{"product_id":"tokyo-juku-9781942410393","title":"Tokyo Juku","description":"\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eA cram school. A murdered teacher. A city full of secrets.\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eEighteen-year-old Mana is desperate to escape failure in Japan's unforgiving exam culture. After a year of defeat, she throws herself into sleepless nights at a Tokyo cram school. But one late night, a study break changes everything. Her teacher-the man who gave her hope-lies murdered in a classroom. Suddenly, Mana isn't chasing test scores. She's fighting for her life. \u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e \u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e Detective Hiroshi Shimizu, a forensic accountant assigned to homicide, is thrust into the investigation. The classroom tragedy spirals into a labyrinth of financial deceptions and power struggles within Japan's billion-yen education machine. The media is ready to condemn Mana. Bureaucrats are eager for a scapegoat. The new homicide chief wants a win. Hiroshi learns that in Tokyo's high-pressure exam world, truth is the hardest test of all.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e \u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e Fast-paced, atmospheric, and insightful, \u003cem\u003eTokyo Juku\u003c\/em\u003e is a gripping Tokyo crime thriller-perfect for fans of gritty mysteries, layered characters, detective novels, and the collision of youth and corruption in modern Japan.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\"Pronko's knowledge of Japanese life is simply extraordinary-with painstaking care, he limns its shadowy contours and ambiguities.\" KIRKUS REVIEWS\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\"Pronko lives, breathes, and captures the streets and culture of Tokyo.\" MIDWEST BOOK REVIEW\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eAbout the Author\u003c\/b\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003e\u003ci\u003ePronko, Michael:\u003c\/i\u003e\u003c\/b\u003e - Michael Pronko is a Tokyo-based writer of murder, memoir and music. He writes the Detective Hiroshi series of detective mysteries set in Tokyo and the Tokyo Moments series about Tokyo life. Both series have won awards and five-star reviews. Michael also runs the website, Jazz in Japan, which covers the vibrant jazz scene in Tokyo. He teaches American Literature and Film at Meiji Gakuin University. His seminars focus on contemporary novels, American culture, and film adaptations. During his nearly 30 years in Japan, he has written about Japanese culture, art, society and politics for Newsweek Japan, The Japan Times, and Artscape Japan and appeared on NHK TV and Nippon Television about his writings.","brand":"Raked Gravel Press","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":51721009266962,"sku":"9781942410393","price":18.99,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0831\/4771\/8930\/files\/img_c8717b61-3252-4358-8bd2-04a2c248dc05.jpg?v=1762946291","url":"https:\/\/surprise-castle.myshopify.com\/products\/tokyo-juku-9781942410393","provider":"Surprise Castle","version":"1.0","type":"link"}