Customer Reviews

Death in Little Tokyo: A Ken Tanaka Mystery

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As an Asian American mystery lover, I have waited a long time for a mystery series by and about Asian Americans. Finally it is here, and it was worth the wait! Dale Furutani has done an excellent job with Ken Tanaka, a regular guy who happens to be a dealing with a lot of issues many of us face - the downsizing of the corporate America, male-female relationships in the '90s, and racial discrimination in a supposedly color-blind world. Oh, and then there's the murder! Despite the weightiness of some of these topics, this is not a heavy-handed or depressing book at all. In fact the style is very clever and witty, and the plot moves trippingly along. It is not too violent, but not a cozy either - I think it would appeal to fans of many genres of mystery, as well as those who do not normally read mystery novels. Highly recommended! Laura Marple

Meet Ken Tanaka, Japanese American, Vietnam Vet, recently unemployed, member of the Los Angeles Mystery Club, sweet on a woman 10 years his junior, and a down right nice guy. Ken opens a detective agency, not to solve crimes, but as a prop for the mystery crime he is creating for his month as leader of the LA Mystery Club, a sporadic weekend group that solves made up crimes for fun. Ken Tanaka even goes to such lengths that he has his name etched on the glass door of his pretend office as another prop to impress the other club members. But in LA pretending to be a detective can be dangerous. Tanaka attracts some shady LA characters who refuse no as an answer when searching for a slick LA detective. In less than 20 pages, Ken finds himself encompassed with a gory murder and a scary, rough Japanese crime gang. Mr. Furutani's success with DEATH IN LITTLE TOKYO is multi-fold. First he is tremendously successful in this first novel of establishing a likable and believable protagonist in Ken Tanaka and a handful of memorable other characters to include a spry elderly Japanese woman who was a prisoner in the Japanese Concentration Camps during World War II. Second, Furutani, introduces us to Little Tokyo, an ethnic area of Los Angeles that is rich with history, yet ever-changing like the rest of the world. He also has created an amateur detective series that will be long lived and enjoyable and is to par with other famous gumshoes like Kinsey Millhone, Kate Martinelli, Harry Bosch, and Stephanie Plum. While Mr. Furutani seems to have all the perfect ingredients for a successful mystery, he also has included some thought provoking ideas which seem to be woven directly beneath the subconscious surface of the plot. DEATH OF LITTLE TOKYO, through the eyes and words of Ken Tanaka, takes a poignant and honest look at racism in Los Angeles, America, and even Japan. He uses the history of the Japanese Concentration Camps (seen vividly in Guterson's SNOW FALLING ON CEDAR) to tell both a story, but also to remind each of us of some of the selfish examples of racism in our immediate pasts. Furutani shares numerous episodes of racism committed not only by Caucasian citizens, but by almost every ethnic group residing in America today. Dale Furutani will have a long relationship with mystery readers because he is a master storyteller, but also because he honestly has something important to say about the social issues of today. All this in one mystery book! Good job Dale Furutani and welcome to the world of successful writers-you have earned your seat! Carlton Brow

Death in Little Tokyo is a nominee for an Agatha award as the best first mystery novel of 1996

Ken Tanaka, a Japanese-American, computer programmer, has just been down-sized, out of a job. For recreation, Ken belongs to a local mystery club, that stages weekly events. While setting up the next week-ends event, Ken gets mistaken for a real detective, and hired to pick up a mysterious package. Now the mystery really begins! Ken soon becomes involved in a true crime, MURDER!! I won't tell any more of the story, so I won't spoil it if there are any readers out there, who haven't read this wonderful, mystery, yet. WHAT I LIKED ABOUT THE BOOK - I learned something new about Japanese-American culture, WWII, Japanese internment camps. I loved the well developed characters, and especially the bantering between Ken and his SO (significant other) Mariko (who is a recovering alcoholic). It was very evident that Ken and Mariko, are empathetic to each others wants and needs, and I look forward to seeing this relationship, flourish and grow, in the sequel. HIGHLY RECOMMENDED!!

Death in Little Tokyo gets under way when Ken Tanaka, whose private detective credentials are definitely questionable, is asked to pick up a package for a mysterious blonde woman, for a fee. The contents of the package are unknown for some time, but when the package is finally opened the contents are no less mystifying and intriguing. The circumstances of this whole transaction are amusing but I don't want to give anything away. Ken does pick up the package and almost immediately finds himself not only suspected of murder, but a target of opportunity for some very unsavory and somewhat violent characters. This is not a huge complex mystery, but it is a solid one. There are several surprises along the way. There is some violence--sudden and sharp, but not frequent. The main attraction of this book, for me, was the very endearing Ken Tanaka's Asian-American heritage plus the details of several Japanese customs and experiences, all shown through the characters in interesting ways. Dale Furutani's writing style is smooth and vivid and clear, never convoluted. Two words kept occurring to me as I got to know Ken Tanaka: Honesty & Integrity. Not a bad character refererence. Ken Tanaka is a "nineties" man--and the relationship between him and his friend Mariko is engaging and believable. I look forward to seeing it develop. And to reading Dale Furutani's next novel.