Review:Idolmaker (Only In Tokyo, #3) by Jonelle Patrick

In the wake of a deadly disaster, has a killer seized a perfect opportunity to commit the perfect crime?
An earthquake strikes Tokyo, and when the dust settles, it’s discovered that the reason the Tabata Shrine’s head priest was late to perform a wedding is because he was dead. Detective Kenji Nakamura is assigned to investigate, but although all clues point to one of Japan’s most idolized pop stars as the prime suspect, he knows that’s impossible––the idol and her band were swept away in the tsunami following the quake.
Meanwhile, part-time English translator Yumi Hata discovers a shocking truth about the dead idol. As mourning fans whip themselves into a media frenzy, can she and Kenji track down the killer who’s desperate to protect the secret that will rock the Japanese entertainment industry more powerfully than any earthquake

I received this book via NetGalley to give an honest review.

When starting the book I was getting kind of confused with the characters as the names were a bit different for me and they seemed to run together at times. But after getting about a 1/4  of the way into the book I was able to distinguished the characters and the story started getting good. 

This book is part of a series but you can read them as a stand-alone which is really good. You start off with a murder and then you start on the path with Detective Kenja and Okai to finding out who did it. With the help of Yumi who I am not certain what her job is, but in this book she is a translator for some musicians. Now there is a bit of romance but it is not all the gushy stuff that you normally find in murder mysteries that involve a man and a woman. 

We get pulled into a world where a priest is murdered, a earthquake and a tsunami  hits, a guitarist is either missing or dead and the detectives have their hands full with trying to figure everything out. With Idoalmaker there is a lot of Japan's pop cultural that makes the story and I have to say I liked it truly. 

I enjoy Japanese inspired things and I was really glad that the author did a good job with creating the world, the traditions, and even using some of the words within the story. Though I didn't know what they meant I think the author could have probably used maybe a glossary lettings us readers know what the words meant. 

Overall a great story that I would highly recommend. I plan on reading more from this author to get a full grasps on the characters and the world that has been created in Japan. 

I live in Tokyo and San Francisco, although right now I’m in Tokyo for a year studying Japanese and doing important work such as eating at ninja restaurants and getting stranded at an all-night comic book cafe.
I'm always working on the next book in the Only in Tokyo mystery series, but every day I also write about weird stuff on my blog, "Only In Japan" and run "The Tokyo Guide I Wish I’d Had" website, which features photos, directions, and descriptions of off-the-beaten-path destinations. If you want to visit The Honorable Duck Butt of Sugamo or find out where to get a sundae made from eel-flavored ice cream, you know who to call.
Blog: http://jonellepatrick.meWebsite: http://www.jonellepatrick.comFacebook author page: http://on.fb.me/XlRhq7Twitter: @jonellepatrick(less)