Author: Amy Tasukada
Publisher: Macarons & Tea Publishing
Length: 405 Pages
Category: Contemporary, Crime Fiction, Mystery/Suspense
At a Glance: The Yakuza Path series is just amazing, with Japan and the Japanese culture and the different celebrations. It’s a great mystery with complex twists and turns, and will keep you on the edge of your seat.
Reviewed By: Maryann
Blurb: A bag of drugs. A twisted cop. A mob on the verge of self-destruction…
Nao Murata is the new Godfather of the Matsukawa syndicate. When Detective Yamada confronts Nao over a dead drug dealer, the Nao knows his organization isn’t responsible. The Matsukawa doesn’t deal drugs… or does it?
When Nao discovers drugs in a locker owned by his syndicate, he no longer knows who to trust. With the police bearing down on the Matsukawa, Nao must make unlikely allies to find out the truth. Can he discover who is betraying him before time runs out, or will everyone suffer for a crime he didn’t commit?
Review: After his father’s death, Nao Murata becomes Godfather of the Matsukawa syndicate. Being a troubled youth, his education was neglected as he became a yakuza of the syndicate, and as time went on, he became one of its most dangerous fighters. When he lost his lover, Shinya, Nao blamed himself for not being able to protect him, and left the yakuza for four years. His life became uncomplicated, celibate, and he owned his own tea shop. He loved the tradition and the city of Kyoto. But then, his life became complicated once more when he met Saehyun, and got entangled in the drug and territory war between the Korean and Japanese mafia.
As the Godfather, the drug and territory war between the Japanese and Koreans continues. Besides the constant protection of his bodyguard, Kurosawa, and the business of the syndicate, Nao has to face the reality that he’s been lied to and set-up to fail. He doesn’t know who he can trust, and he has a deadline hanging over his head, as the police want someone to blame for the drug deaths.
Nao is determined to get the drugs off the street of his beloved Kyoto, and bring the guilty to justice. He’s smart in his own way, and forms a unique little band of allies. But with danger around every corner, his health is at risk too.
The Yakuza Path series is just amazing, with Japan and the Japanese culture and the different celebrations. I give you fair warning, though; it’s violent, so it may not be for the squeamish, but it’s a great mystery with complex twists and turns, and will keep you on the edge of your seat. The cast of characters is absolutely great, and the story keeps you guessing at who will bring Nao and the syndicate down.
I highly recommend reading the first novel in this series, Blood Stained Tea, but be prepared because it’s not for the faint of heart either. I’m absolutely looking forward to later this year, and book three in the series, One Thousand Cranes.
You can buy Better Than Suicide here:
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