• The Moving Blade

  • Detective Hiroshi Series, Book 2
  • By: Michael Pronko
  • Narrated by: Peter Berkrot
  • Length: 10 hrs and 44 mins
  • 4.6 out of 5 stars (15 ratings)

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The Moving Blade  By  cover art

The Moving Blade

By: Michael Pronko
Narrated by: Peter Berkrot
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Publisher's summary

When the top American diplomat in Tokyo, Bernard Mattson, is killed, he leaves more than a lifetime of successful Japan-American negotiations. He leaves a missing manuscript, boxes of research, a lost keynote speech and a tangled web of relations.

When his alluring daughter, Jamie, returns from America wanting answers, finding only threats, Detective Hiroshi Shimizu is dragged from the safe confines of his office into the street-level realities of Pacific Rim politics.

With help from ex-sumo wrestler Sakaguchi, Hiroshi searches for the killer from back alley bars to government offices, through anti-nuke protests to military conspiracies. When two more bodies turn up, Hiroshi must choose between desire and duty, violence or procedure, before the killer silences his next victim.

The Moving Blade is the second in the Tokyo-based Detective Hiroshi series by award-winning author Michael Pronko.

Awards for The Moving Blade

Named One of Kirkus Reviews Best Indie Mysteries and Thrillers (2018)

Grand Prize Winner Chanticleer International Book Awards Global Thrillers (2018)

Gold Award Literary Titan Book Award (2018)

Five Star Honoree B.R.A.G. Medallion (2018)

Gold Award Independent Publisher Awards for Mystery (2019)

Finalist Best Book Awards (2018)

Finalist The Wishing Shelf Book Awards (2018)

Honorable Mention Reader Views Literary Awards (2018-9)

©2018 Michael Pronko (P)2021 Michael Pronko

What listeners say about The Moving Blade

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    4 out of 5 stars

Another great story of detective Hiroshi

Detective Hiroshi takes us for a full immersion to Tokyo . The plot is rather complex , but the different characters are nicely carved out and make the story progress nicely . I thoroughly the book enjoyed although i was hoping that more space is given to Hiroshi personal life, his demons and his memories.
And now on to the third episode of the serie.

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Listener received this title free

A superb award-winning mystery, now as audiobook

The Moving Blade is the second book in the award-winning Detective Hiroshi series of Murder Mysteries set in Tokyo, Japan. As you may know, if you follow my blog, I am in love with this series, with its characters, and with the exotic location. Below you’ll find my short and spoiler free impressions about this great Thriller from one of my favorite authors.

Michael Pronko is a Professor of literature at a prestigious Tokyo university and he has been living in Japan for more than 20 years. I found his insights into the Japanese culture very interesting and it is evident how much he loves and respects their customs and beliefs.

All of the above are reflected once again in this well written story, making the experience richer and completely immersive for everyone. When a high-ranking US diplomat is found dead in Tokyo and the signs indicate that the causes weren’t natural, Detective Hiroshi Shimizu of the Tokyo Police Department is sent to investigate, but when he meets the victim’s young and beautiful daughter, the case gets even more interesting.

Filled with drama, murder, conspiracies, a bit of romance, police work and even occasional comedy to ease the tension, The Moving Blade is a roller coaster of adventures that keeps the listener on the edge of their seat from the first minute to the last.

Peter Berkrot returns once again to the Detective Hiroshi Series and delivers a flawless and pitch perfect performance. For those who don’t know, Peter is a multiple award-winning narrator and a respected member of the audiobooks community.

He has recorded over 500 audiobooks to date, and his experience and skills are put to good use for this challenging series. Peter manages to strike the perfect balance between the storyteller and the characters who live the adventures.

The entire Detective Hiroshi Series is narrated by Peter, so although I recommend The Moving Blade, I highly encourage you to pick up all the other audiobooks.

As you well know, I love Michael Connelly’s Harry Bosch, and I find Michael Pronko‘s Detective Hiroshi the most relatable and similar character in literature.

So, if you are in the mood for a change of scenery from L.A. to Tokyo, and if you want to live new adventures, driven by great character development, a captivating plot and peppered with interesting facts about a different culture, youcan;t go wrong with The Moving Blade!

To put it simply, this is an award-winning novel written by a multiple award-winning author and narrated by a multiple award-winning voiceover artist!
I hope that you liked this review and will consider leaving a helpful vote below. Thank you for your time, take care, stay safe and happy listening!

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