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 noir 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.

What readers are saying:

***** - "Shadow Shinjuku thrilled me from start to finish and as I read the book I couldn't help but get lost in its pages and the world of Tokyo."

***** - "This book completely absorbed every bit of me. You realise pretty quickly that to every light there's a dark place that contains a variety of wrong people. People who struggle, get by and are just ignored. The adventure that Sato goes on is incredible, you get the excitement and intensity that all great thrillers give you. However, this was incredibly unique with the modern fantasy style taking over. The combination of the two worked perfectly. I was so quickly gripped by the plot of the story it shocked me. This is a quite big read too so for it to keep my interest throughout was amazing."

***** - "Shadow Shinjuku is very entertaining, but also deep and emotional at the same time. Its strength is its impeccable pace, but also the captivating story, and the atmosphere the author managed to create and sustain throughout the book."

***** - "Let Ryu Takeshi take you on a ride in his mystical, yet so relatable world, where one seeks to find the answer to the human psyche, and if we really are masters of our own destiny."

***** - "The mystery here is very subtle, however for me it was a very thrilling driver and made me flip pages twice as fast as normal to uncover the solution."

**** - "Shadow Shinjuku is an atmospheric, gritty, gripping noir thriller and urban fantasy mash-up with a distinctly Japanese feel that easily drew me into its dark streets and neon lights"

**** - "This book slowly but relentlessly pulled me in as I'd never read anything like this before."

**** - "It is the kind of crime thriller that grabs hold of you and doesn't let you go. I have read a lot of crime thrillers and this is one that stands out by miles! It is beautifully written, the illustrations are amazing . To say that it is the authors first book....wow it is an absolute triumph!"

**** - "This is one of those books where the setting is detailed enough that you feel amongst the world, it not only reminded me of being in Tokyo all those years ago but made me crave going back even more!! Whilst I mentioned the urban fantasy, don't doubt that this mystery is packed with lots of action and won't leave you once you finish the book. Overall, this was a great read!! I enjoyed the characters, the setting is honestly one of my favourites and the plot was brilliant!!"

**** - "I thoroughly enjoyed the world building, we get to see the dark, gritty, underbelly of Tokyo and I felt like I was there. The world building, plot line and characters all add up to an intriguing fantasy/crime thriller that is very different and fun as well."

**** - "What a highly original almost unique debut!"

**** - "Secret scrolls, duels, and a mystical world make "Shadow Shinjuku" a memorable read!"