What a gripping book, loved it. A great read. Loved the characters and the story line. Can't wait to read more from this author.

In the present, Iwata runs a detective agency finding evidence on cheating husbands. In the past, he and his wife live in Japan, struggling on his low police salary. These two lives collide as his mother in law asks for help in solving the mystery of the killing of his brother in law's death. A trans woman working a shady bar, the police have written off her death as at the hands of a pimp, her boyfriend. But Iwata finds evidence that her boyfriend was killed, he digs deeper to find links across the border, to those desperate to make a new life in the US.
This was ambitious, encompassing Mexican drug cartels and Japanese gangsters. For me it was a little long.

"Iwata overtook an orange and grey bus. Rush hour had no clearly defined shape or schedule. Down at street-level, he saw Spanglish signs advertising cleaning, childcare, and income tax services. An entire life could be lived out in Los Angeles without a word of English, slimming classes in Spanish, Ponzi schemes in Pashto, tarot readings in Tagalog. There were a million Mitsuwas, havens where the mother tongue could be heard and compatriots conversed with. This city was a never-ending jacket of innumerable pockets, pockets that contained foreign cultures to slip into and forget the outside, forget America, whatever that was meant to be."

Definitely a good read. Such a strong subject that can make one lose faith in humanity. In terms of writing style Obregon maintain the same good quality as in his first book, but I'd say it's not necessary a new plot. But then again, his first wasn't either. I guess is more of a personal preference. I really love Japan related anything, therefore I absolutely loved the first one, while I'd been more critical with this one. That being said, it is a very good read and I'd read another of his books.

After reading his previous novel, Blue Light Yokohama, I was expecting another story set in Japan, but Kosuke Iwata has moved to LA and is working as a private detective. Sins As Scarlet describes exploitation and people trafficking with a brutal honesty that is quite harrowing at times. We also learn more about Iwata's past, through flashbacks, which makes his behaviour easier to understand. This is beautifully written classic noir, but I missed the fascinating glimpses of Japanese culture.

I thought the author’s first book, Blue Light Yokohama was fantastic, and the fact it was set in Japan meant it offered something different than the usual thriller fare. I was really looking forward to Sins as Scarlet and was not disappointed. This book is set in LA and I was a bit apprehensive, wondering if this would be as good as Japan. It was so I guess it must be the character, Iwata that I enjoy so much. Iwata is very different from the first book. He’s now working in LA as a PI mainly dealing with cheating spouse cases. He’s thrown back into the past when his sister-in-law is brutally killed. Sins as Scarlet opens in dramatic faction and this never really let’s up. I loved the way the story develops, taking Iwata from the seedy underbelly of LA to the desert of the Mexican borderlands. The book is difficult to read at times and heart-breaking. I loved the way Iwata develops in this book. I cannot wait to read Iwata’s next case.

If you are searching for a modern follow up to Raymond Chandler’s noir crime novels, I would say Nicolas Obregon comes very close. In my opinion not since Chandler did anyone create a modern character as close in mood to Marlowe as Obregon did with his homicide Inspector Kasuke Iwata, an American of Japanese heritage living in California with a dark past.

I missed the first Kasuke Iwata novel "Blue Light Yokohama" which is set in Japan but this didn’t matter. During the course of “Sins as Scarlet” his previous life, his traumatic experiences in Japan and the reason why he is now working as a private investigator come to light and one begins to understand his utter disregard for his own safety and his dark, sober mood.

When his mother in law demands his help in investigating the disappearance of his dead wife’s sister Meredith Nichol, Iwata knows he cannot refuse and needs to honor her request even if it means facing the demons of the past. Meredith, a transgender woman, is found strangled on skid row between old train tracks. Iwata’s search leads him into a brutal underworld of gangs in LA and Mexico, seedy transgender bars, the exploitation of Mexican immigrants and transgender people, corruption and some particularly vile criminal activities. I will not reveal more as it would give away the plot. It gets pretty hairy and graphic at times.

Obregon has created a very complex, likeable character with Kasuke Iwata, a broken man trying to redeem his mistakes. I don’t think I give away too much when disclosing the novel finishes with an uplifting ending.

Suspense, intrigue and poignant darkness mark Obregon's latest novel. In an ironic twist of fate, the protractor Iwata now resides in LA, the city of Angels. Tormented by past demons he immerses himself in the mundane work of a PI in an attempt to heal. It appears he is getting there when he is approached to find his wife's sister Meredith Nichols. After Blue Light Yokohama (BLY), one did wonder what more would Obregon throw at Iwata. His wife's sibling though is an unexpected surprise. As in BLY, a subtle undercurrent runs throughout the tale, a hint that there is more to Iwata's torment than meets the eye. He doesn’t seem to be living life to the full. Unable to escape his ever-present past, the job opens up old wounds. One has insights into Iwata's past, his childhood itself, things he had buried deep in his psyche and forgotten. They surface as he grapples with them in an effort to keep his sanity and stop himself from unravelling completely. This is a 400 page long rattlesnake, sinuous, twisty with huge doses of the psychotic. The characters in this story have many deep, dark secrets, full of violence, death and illicit acts. Going nowhere quickly with the investigation Iwata is forced to make an unusual decision. Prepare to step into the darkness of Iwata's mind, his anguish as he encounters LA's seedy underworld. Yet again Obregon obligingly indulges his readers with a thought provokingly devious read. One is grateful for his expert artistry as he delicately melds his characters persona, their purposes and the logic. He continues what he subtly started in Blue Light Yokohama when one barely realised his intent. Both novels however can be read as standalones, further attesting to his penmanship. However having read the first one would be keen to read the second and vice versa. One appreciates Sins as Scarlet so much more; glad to be there with Iwata in the ride of his life, rooting for him hoping this damaged soul finds the peace he so desperately craves, no needs, to start living. This is a heartrendingly beautiful read, taut, deeply immersive and sensual. Can a dark psychotic read beguile a reader? One leaves it to the reader to discover. Obregon's unique protagonist is a welcome addition to this genre. One would like to see Iwata again, to see how he develops and grows. Gritty, raw, suspenseful, like his first novel, Sins as Scarlet is worth every sinister moment.

This the second in the series by Nicolas Obregon featuring the Japanese American Inspector Kosuke Iwata. I enjoyed the first book a great deal and loved the Japanese setting so I wasn't sure about this one as Iwata is now a PI in Los Angeles but I did love it just as much as book one. Iwata is complicated, damaged but ethical. Even when he is following unfaithful spouses etc he is trying to be the best he can be. Then he is approached by the mother of his dead wife. Her transgender daughter has been found dead and the mother wants information. Iwata takes on the case and uncovers the most incredible and hideous story on the Mexican/American borders. I was enthralled and horrified in equal measure, partly because what is in the news currently about the treatment of border crossers in America and especially the children, just lends credence to the author's story.

Recommended if you enjoy good storytelling with a depth of emotional punch.

I was given a free copy of this book by Netgalley in return for an honest review.

Having been much impressed by Obregon’s first book, Blue Light Yokohama featuring Japanese homicide detective Kosuke Iwata, I’m delighted to report that Sins As Scarlet is even better. So much so that it has parachuted its way into my top five reads of the year so far…

Kosuke Iwata is a powerfully constructed character, shaped and formed, but with an underlying sense of self questioning, by his dual heritage and the collision of west and east almost fighting for supremacy in his identity. He has had a troubled past in terms of his upbringing and former estrangement from his mother, and has undoubtedly been tarnished emotionally by his fraught and ultimately destructive marriage. This book effectively straddles all of these relationships, providing an offshoot of narratives concerning his mother and wife, and cleverly by what we observe of their own characteristics gives us a broader understanding of Iwata himself, as a man, a son, a husband and a father too. I felt that sometimes I was observing him through a prism when it came to his emotional and personal identity, and the only real clarity in his character came through his professional role as a private investigator. I liked the way Obregon did this, and how Iwata then became a man of contradictions, and certain notions about his morality, integrity and so on were undermined by his interactions with, and influence of, the women in his life. An extremely interesting character, beautifully rendered, but undercut with a sense of personal tragedy, and a tangible lack of belonging.

Similarly, to the first book, I admire Obregon’s willingness to tackle big issues head on, showing no fear or favour, and opening the reader’s eyes to aspects of society that some would rather ignore. I think Obregon achieves this cleverly in two ways. First the straightforward narrative of murder within the transgender community, and Iwata’s later, and harrowing, experience traversing the desert from Mexico to the USA, which neatly encompasses the experiences of two groups of people that society as a whole are prone to vilify. Secondly, through the psycho-geography element of the book, where Obregon neatly uses the course of Iwata’s investigation, to crisscross Los Angeles, taking us on a tour of myriad neighbourhoods, divided by race and social inequality that show not only the singularly unique makeup of the city, but the gritty reality behind the showbiz exterior. I found these wanderings of Iwata absolutely fascinating, and the little factual nuggets of Los Angeles life that these give rise to, summed up by the assertion that, “Kosuke Iwata had gotten used to the staggered pockets of city that made up Los Angeles”, as his investigation becomes ever more difficult and personal.

Having become increasingly annoyed with a recent upsurge in the decrying of crime fiction as somehow inferior to ‘literary’ fiction, this is where a book such as this is worth its weight in gold. As author Jon Courtenay Grimwood commented on my social media rant on the subject saying “Crime novels specialise in asking the hard questions” and this is what Obregon deftly shows here. Sins As Scarlet is not only compelling as a thriller should be, but has layers of scrutiny and observation on the themes of race, gender roles, social division, migration and more, which makes it punchy and thought provoking, and at times exceptionally moving. Highly recommended.

Excellent, atmospheric thriller/sort of police procedural with engaging US/Japanese lead character and well developed plot, set against beautifully realised descriptions of Japan and the US Japanese ex pat communities.

I am a huge fan of diverse novels and you don’t really get many more diverse than Sins As Scarlet. It features a variety of characters from all walks of life and differing cultures. The victim in the novel is a transgender woman and Inspector Kosuke Iwata is determined to solve the case.

The novel opens on the Mexican – USA border. A pregnant woman is fleeing, and she has sustained violent injuries. The truck is gaining on her as she recites a Spanish prayer. . .

‘Most sacred heart of Jesus, I accept from your hands whatever death may please you to send me into this night’

The United States border patrol are the figures that have given chase. With another unidentified male, making his escape. They murder the pregnant female and it is at this instance I knew, things were not as they seem at the border. This novel was going to be very dark indeed.

Kosuke Iwata is a second-generation Japanese American citizen. He currently lives in Torrance in California. Iwata’s past is fully explored within the novel. He has known considerable emotional pain. Both in his childhood and adult life. He works as a private investigator, when he is asked to take a case by Kate Floccari (state prosecutor) with regards to her husband potentially cheating on her. Iwata relinquished his own police career in Japan and has never attempted to join the police forces in the USA.

‘He figured tomorrow would just be another day, another case’
90K people go missing in LA each year!
As the novel takes you around Los Angeles, the author does an impressive job of describing the various communities. From the poverty of Skid Row to the wealthy untouchables.

Iwata is alone in his office when he is accosted by his mother in law, Charlotte Nichol. Iwata’s wife died previously, and Charlotte asks for his help to find the killer of her only surviving child. What makes the case so unique is that Charlotte’s son Julian had transitioned gender and was living as Meredith. Meredith was murdered two weeks ago, and the police have shown little to no interest.

‘I won’t ever forgive you for what you did to Cleo. But maybe you can still do some good in this world’

It is widely known that transgender women are at an extremely high risk of being the victim of violent crime. Although this is widely known and an issue globally. Little is done in the way of preventative measures and ensuring the safety of transgender women. In fact, 45% of hate crime victims are transgender women and sadly the statistics reflect and upward trend in the crime. The novel is timely, accurate and raises awareness of the dangers the trans community face.
Iwata attempts to gather information from LAPD cop detective Joseph Avery Silke. But has little success. The cops are simply not interested.

‘Hollywood is a place where they’ll pay you a thousand dollars for a kiss and 50 cents for your soul’ – Marilyn Monroe

Iwata has a contact in LAPD records and information, Earnell McCrae, who owes him a favour. He soon finds he has access to the police file and it does not look good. Meredith was living at Skid Row, she was a known prostitute and drug user. She was strangled on some train tracks and found by a homeless man. She had, what appears to be injuries of a sexual nature, but were they part of the murder? Or a sexual encounter? Did a punter discover her male genitalia and Meredith paid with her life?

Something happened to Meredith and Iwata finds his new case, also a quest for redemption. He begins his investigation by speaking to customers and staff at the various Latino exotic dancing bars. He learns of Meredith’s lover ‘Talky’ and friend Genevieve. He has little to go on and decides to research similar cases.

‘I know whoever killed Meredith is still out there. And I don’t think he’s finished’

Iwata uncovers a spate of local murders of transgender women. With five women dead and only one solved case. All except one, strangled. Is someone murdering transwomen? Do they make the perfect victim to a sexual predator?

‘There was a man with a garrotte and a taste for transgender women’

Iwata can’t get Meredith’s plight out of his head. The people he encounters at Skid row, stay with him long after he has left. The homeless, destitute, disabled, mentally ill and undocumented. They are marginalised, vulnerable and undesired in society.

‘Meredith had moved a thousand miles to be herself. He wondered is she died for it too’

When Iwata attempts to contact the trans community he is met with a wall of silence. He hears of a trick rumoured to kill trans women, but rumour soon becomes urban legend. What he does uncover is a community of people, often rejected by their families and loved ones, forced to live on the fringes of society.

The novel is deeply layered and very intelligent. The author has done an outstanding job of describing the locations mentioned in the novel. The characters come alive on the page. You get a real sense of the struggles the trans community face and risk of violence in their daily lives. It appears to me that vulnerability and exploitation go hand in hand.

‘The devil is on every street corner in this place’

The novel has a brilliant ending and I can not wait for the next in the series. 5*

This is the author’s second novel, a sequel to his debut Blue Light Yokohama (a title which I reviewed, see here: https://bit.ly/2AdaQOz). Once again, we’re with Kosuke Iwata, though post the events of Blue Light Yokohama he’s no longer with Tokyo’s homicide division, but instead has returned to California where he works as private eye, surveilling unfaithful husbands. But when his late wife’s mother approaches him and demands his help solving the murder of Meredith, her transgender daughter and the sister of Kosuke’s wife, he has no choice but to acquiesce. He soon finds that Meredith’s death isn’t the first, that there’s been a string of transgender women murdered. As his investigation unfolds, Kosuke soon finds himself embroiled in a malevolent conspiracy.

One of the selling points of the original book was that it gave the reader an insight into both Japanese culture and Japanese policing, worlds that are not very understood by many in the West. I have to admit to being a little disappointed that the author has chosen to move away from that and relocate his hero to LA. In an already very crowded marketplace – crime fiction is the most popular genre in the UK, hugely popular throughout the world, and consequently many crime novels are published each year – it felt like he had sacrificed his USP. That said, the first novel established Kosuke as a character and I was keen to see how he progressed, while the book is well written and so I soon forgot these minor reservations.

In some ways Sins As Scarlet harks back to the great PI novels of old, there was something a little Philip Marlowe about the lonely character Kosuke cut as he traipsed around the seedier side of LA working his case. This is obviously a grittier read than such titles though, more Chandler meets James Elroy. Sins As Scarlet also touches on some sensitive and current themes: illegal immigration, transgender issues, the violence and discrimination both communities face. As well as the main plot, the author takes the time to flesh out Kosuke and his tortured family background somewhat more and we get a deeper understanding of what makes the character tick. This bodes well for the continuation of the series.

Sins As Scarlet is an accomplished novel and a great read. I enjoyed it as much as the author’s debut, albeit on a different level. It’s a very different book to the Blue Light Yokohama, the move away from Japan and back to the States giving Sins As Scarlet a very different vibe. This isn’t a bad thing, both books are enjoyable, but it is worth mentioning. It will be interesting to see where book three takes us and I look forward to reading it.

Good storyline, however I found my mind wandering throughout. Would be good to develop characters further to prevent confusion when changing focus of story and switching between storyline and fiction within story.

Another great book from the author of Blue Light Yokahama. Not set in Japan this time but Los Angeles which seems to be in a state of moral decline. Clever police procedures and very dark in places but enjoyable.

Love it, love it, love it. Dark and evocative; a good old-fashioned crime thriller. Not so keen on LA compared to the locations of the first book, but still a worthy follow up. Kosuke Iwata is definitely my favourite PI.

This the second in the fascinating series by Nicolas Obregon featuring the Japanese American Inspector Kosuke Iwata. Kosuke has returned to Los Angeles after the dramatic turn of events in his last case in Japan. He may have returned, but he cannot escape his haunting and traumatic past. He is now working as a private investigator following cheating spouses for a living. Murder is to cross his path once more when familial connections results in Charlotte Nichol demanding that he look into the murder of transgender 29 year old Julian/Meredith whose dead body was found close to rail tracks. Charlotte is unhappy with the LAPD investigation led by Detective Joseph Silke and Kosuke cannot refuse her, he owes her as he takes on a case that is emotionally harrowing and heartbreaking, which takes him to the US border country and Mexico.

Kosuke's mother, Nozomi, lives close by and the two meet regularly, but a barrier exists, Kosuke cannot find it in his heart to forgive her for abandoning him as a child. Nozomi's past in Japan is slowly revealed, a story that ends in trauma. Kosuke's wife, Cleo and his daughter, Nina's fate leaves him consumed by guilt and feeling overwhelmed by his sins, excerpts of their tragic lives are interspersed in the narrative. As Kosuke tries to find out more about Meredith, it soon becomes clear from the information acquired from his prosecutor friend, Kate Floccari, that someone is murdering transgender women. He meets the enigmatic transgender Mara, and tries to warn her of the danger she is in but to no avail. When the case connects Meredith and others to surgeries carried out at Fox Hills Feminazation, Kosuke follows the trail to Mexico, to Cuidad Cabral, and the US borderlands, uncovering the most heinous of crimes and corruption, the worst of humanity's underbelly preying on the desperate for profit with no compunction whatsoever.

Kosuke puts his life on the line as once again he finds himself in desperate danger, but he is unwavering in his pursuit of the truth, putting little value on his life, this helps him assuage some of his own personal sins to reveal the more damning scarlet blood drenched sins of others. He eventually comes to understand what happened to his mother, who his father is and has the opportunity dangled in front of him to gain vengeance, but the mountain of suffering and tragedy that has unfolded around him pushes his energies in a different and more fruitful direction. This is fantastic storytelling with a grippingly flawed central character that has me determined to follow what happens to him next. A brilliant read that I highly recommend. Many thanks to Penguin Michael Joseph for an ARC.

I enjoyed Nicolás Obregón's debut novel Blue Light Yokohama which was set in Tokyo. The Japanese setting and cultural differences helped make it interesting. In Sins as Scarlet, there have been big changes in the life of Inspector Kosuke Iwata.

He is no longer an inspector with the Tokyo Homicide Department. He's no longer a Police Detective. Having left Japan in 2011 with almost nothing, he's now living in Los Angeles and working as a private investigator, mostly providing evidence of cheating husbands and wives to his clients. He has also reconnected with his mother Nozomi although the relationship still seems a bit distant and a lot of things are left unsaid. You get the feeling Iwata is fairly self-contained.

When his late wife's mother comes into his office demanding that Iwata investigates her son's recent murder, he feels he has no choice but to investigate. Julian had transitioned into Meredith years before and the Police were treating it as just another hate crime, saying terrible things about Meredith and basically doing nothing.

The investigation takes Iwata into some dark, dangerous and violent places and also
across the US – Mexican border. He uncovers crimes involving more missing transgender women and is taken into a world of corruption, exploitation and human trafficking and puts himself in extreme danger.

As well as the present day investigation, we're also taken back to Tokyo 1975 to learn of his mother's story and everything she endured; how she came to abandon Iwata in a Japanese orphanage and then came back to get him with her new husband years later. I liked this as it filled in a few things that were hinted at in the earlier book.

We also learn a bit about Iwata's (now) late wife and child and what happened to them and I felt it kind of explained some of Iwata's issues and later actions.

It's quite a complex, layered story. At times there was more violence and brutality than I would normally want to read about but I find Iwata quite a compelling character. He's tenacious and a skilled detective but also very self contained and reluctant to let people get too close but by the end of the book I thought I could see a hint of some softening at the edges.

If there's a third book in the series I suspect we might find a slightly different Iwata.

Never be content to sit back and watch as others' rights are trampled upon. Your rights could be next.”
― DaShanne Stokes

One of the things that I enjoyed about Nicolás Obregón’s previous book ‘Blue Light Yokohama’ was that it was set in Japan, and therefore afforded new experiences for the reader. His latest offering ‘Sins As Scarlet’ is set in LA, but you know something? I enjoyed this one just as much. I guess that means that it’s the protagonist Inspector Kosuke Iwata that is the main attraction!

Former homicide detective Kosuke is now working in LA as a private investigator, mainly covering the mundane 'cheating spouse' cases, but all that is about to change when his wife's sister Meredith is found strangled on the train tracks in a seedy part of town. Was she targeted because she was transgender, or was she in the wrong place at the wrong time? Well that's what Kosuke will have to find out, but in the process he discovers that LA is not the eponymous 'City of Angels' - but a very dark and dangerous place that will lead him to the depths of hell before he's done.

This book deals with some really important and sensitive issues, not least gender, exploitation, corruption, and man's inhumanity to man ( human rights abuse comes very much under the microscope) The trail will take Kosuke from the underbelly of LA to the desert landscapes of the Mexican borderlands, with some heartbreaking scenes that are hard to witness, as part of his journey.

I'm really beginning to love Kosuke Iwata - he's far from perfect, but there's a lot of love hiding behind that gruff and angry exterior. The author has really developed his characters this time around, including compelling details about Kosuke’s mother, and if you've not read the wonderful 'Blue Light Yokohama' don't worry as there is sufficient back story to read this one as a standalone. The plot was extremely involved yet gripping, and the author writes with great clarity - it was easy flowing and matter of fact, and even though Kosuke's view of his own personal life leaves little time for anything or anyone else, Obregón manages to bring great appeal to his protagonist. Would definitely recommend.

* Thank you to Netgalley, and Penguin UK - Michael Joseph for my ARC, I have given an honest, unbiased review in exchange*

This was a well written book, the subject matter was very disturbing, and it isn't for those with a nervous disposition. I enjoyed the authors previous novel, which was very different. It definitely got me thinking which is one of the reasons I enjoyed it. Recommended

I enjoyed Blue Light Yokohama, the first novel featuring Kosuke Iwata, and was very much looking forward to this follow-up. Whilst it is certainly a fast-paced thriller and had plenty to say about the state of modern America, I have to admit to feeling just slightly underwhelmed by it. It is dark, yes, and the book deals with big issues – gender, human trafficking, mental illness, and suicide, for example – but the plot feels a little unbelievable and Iwata becomes almost James Bond-like in his ability to get out of every difficult situation; I almost expected someone to say ‘no Mr Iwata, I expect you to die’ when he is tied-up at one point!

Having left Japan, Iwata now lives as a private investigator in Los Angeles, a city that is a nightmarish, Dante-esque vision of 21st century America. The narration mimics classic film noir in the style of, say, Dashiell Hammett, with Iwata the cynical, down beaten PI mixing with those at the fringes of society to find the answers. Indeed, in a classic noir scenario, the main action starts when a woman from his past walks into his office just as he is closing to ask him to take on a case….. Only this woman is his ex-mother-in-law and she needs him to find out why her transgender son was murdered.

As I said, the plot spirals into wider issues, and involves Iwata travelling to Mexico and being smuggled back in to the US as an illegal immigrant, but I just wasn’t convinced by the reality of it all. But do you need to be? The book is certainly a page-turner, and if you are looking for a hard-boiled, dark noir thriller then this is the perfect read. There were nice touches as we learned more about Iwata’s background, and the darkly troubled past with his mother and then later with his wife and child. Iwata’s fragility and faults are never excused, often cruelly exposed, in a fictional world where there is, frankly, unremitting bleakness and evil.

I guess I am conflicted by the book; it is a pacey read and does indeed have things to say about modern-day society and America in particular (towards the end we see a homeless woman in a doorway, wrapped in newspapers blazoned with the face of Donald Trump). On the other hand, I found the noir style overdone to the point of becoming a cliché, and the plot was pretty outlandish. But, and I guess this is testimony to Obregon’s characters, when the novel ends and the prospect of a next book is dangled in front of us, I know that I will want to read it when it comes out. It is the character of Iwata that is Obregon’s greatest success – a flawed, damaged individual lost between two worlds, a true outsider.