Death in Little Tokyo: A Ken Tanaka Mystery

Rating:
Summary: Finally, an authentic Asian American voice in mysteries!
Review: 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

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

Rating:
Summary: Pretend to be a detective and you could get burned!!
Review: 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