Midwest Book Review

Diane Donovan, Editor 

The Moving Blade

Michael Pronko

Raked Gravel Press

978-1-942410-16-4   $5.99 Kindle

The Moving Blade tells of a top diplomat’s murder, his puzzling legacy of connections and research, and a determined daughter’s return to Japan from America to ferret out the truth, aided by Tokyo detective Hiroshi Shimizu and ex-sumo wrestler Sakaguchi.

A powerful note is the fact that The Moving Blade is well steeped in Japanese history and culture: an unexpectedly delightful backdrop to an investigative ‘whodunnit’ mystery that actually teaches readers much about this culture and its people.

The fact that this is the second thriller in the detective Hiroshi series shouldn’t stymie newcomers, who will find the story requires no prior familiarity with either Japanese culture or Hiroshi’s efforts in order to prove immediately understandable and involving.

But the diplomat’s murder isn’t the only case on Hiroshi’s plate: when two more bodies surface, he faces a personal challenge to step outside his investigative approaches lest his usual methods prove futile in this extraordinary case.

The blend of personal dilemma over professional process is another facet that elevates The Moving Blade to something more than a light murder mystery. From the start, Michael Pronko weaves in cultural observations that enlighten readers about Japanese interactions.

One good example is the confrontation between Jamie, the diplomat’s daughter, and Hiroshi’s bureau chief, who initially wants to brush off any deep commitment to solving the crime because the diplomat was a foreigner and Jamie is a woman. (Hiroshi advises Jamie how to loudly make her case to convince the chief to take it [and her] more seriously in a way that Japanese women don’t do.)

Another is the Japanese style of censorship called ‘shelving the truth’: something that comes into play as events unwind and forces attempt to quash dead diplomat Mattson’s work so that it cannot be published. In Japan, power is wielded in a “…slow, steady, wear-you-down way.”  Readers come to recognize the strengths and applications of this power as the story unfolds.

From a vivid, uneven battle between a tanto sword and Hiroshi’s pipe to back alley battles and long-running feuds, half-Japanese daughter Jamie and Hiroshi find themselves on the fast track of involvement with military, political, and social forces alike.

“Maybes can lead to certainties”—but will the revelations come in time?

The action-packed plot, backed by solid research, makes for a story that is not just a dramatic whodunit piece, but a slice of life piece inspecting Japanese heart and minds. Readers who like their detective stories more than lightly flavored with cultural insight and history will relish The Moving Blade‘s ability to move in both worlds, adding the insights and flare that keep the story fast-paced and informative all in one.

Mystery and detective readers, and any with an affinity for Japanese culture, are in for a real treat, here.

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