Like its predecessors, this third Billy Chaka crime novel (after Hokkaido Popsicle) is an exuberant mix of urban noir and anime-style action, salted with cheeky humor. Billy Chaka is an American journalist based in Cleveland who writes for a magazine called Youth in Asia
(pun intentional). His new assignment is to travel to Tokyo and interview a has-been rock singer, Gombei Fukagawa, for a "Where Are They Now?" piece. Fukagawa is a pachinko (Japanese pinball) addict, and while Chaka is interviewing him at the Lucky Benten pachinko parlor, a young woman nearby suffers a seizure. Chaka calls for an ambulance and leaves his name, which sets off a series of events that range from mysterious to surreal to deadly. Over the next few days, Chaka is like a ball in a pachinko machine: tossed about Tokyo, in and out of life-threatening situations, constantly on the move and never knowing what will happen next. Miyuki, the girl who suffered the seizure, turns up dead. Her true identity and her relationship to a wealthy businessman, an underground bookseller and other intriguing characters become the focus of the story, which also involves a priceless objet d'art dating back to the American bombings of Tokyo near the end of WWII. Chaka flashes his trademark deadpan, Chandleresque wit ("she was calendar material, the type that made you wish there were 15 months in a year") and suffers a constant barrage of inventive physical injuries at the hands of both friends and enemies. Adamson sticks close to the hybrid formula he has perfected; his fans will find this a familiar but welcome addition to his oeuvre. 3-city author tour. (June)
