Grab Sins As Scarlet Executed By Nicolás Obregón Viewable As Edition

! Just finished it and OMG, it was so good !
I was really happy to read another novel with Inspector Iwata and it didn't disappoint !
The story is a bit different from what we see in Blue Light Yokohama but it's not a bad thing.
On the contrary, I'm quite satisfied happy ! with what the author chose to do with the story and where he made it happen because, by doing so, he tackled some heavy, very interesting and sensitive subjects.
It was a rollercoaster of emotions and the ending left me breathless and a crying mess,
I can only say this : it was more than worth the wait and I hope that a third book with Iwata won't be long in coming ! Really enjoyed this the setting is a character grittiness amp desperation Im not a fan of detective books.
Or, I am I can be, I dont give much heft for the entire genre, I must say that, But, at the same time, when you have something as beautiful as “The Big Sleep” which has been imitated and loved by millions of people, why not try to love another detective book

I dig Conan Doyles Sherlock Holmes canon.
 The canon. Ill probably never find anything like them again, but Im admittedly not a booknoir maven like some, I dig some Warren Ellis, Some truecrime shit too, as with David Grann,

I liked Obregóns “Blue Light Yokohama“, which was in equal parts interesting for its style and language the former for jumping in time, and the latter for the author using twists and turns that provided thoughts more leaning towards David Foster Wallace thanMarlowe.


“Sins as Scarlet” leans towards the same two paragons as the first book did: you get the hardboiled, tersely written action, paired with the inner workings of Obregóns protagonist, Inspector Iwata, as well as dense jumps between two different time periods, thes and the todays.


The book wins by being different, Still, this is also why Ill leave the boat when a formula becomes restrictive enough to choke, thats enough for me the mechanics used to show that this is really a scene set in thes, that turned all too much.
It all made me kind of expect that to spiral lazily, e, g. that thered be pictures of all things popculturesque in the middle of the book,

Anyway, this is a dense ride through the ages, while literally providing a soundtrack for the reader, as Obregón is prone to constantly songdropping the shit out of every chapter.


This is quite the oldschool companion to something like Aidan Truhens “The Price You Pay“, a slightly more eclectic and bubblegumy detective story, I wish thered been more Christopher Brookmyre in this book, Really I give this a,. It is a crime or detective novel, There is a definite crime committed and a private or professional investigator on the trail, But it is so much more, The writing is superb. Oregon manages three separate storylines plus part of a novella with perfect balance, The overall theme seems to be about belonging or not belongingto a group, a family, a community, a country, It is a study of belonging and not belonging including transgender people, the homeless, sex workers, the mentally ill and immigrants both documented and undocumented, It is moving and without self pity, I loved the first novel of this series and was not let down by this one, I have become quite attached to Kosuke Iwata and hope to see where he goes from here, I love a good old detective thriller and this one did not disappoint,

Kosuke Iwata is in the topof my favourite detectives, along side Logan Mcrae and Will Trent, He is a very interesting character and the book showed a lot of depth, I enjoyed it a lot and would recommend it 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 Obregóns 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 its 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 Kosukes 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 Dark detective Noir,

Intense and shocking we follow Kosuke Iwata through the dark underbelly of America, Mexico and his past,

Now living in Los Angeles Iwata is confronted by his ex motherinlaw who demands the solves the murder of her son who has been brutally killed, Compelled, Kosuke still filled with pain and guilt over the death of his wife and child heads into an abyss of corruption and horror to solve the case,

Interspersed with this we delve into Kosukes past and that of the mother who abandoned him but now wants to make amends,

Sins as Scarlet is complex and multi layered as Iwata uncovers the true horrors surrounding his brother in laws murder and the truth about his own past.
He confronts demons both past and present,

Oregon takes us on an emotional journey leaving the reader to wonder what if any kind of peace there can be at the end,

This is a worthy follow up to the brilliant, Blue Light Yokohama, With strong characters and plot and a great sense of pace, it can be read as a stand alone but is richer for reading Blue Light first,

Not for the faint hearted but a great read,
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 transgenderyear 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, Honestly I expected more from this because I loved Blue Light Yokohama, I guess it just wasnt for me,

The writing was messy and filled with banal details that were not related to the story, Too many subplots were going on at once,with none of them being fleshed out, The author seemed to focus on all the wrong things here versus the nice flow of his previous book,

I was really looking forward to this book but was let down, I am a huge fan of diverse novels and you dont 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 secondgeneration Japanese American citizen, He currently lives in Torrance in California, Iwatas 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

K 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, Iwatas 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 Charlottes 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 wont 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,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 theyll pay you a thousand dollars for a kiss andcents 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 Merediths 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 dont think hes 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 cant get Merediths 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.

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