Book Description
Searching for his missing brother in Prague, an American encounters a world of killers, gangsters, and ancient mysteries in a “satisfyingly twisted tale” (Publishers Weekly).
When American collections agent Lee Holloway receives a letter from a mysterious woman named Vera concerning his missing brother Paul, curiosity takes him to Prague in search of answers. But what he finds in the historic city’s looming shadows and cobbled streets is a mind-bending world of conspiracy and danger. A world where black magic and sixteenth-century alchemy aren’t just footnotes in history books. A world where gangsters with fairy-tale names and a bloodthirsty serial killer exist alongside grim reminders of Nazi invasion. And where a priceless watch named The Rudolph Complication—commissioned by an eccentric Roman emperor—is rumored to hold the secret to eternal life.
As Lee delves deeper into the question of Paul’s fate, he discovers unsettling truths about his brother . . . and himself. Now Lee must unravel the tangled threads of Paul’s last days if he wants to escape the ancient city alive.
Echoing with ghosts and mythic monsters from Europe’s storied past, this is a heart-pumping thrill ride into the very heart of darkness.
Praise For This Book
Praise for COMPLICATION: "A freshly imagined work, [Complication] boasts clever twists and revelations right up until the end." --Kirkus "Adamson's atmospheric and satisfyingly twisted tale... could easily have collapsed under the weight of its own complexity, but Adamson pulls it off with style and a whopper of a twist." --Publishers Weekly Praise for TOKYO SUCKERPUNCH: "The hip but hysterical book of my dreams-Adamson glides through his punk-noir world like he's channeling Raymond Chandler."-Baltimore Sun "This pop romp through the Tokyo of martial arts, yakuza, and legendary geisha has more sly smarts than a Hong Kong gangster shoot-'em-up."
-Publisher's Weekly Praise for HOKKAIDO POPSICLE: "Faux-Chandleresque pomo-picaresque and sort of engagingly, stubbornly goofy, these are novels written by someone young enough to never have thought in terms of "genre" in the first place." - William Gibson, author of Neuromancer, Idoru and Zero History "Billy Chaka's adventures are as vibrantly hypnotic as the best Japanese anime. Adamson's wild, witty whodunit deftly sends up the genre while providing extreme doses of excitement."
-Publisher's Weekly "Adamson, as he did in his book Tokyo Suckerpunch, evokes an animated Tokyo-as-Toontown that is simultaneously vivid, vibrant, gaudy and in glorious decline. It's a big adventure, but Adamson's teen rag writer takes it all with a shrug."
-Time Asia "well-written, observant and funny. Isaac Adamson does a high-wire act, balancing silliness with credibility."
-Asian Review of Books Chosen for Powell Books "14 Favorites" (Spring 2002)
Chosen as one of NewCity Chicago's Top 5 Books of 2002 Praise for DREAMING PACHINKO "Isaac Adamson paints an ultra-modern Tokyo that contrasts with its enigmatic history like neon against a dark sky. The characters resonate, the mystery engages, and the rich narrative takes us on a vivid tour through a culture that few of us will ever see. You can't ask for more than that from storyteller. "
-Christopher Moore
author of Lamb and Bloodsucking Fiends: A Love Story "[Dreaming Pachinko] blends noir atmosphere with broad satire; Adamson turns what might have been a fairly straightforward mystery into a splendid romp, an offbeat adventure with wacky characters, oddball dialogue, plenty of laughs, and style to spare. This over-the-top, delightfully weird series is well on its way to making the jump from cult favorite to mainstream success."
-Booklist May '01 2003 "Like its predecessors, this third Billy Chaka crime novel is an exuberant mix of urban noir and anime-style action, salted with cheeky humor- Chaka flashes his trademark deadpan, Chandleresque wit 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."
-Publisher's Weekly "Noir light: charming, funny, satisfying."
-Kirkus Review "Dreaming Pachinko" is full of vibrant images straight out of Tokyo and characters that are so 3D that your mind's eye will be bursting by the time you finish the last chapter. Every thing from a hotel receptionist with a handle bar mustache nicknamed "The Walrus" to a house that's so postmodern it makes the Cowboy-bebop world Adamson paints more lifelike while still retaining a wonderfully cinematic feel-Adamson's witty commentary and quirky character intermix with classic pulp fiction components to make a punky style all its own. "
-hybridmagazine.com "Adamson describes Chaka's Tokyo in ways that make us see the paradox of a city that exists halfway between a thickly tradition-laden past, and a shockingly Neon-Chrome future. This Tokyo is exotic, unfathomable, and decidedly non-Western. It's almost science fiction, almost pre-Blade Runner-put aside the wit, and the great descriptive voice and you're still left with a good old fashioned Whodunit. Dreaming Pachinko can be highly recommended to anyone."
-cinescape.com "A Dream of a hardboiled noir thriller-Chaka is a hero Generation X should love. Dreaming Pachinko is a fastball right down the middle, exciting and smart, puckish and suspenseful. Adamson should be read on beach blankets and anywhere else discriminating readers lie, sit, stand, hang, or squat."
-asianreporter.com "...an imaginative and fun and at times very wild ride through modern, formless, neon Tokyo. A great tale."
-japanvisitor.com Praise for KINKI LULLABY "With a shifty plot, shadowy settings, oddball characters and dollops of Bunraku lore sprinkled throughout, Kinki Lullaby is unfailingly entertaining."
-Washington Post "Anyone who has followed the Billy Chaka series knows that author Adamson's approach to crime fiction is innovative, dark, idiosyncratic and fast-paced. The rapid-fire conclusion of Kinki Lullaby cements Adamson as a name to watch."
-January Magazine "Adamson combines noir mystery style with elements of Japanese animation: weird characters, fast-paced plot, quirky humor. Even now, in its fourth book, the series still feels fresh and exciting, and the author's jokes still hit their mark. Billy's the kind of guy they ought to make a movie about-or, at the very least, put in hard covers for a change."
-Booklist "It's rather like Lost in Translation meets Raymond Chandler and The Big Sleep with Ridley Scott handling the visuals...Adamson manages to capture the pathos and ennui associated with overwhelming urbanization, and the story floats along like some sort of waking dream, a fevered fusion of noir sensibilities and madcap mayhem."
-PennLive.com "I must plead mea culpa to the cardinal sin of judging a book by its cover. Like the covers on Issac Adamson's predecessors, "Tokyo Sucker Punch" and "Hokkaido Popsicle," "Kinki Lullaby" is festooned with garish artwork, and I was forced to overcome a certain initial distaste to purchase and read it. I'm certainly glad I did: The book hums with lively prose that, title aside, won't put readers to sleep."
-JapanTimes
