Shadow Shinjuku follows Sato, a man surrounded by the dark underbelly of Tokyo. He’s experienced some difficult events as an assassin for ‘the family’. But he’s starting to get a sense that he isn’t living the life he wants to.

For a long time I have been desperate to read a book based in Japan. This book gave me exactly what I’ve been wanting. I truly felt like I’d travelled across the globe and experienced the glory and darkness of Japan. It has definitely made me want to read more books like this one! The way Ryu writes is beautiful. It may not suit everyone, and I did find myself loosing focus or forgetting the point of the sentence at times. But I also found myself moved by the elegance of the thoughts being portrayed. I’m not sure if this was inspired by Japanese mythology/folklore, I will need to look into this more! But I loved the element of the curse/supernatural.

I was blown away by the ending. I knew it was coming, I’d already guessed the twist. But somehow it still had my eyebrows raising! It was stark, quick and to the point. A complete contrast to the rest of the book. It pulls the reader up and stares them down with the full force of the truth. I liked the complexity of Sato’s character. I did find myself cringing at times, especially when a particular word was used that does not sit well with me. But I believe Sato’s character is meant to have this dark side that makes you uncomfortable. It compares so beautifully with his lighter side. I love that he’s a morally grey character, it gave him so much depth. I definitely look forward to reading more by this author.

I would recommend this to anyone who loves a good thriller with a hint of the paranormal. Although, please be aware that some readers may be offended by sections of this book. I want to thank Ryu Takeshi for allowing me to read this book and give my personal thoughts.