kind of friends, becoming hard drinking buddies, with Bonney relaying stories from the Vietnam War, Saigon, black markets and profiteering.

When Bonney asks him for a favour late one night, a drunk Futamura acquiesces, driving Billy and his 3 heavy suitcases of 'goods' to Yokota U.S. Air Base, where he takes off in a plane, saying he will be back soon. When it is discovered that Bonney has left behind the corpse of a dead woman, Futamura finds himself shunted out of Homicide, no longer a detective, and instead working in Police Archives, which offers him the opportunity of time to carry out his own investigations. With the police closing down the Tran inquiry as a accident, Futamara is not satisfied, and then there is the question of exactly who Billy Lou Bonney is, and is he really dead? Then the intrepid detective is asked to look into the disappearance of famous concert violinist Aileen Hsu's adoption mother, Reiko Hiraoku, only to find there are connections to his other inquiries.

Yahagi evokes an atmospheric picture of Japan, its culture, history and its relationship with the US military, where it is hard to pin down the precise time period in which the action takes place. We begin to get a look into the nature of the US and Japanese alliance, and the murky links with a shady wealthy Triad tycoon acquiring vast swathes of the Mekong Delta marshland for development. There are below the radar connections forged in past history, the lies and secrets, some of them toxic, what happened in Vietnam and how Aileen came to arrive in Japan as a orphan with her violin. This is a wonderfully enthralling read, although you will need to play close attention to the details in the narrative as there is so much happening. Highly recommended to those who love hard boiled detective noir. Many thanks to the publisher for an ARC.

[Carolyn · Rating 4 out of 5]

As suggested by the title, Toshihiko Yahagi's novel is a homage to the hard boiled noir of Raymond Chandler, and it certainly has a very Chandler-like feel, along with more than a hint of Dashiell Hammett's Sam Spade. Even the setting, often in the seedier streets of Yokosuka gives off the vibes of the 1930s and 40s. However, the presence of mobile phones, Internet cafes and talk of the past war in Vietnam, indicate that it is in fact set in a much more contemporary time.

Eiji Futamura is Yahagi's hard bitten detective. He is investigating the murder of barman Tran Binh Long, whose frozen corpse washed up near the Yokosuka US naval base, when he meets ex US pilot and Vietnam veteran, Billy Lou Bonney. They become drinking buddies and late one night he gives Billy a lift to the US base with three large suitcases. When Billy doesn't return and it's discovered he has left a body behind, Eiji finds himself stood down as a detective. However, he continues looking into Tran's death, especially once the police loose interest in the case and also takes on a private case investigating the disappearance of a woman and the mystery surrounding the origins of her adopted violinist daughter. Both cases will turn up traces that link back to shady dealings in Vietnam as well as to the disappearance of his drinking buddy Billy.

There's a lot going on in this novel with many threads and characters to grasp at and I found I had to work hard to keep it all straight in my mind. However, it's worth the effort in order to enjoy this very compelling thriller with its dark undertones and a host of dark secrets and lies.

With thanks to Quercus Books and Netgalley for a copy to read

[Jean-Luc · Rating 5 out of 5]

A successful wink and nod & a definitive throwback to the American hardboiled detective fiction of the 40s, The wrong goodbye is an engrossing & compelling murder mystery set in a postwar/Cold war Japan awashed with criminal wrongdoings and dubious political shenanigans. A tensly plotted thriller filled from start to finish with dread and constantly flowing on a menacing and dangerous current and blessed with a cast of troubled but unforgettable characters. I particularly liked the almost poetic bleakness of the urban landscape in a Japan still trying to heal from the devastating consequences of WWII. Suspenseful and very entertaining, this noirish journey into the criminal underworld of a defeated nation should easily find the readership it definitely and undubitably deserves. A wonderful fictional treat to be enjoyed without any moderation.

Many thanks to Netgalley and Quercus Books for this terrific ARC

[Nicki · Rating 4 out of 5]

Complex and detailed thriller set in Japan near the Yokosuka US Navy base. I enjoyed it while having to admit I probably didn’t follow all of it as much as I would have liked. It was a lot.

[hans · Rating 4 out of 5]

Saw 'Raymond Chandler' on the back cover that it gets me interested. A noir and hard-boiled tropes of crime mystery, The Wrong Goodbye was set in a post-war backdrop that highlighted issues on political corruption, black market and immigrants which also touches a sight of the yakuza and triad tycoon shady scheme.

Told in first-person narrative of Eiji Futamura, a homicide detective who was investigating a frozen corpse of immigrant murder that facing trouble after he helped a Vietnam vet pilot, Billy to escape with suitcases of goods, who then flew off and leaving a dead woman behind. While conflicted with two murder cases and been relieved from his duty due to the incident, Futamura gets into another muddle of a missing adoptive mother case and encountering a scene with black marketer and related Vietcong mole mystery.

A complicated series of related cases with slow burn and descriptive narrative. Having love-hate with its mellow dragginess but love how intense and twisty it goes. The intertwist hints did not help me much in making my guesses (need to read it slowly to digest how it was all related but I am more invested with Futamura-Billy friendship, honestly) but I fancy the bleak narration and its fairly diction of classic noir. As this is a hard-boiled genre, the character matters the most that I love the way Futamura expressing his thoughts and carrying the development which indeed superbly crafted.

Political corruption, colonization and capitalism, on history and vignette of US and Japan relation during the post-war period-- bit dreadful but engrossing enough to follow what might be the consequences to the aftermath. Bit sentimental nearly the end but love how it was concluded. 3.7 stars to this!

Huge thanks to Pansing Distribution for sending me a review copy of the book ♡

[Cathie · Rating 4 out of 5]

12/24/23 - over halfway in the read. perhaps part of the translation but what stuck out was the sentence "in this digital money day and age?" confused by the setting of this story; if this was set post-war Japan, digital age wasn't until 1980.

another misprint is the assumption. sentence ending with Pearl Harbor when it should have been Golden Harbor.

[Sonja van der Westhuizen | West Words · Rating 4 out of 5]

At long last, after a career encompassing more than three decades, Japanese Manga artist-turned-novelist, Toshihiko Yahagi, has published his first book in English. Seasoned translator Alfred Birnbaum, who has also translated the work of Haruki Murakami, had the mammoth task of converting Yahagi’s unique prose into English.

Full review: https://westwordsreviews.wordpress.co...

[Andrew Mcdonald · Rating 3 out of 5]

In the tradition of Chandler, the plots and characters are appropriately confusing. Probably too much so by the end. Smaller chunks of the book read beautifully and the industrial shabbiness of japan at the time is very well done.
But by the end, interest doesn't really build and who is who and did what are not as interesting as the individual parts promise. You won't want to read it again, which sets it apart from a Chandler.

[Athirah Idrus · Rating 3 out of 5]

Translator – Alfred Birnbaum

This was my first hard-boiled noir fiction from Japan. Using Yokohama as the background was perhaps the most realistic choice to have this kind of story played out in a typically homogenous Japan. With the introduction of characters from many international backgrounds, at some points I forgot that this was a Japanese fiction, especially with the appearance of GI Joes, Chinese Triad gang members primarily based in Yokohoma’s bustling Chinatown and some other Yakuza-like but non-Japanese characters. It was quite hard to picture this in contrast to the modern Japan I’m familiar with.

It was obvious that the author had intimate knowledge of Yokohama from the description of the detailed streets including the more secluded areas and the knowledge of the racially diverse community owing to the ports and post-war Japan. Turned out the author is a Yokohama native and extremely familiar with everything in the area. No surprise as to why the background seemed to be very realistic and came alive.

I’m not sure if this book is part of the series because it certainly was not marketed as such, and I could only find details of this one title. However, while reading the book, it gave indications that certain things have passed and I felt like I was missing some important back story of Detective Eiji Futamura. Futamura is a homicide detective in the highly populated Kanagawa Prefecture. As the body of an immigrant working in the shady parts of town turned up, Futamura was tasked to find the murderer. At around the same time, he made a new drinking buddy during the after hours and became close to this strange persona. Not too long after, his new buddy also disappeared after the plane he piloted crashed around Taiwan. Despite their short acquaintance, Futamura was affected by his absence and went on a manhunt, on top of his official duty to solve two mysteries.

While I was not enchanted by the grimy and dark background, the writing was excellent and I couldn’t help admiring the translator because of the quality of the translation. It felt natural and despite the atypical noir Japanese background, everything was well put together and I could just imagine Yokohama’s dark underbelly. I was also impressed with the author’s critical commentary on the politics around Japan at the time, especially the US military’s occupation in Japan. The characters were mostly hardened individuals and it was not easy to be invested in anyone in particular. I’d recommend this to fans of noir fiction, especially if you’re curious about the dark side of Japan.

[Vansa · Rating 4 out of 5]

I'm quite a sucker for all the tropes of noir. The lone wolf anti-establishment cop with an alcohol problem, the mysterious femme fatale(s), the (usually quite incomprehensible) twists and turns of the plot, shadowy government agents out to thwart out brave hero-I love them all. THis book has all those elements and an interesting non-American perspective. It's nice to read of noir elements of a country otherwise usually associated (for me, at least) in fiction with futuristic glitz or exoticised samurai. All countries have many sides to them and it's nice to see a different side to Japan! The story is set in Yokosuka, and I didn't realise how practically colonial the AMerican defence services presence is in Japan, with permits and border control checks required-for Japanese citizens entering!
Like any good noir worth its salt, this book's plot is quite convoluted- the catalyst is our down-on-his-luck (for unspecified reasons) cop, EIji Futamura and his new drinking buddy's inexplicable death in Taiwan. Things are much more involved than that, and Futamura follows loose threads, gets roughed up by unsavoury characters, is demoted at work to a position with less responsibility for his pains. This gives him the time to pursue his amateur sleuthing and he uncovers corruption that ranges far and wide, across geographies, and even across industries. Through the conventions of noir, Yahagi explores geopolitics and the butterfly effect of global capitalism and war-for instance, there's a really interesting exploration of the flourishing drug trade, that started in Japan during the VIetnam War, the effects of which have bled over to the present day. I find it fascinating how well the author weaves in the issues of gentrification, illegal immigration, disposal of toxic waste and unequal access to healthcare completely organically into the plot, like a perfectly done jigsaw puzzle. It's a great read about a different city that has its unique problems, and not the mean streets of LA/Chicago or New YOrk. While it follows classic noir traditions, it's completely original,and makes excellent use of Yokosuka's unique setting and the idiosyncrasies of the US-Japan diplomatic agreements, that provide diplomatic immunity and lack of passport restrictions or adequate controls, in the American bases.
KNocking off a star because the book could have been better edited-there seemed to be several superfluous scenes, some involving a violinist that seemed to be added just because a femme fatale is needed-she's really not a well-etched character at all. It's a very compelling ,fun read however, and warrants a re-read for any nuance you might have missed out the first time. ̣

[Ciaran Monaghan · Rating 2 out of 5]

I enjoy noir detective fiction and Japan, so this seemed like a good choice after finding on my library's recommended shelf. Unfortunately, it didn't really work for me. I sometimes felt the style of writing and dialogue was trying too hard to copy that of Raymond Chandler and ended up sounding unnatural (admittedly it will have been a pretty difficult task for the translator). I also thought the story grew far too convoluted. I don't remember having that much difficulty following the different threads of a Chandler novel, but I grew increasingly unclear what was going on and who was crossing who. As a result, I grew less interested and read more quickly, which only made it more difficult to follow. By the end, I didn't really understand what had happened, but didn't really care too much either.

[Georgina · Rating 3 out of 5]

I liked the main character in this book, the police detective and I thought the writing style was excellent. I found the story difficult to follow, there were so many characters and so many different narratives. As a result I didn't really get engaged by any of them, be they victims or criminals. I was very interested in the post war activities of the US, the Chinese, the Japanese and the Vietnamese. I hadn't really considered the lasting impact of war on all of these countries.

I did stick with the book because it interested me but I was left with a feeling of dissatisfaction as there was no good explanation as to why the murders and associated other crimes happened. A confusing read that wouldn't encourage me to read another book by this author.

[Annarella · Rating 5 out of 5]

Japanese writers are bringing back to life hard boiled and golden age mystery. Their works are excellent as they're talented writers and delivers story that mixes the tropes with descriptions of Japan and its culture.
This a dark, atmospheric and gripping noir set in a Cold War Japan. All the main noir themes are present and the author applies a formula to the Japanese society.
It's an excellent story and it's strongly recommended.
Many thanks to the publisher and Netgalley for this ARC, all opinions are mine

[Jim · Rating 5 out of 5]

Absorbing read. Makes you feel like you are living in the gritty world of Detective Futamura and the rapidly changing Yokohama he calls home. Love how the story is intertwined with the huge U.S. military presence in nearby Yokosuka. And the complicated relationship that presence has on Japan and its people.

[Louise Gray · Rating 4 out of 5]

I love murder mysteries and reading the genre in a different setting, Japan, was amazing. The style is very reminiscent of traditional detective thrillers but taking the style and the story and putting them in a Japanese context added an extra appeal. .

[Nicole Sanglay · Rating 4 out of 5]

A good noir novel. I found it thrilling and every major evidence revealed had me gawking. The twists were all neatly built upon and when the details started coinciding, the book just propelled. The ending was tongue-in-cheek, too. I loved it.

[Christopher · Rating 5 out of 5]

Almost flawless homage to Raymond Chandler. Convoluted, gritty noir that delivers.

[Steve Gillway · Rating 5 out of 5]

Great to read a fast moving crime novel book like this. Do the Japanese really drink so much?