Book Synopsis:
The streets of Tokyo are different at night. There is darkness behind the glitter and the neon lights, and people who prefer to stay in the shadows, to dwell in the underworld – whores, gangsters, the homeless, the lost. People like Sato. He’s part of this world, he always has been, but a feeling of change is lingering in the heavy air of the bustling city. A feeling brought to life by fateful encounters of solitary souls.
Shadow Shinjuku is a dark, yet magical journey into the depths of Tokyo’s nightlife and the depths of the human soul. Ryu Takeshi’s first novel is both a crime thriller and urban fantasy. It’s a unique and mesmerizing blend of the imagery of Japanese animation and film, the colors and details of street photography, and the mystical lyricism of soulful music. But above everything, it is a gripping story that doesn’t let go.
Shadow Shinjuku is available in ebook and paperback now. You can purchase your copy using the links below.
Extract:
Every time I look at Tokyo’s lights from above, loneliness engulfs me. I see life resisting darkness down there, but I can’t feel it. It’s too far away. Even the sounds are muffled, and an endless sea rumbles between me and the ground below. Sometimes, I can see it, its shallow waves steadily rising and falling, and no reflections escaping the murky surface.
That night was no different, and after a few seconds, I had to turn away from the window. I wanted to light up, but I couldn’t. New rules. I clenched my fists, and I looked around. Everything was made of concrete. Grey and cold. Only the dark green of the carpet struggled against the emptiness of the space. There was no light, just what leaked in through the windows, and the pallid red of the “EXIT” sign at the end of the corridor.
My watch showed half-past midnight. I had been waiting for nearly half an hour to see the boss. He liked to make people wait. Uncertainty was his favorite weapon, or rather the fear it created, and he used it with everyone, in every possible way. Like the desolate corridors in front of his office.
Finally, the door swung open:
‘Please, come in,’ Kobayashi-san said.
I put my hands in my pockets and walked in. I had a hundred-yen coin in my right pocket. I took it between my thumb and index finger and rubbed it gently.
As I reached the door, I stopped to look at the nameplate. “Akira Yamaguchi”. Most people knew the name, and most people feared it. Even Kobayashi-san. I was one of the few who didn’t. I feared something else.
About The Author:
Ryu loves to write. It’s a way for him to find and explore new worlds, both inner ones and those way outside. And this process is spontaneous and instinctive, his stories born out of a single image, following a path Ryu himself never fully understands – not its origin, nor its end -, immersed in the magic of the moment, and the magic of everything that surrounds us, the visible and the invisible. Ryu is a daydreamer, a believer in the magic of humanity, a friend to all the mystical creatures of the night, and a sucker for the visual beauty of anime. But above all else, Ryu is just a human being, like yourself. Ryu was born in 1983, has a beautiful wife, a funny little dog, and a lovely daughter. He adores sumo, practices traditional kenjutsu, sometimes plays basketball (Go Denver Nuggets!), relaxes playing video games, watching anime and reading books. Oh, and he loves to eat! But who doesn’t…
Over The Rainbow Blog 
Thank you so much for opening the tour and sharing this extract xx
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