Review: Tokyo Traffic by Michael Pronko

Detective Hiroshi returns for another tantalizing dive into the underbelly of Japanese culture and crime in Tokyo Traffic by Michael Pronko. From the seedy dungeons of pornography rings to the beating heart of Tokyo’s moneyed class, this detective thriller is raw and gripping, told by a confident, complex, and creative author.

The gruff sleuth at the center of these mysteries is pursuing a new case- a brutal murder tied to the insidious porn and human trafficking rings of Tokyo. It is clear from the start that this is a triggering topic for Hiroshi, something that brings out a primal rage, and that intensity drives much of his revelatory plot line.

However, young Sukanya is captivating in a different way as she navigates unfamiliar streets, one eye always over her shoulder, knowing that influential and merciless powers are hunting her down. She is a born survivor though, armed with both charm and savagery, and is learning how to live on the run, making it up as she goes along.

As these two characters’ journeys converge, the scope of conspiracy swells, forcing them to decide what they want for their future, and what they’re willing to risk to get justice. Sukanya’s connection to Chiho is sweet and charming, while the buddy cop dynamic of Takamatsu, Sakaguchi, and Hiroshi is relatable, though their friendship feels quite unique. The procedural aspects of a detective case combined with the methodical schemes of Sukanya build and maintain tension well; readers know that the culmination of the story is going to be dramatic, and they will not be disappointed.

On the more technical side, Pronko is deeply in tune with emotional language and human connection. Moments of intimacy and closeness are told with the same authenticity as the most gritty and suspenseful passages in the prose. This flexibility and consistent believability in the characters’ interactions is rare, but the realism rarely slips in these pages. Hiroshi becomes even more deeply developed from the first two novels, proving himself to be both intrepid and flawed – a relatable hero that people will want to continue following through his escapades and tireless pursuits.

As has been true for all of the Detective Hiroshi novels, Pronko beautifully captures the alluring and mysterious essence of Tokyo. There is a patience in the writing that mirrors the slower pace of Eastern behavior – a consideration for easily overlooked details and subtle emotions lying just beneath the dialogue. The city itself is a living, breathing character, the result of the author’s two decades living in Japan. Such a thorough immersion in a culture and people allows for an unusually intimate understanding of the cultural nuance and minutiae, which makes the reading experience rich and addictive, particularly for those who have no connection to daily life in far-flung places.

As both a love letter to Japan and a bold condemnation of certain human rights crises still alive and well in our modern world, Tokyo Traffic is a superlative addition to the Detective Hiroshi series.