The intricate inner workings of a Japanese police department
Part procedural and part office drama, four novellas paint a portrait of the complex mechanisms of police bureaucracy聽in Japan.
Part procedural and part office drama, four novellas paint a portrait of the complex mechanisms of police bureaucracy聽in Japan.
Before turning mystery novelist, Hideo Yokoyama worked as an investigative reporter for a newspaper in Gunma Prefecture, Japan. His book 鈥淧refecture D鈥 is actually four novellas, each an intriguing story describing the complex relationships and bureaucratic tensions between individuals in the prefecture鈥檚 police force. This book is a perfect introduction to the political and social undercurrents that govern Japanese society. Like all good mysteries, each novella holds the reader in suspense until the surprising end.
In 鈥淪eason of Shadows,鈥 the first novella, Shinji Futawatari, who works in the Administrative Affairs department of Prefecture D鈥檚 police headquarters, is told he must solve the problem of a revered, legendary detective who refuses to step down from an executive position. The detective has his own agenda that he refuses to reveal. To solve the mystery, Futawatari must carefully navigate not only the bureaucracy but also the complex hierarchy separating him from his superiors.
Internal Affairs officer Takayoshi Shindo, in 鈥淐ry of the Earth,鈥 is told by Division Chief Takegami to look into an anonymous letter accusing Yoshio Sone, the Division Chief of Public Safety at Station Q, of seeing the proprietress of a red-light district establishment 鈥 a warning he soon learns is a red herring.
The third novella, 鈥淏lack Lines,鈥 focuses on the women working as police officers in Prefecture D. When forensics sergeant Yoshio Sone fails to show up for work, she is presumed missing, and Section Chief Tomoko Nanao is tasked with finding her. Like the rest of the world, Japan has its own problems with gender discrimination. Nanao must deal with this as she seeks to unravel the mystery of her colleague鈥檚 disappearance.
鈥淏riefcase,鈥 the fourth novella, begins when Prefecture D鈥檚 government members plan to take part in a question-and-answer session with the police. Political Liaison Masaki Tsuge learns that a wronged politician is preparing his revenge against the police, and he must quickly find out what he can do to silence the angry man. At first, it seems a briefcase may hold the answer, but twists and turns abound.
Yokoyama鈥檚 storytelling is unusual, and his denouements contain twists. His psychological insights into his characters鈥 behavior 鈥 together with his succinct, descriptive prose 鈥 make for enjoyable reading.
Japanese can be a difficult language to translate and translators need to pay close attention to cultural nuances to ensure the correct context is represented. A shout-out needs to be given to the book鈥檚 translator, Jonathan Lloyd-Davies, born in Wales, who has done a yeoman鈥檚 job here.
Yokoyama never clearly defines the location of Prefecture D. Though Japan has 47 prefectures from which to choose, it鈥檚 probably based on one in a mountainous location in the middle of the country. Regardless, his attention-grabbing prose soon sweeps you into his mysteries and holds your attention until the end. 鈥淧refecture D鈥 may be missing the mayhem of the usual crime novel, but its page-turning narrative is not only captivating but also provides insight into Japanese society.