Ninth Step Murders: Part 1

Ninth Step Murders, Book 1

By: Malka Older, Curtis C. Chen, Jacqueline Koyanagi, Fran Wilde

Narrated by: Emily Woo Zeller

In a near-future Tokyo, a Japanese investigator and US peacekeeper reluctantly join forces to solve a series of bizarre murders.

It's 2033 and Tokyo, partially occupied by China, is in a state of fear, distrust, and drone-enforced surveillance. When Detective Miyako Koreda is paired with Lieutenant Emma Higashi of the US Peacekeeping force, Miyako is annoyed by the obviously American-backed PR stunt. But as the city is ailed by a rise in gruesome crimes, Miyako and her new partner must quickly learn to trust each other as they race against the clock to investigate each case—which range from a missing shipment of dangerous weapons to a faceless body on the subway platform—all while dealing with frequent blackouts, local gangs, and underground resistance forces.

©2026 Malka Older (P)2026 Podium Audio