NIGHTSHADE: AN eBOOK REVIEW

GIVEAWAY ENDED
NIGHTSHADE

An Only In Tokyo Mystery

eBOOK BY JONELLE PATRICK

ABOUT THE BOOK:

First in an all-new series of mysteries that could happen only in Tokyo...

Yumi Hata went to school in the U.S., but now—back in Tokyo, living with her parents  and working as an English translator—she no longer fits in with the fiercely traditional Japanese. If not for her friend Rika, Yumi would feel completely isolated, so when Rika is found dead—suspected of jisatsu, taking part in a suicide pact—Yumi is devastated.

Fortunately, the police investigator in charge of Rika’s case is Yumi’s old schoolmate Kenji, who also wants to clear Rika’s name. As Yumi and Kenji dig up more evidence, they discover that Rika’s “suicide” is not what it seemed.

Chasing Rika’s murderer, Yumi and Kenji encounter doll-faced Lolita fashionistas, trendy bars inhabited by the social elite, and the dark side of a suicide pact website. The clock is ticking as they race to find the killer before the next victim is targeted...
Includes more than two dozen photos of Japan!

AN EXCERPT FROM NIGHTSHADE:

Chapter 1

Friday, April 5

9:00 p.m.

The girl walked toward him across the moon-silvered parking lot, the long ribbons on her tiny black top hat fluttering behind. As she passed through the shadow of the looming Komagome Shrine, all he could see was the glow of white lace on the stiff petticoat peeking out from under her flouncy black frock.

She just wanted someone to hold her hand, so she didn’t have to be alone anymore.

He smiled. Holding girls’ hands for the very last time was his specialty.

•

Chapter 2

Saturday, April 6

8:00 a.m.

Yumi

“Yumi, it’s time to get up! You’ll be late!”

Pulling her pillow over her head, Yumi groaned. She was never going to drink again. Never. At least not at the Mad Hatter with Rika’s Goth-Lolita friends. The ones she’d been with last night looked like little girls in their Bo-Peep frocks, but they could put away cocktails like sumo wrestlers. Yumi wasn’t a Lolita herself, but her best friend had been dragging her along for so many years she’d become an honorary member of their Circle. If Rika hadn’t left so early for her mysterious date last night, they’d have gone home together as usual at a reasonable hour and Yumi wouldn’t have this pounding—

To finish reading the excerpt from NIGHTSHADE, visit author Jonelle Patrick's website HERE.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR:

Jonelle Patrick divides her time between Tokyo and San Francisco and speaks Japanese well enough to go everywhere from kabuki theatres to maid cafes.  In addition to writing the next book in the series, she chronicles amusing cultural oddities in her blog Only in Japan and runs The Tokyo Guide I Wish I’d Had website, which features photos, directions, and descriptions of off-the-beaten-path destinations that visitors don’t usually get to see unless taken by a local.  Visit her online at www.jonellepatrick.com.

MY THOUGHTS/REVIEW:  

Jonelle Patrick’s first book in her new Only In Tokyo Mystery Series is NIGHTSHADE. I read this as an eBook and must say I was pleasantly surprised. This debut showed an author who appeared to have much more experience than to be writing her first novel. The extensive background Patrick includes about the culture of Japan is fascinating and one can tell how much of herself is put into her work. The main plot is that of Yumi and Kenji trying to prove that their friend Rika didn’t commit suicide but rather she was murdered.

Yumi had been attending school in the U.S., only to return to Tokyo to work as an English translator, and then feel like a stranger in her own land. She just didn‘t feel like she fit in anymore with the time-honored Japanese customs. If not for her friend Rika, Yumi would have really felt alone and like the outsider she had become. However, when suddenly Rika is found dead, Yumi can’t believe it! People say Rika took part in a suicide pact known as jisatsu but Rika doesn’t believe it. Luckily an old school friend, Kenji, is with the police who are investigating the case. It is their mission to prove that Rika would never do this.

Along with a suspenseful murder mystery, readers will enjoy the extra side stories of friendship and even some romance. The well developed characters are the kind you want to read more about and will do so hopefully as author Patrick is supposed to continue the series. NIGHTSHADE is a fast paced, fun read and will draw you in right away. I look forward to the next Jonelle Patrick installment!

GIVEAWAY

I ENJOYED THIS BOOK SO MUCH, AND

ALTHOUGH MY FRIENDS AT PENGUIN GAVE

ME AN eBOOK TO READ, THERE ISN'T A 

PAPER COPY TO GIVE AWAY SO I HAVE

DECIDED TO GIVE AWAY A KINDLE COPY

MYSELF TO ONE LUCKY READER.

 
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