Praise for the Book

'Brilliant.' New York Times

'Remarkable.' Irish Times

Setting and Plot

August 1946. One year on from surrender and Tokyo lies broken and bleeding at the feet of its American victors. Against this extraordinary historical backdrop, Tokyo Year Zero opens with the discovery of the bodies of two young women in Shiba Park.

Against his wishes, Detective Minami is assigned to the case; as he gets drawn ever deeper into these complex and horrific murders, he realises that his own past and secrets are indelibly linked to those of the dead women and their killer.

Reviews and Genre

'A feat of prodigious and intense imagination.' The Times

'A chilling tale of murder, corruption and post-war devastation.' Observer Books of the Year

Part historical stunner, part Kurosawa crime film, an original all the way.

— James Ellroy