Mysterious and multilayered, [ Lady Joker] gives readers extortion and kidnapping as it critiques the dark corners of Japanese society and the human experience.” Finally, a note on translation. I’ve heard it said that translators’ names should be on the cover, and that honor is well deserved here. Iida and Powell prove that English holds a world of words that showcase beauty, depth and highly specific meanings—far from the banal, undifferentiated language we native speakers oft accuse it of being. The English language edition of Lady Joker shows that translation is a high art form worthy of our deep respect and appreciation—especially given the need to bring Takamura’s industry-specific terminology and precision to life. Lady Joker’ was originally published as ‘Redi jōkā’ in Japan in 1997 and was translated from the Japanese by Marie Iida and Allison Markin Powell. Both volumes open with a handy Dramatis Personae. TL;DR: Cool book, lots of detail, complex characters. Slow at times, but in the end a captivating crime drama that educates as much as it entertains. Despite its lengthiness and detailing, this was actually a straightforward crime plotted retelling to me. I know how it'll go as I have read the Glico-Morinaga case previously. No plot twists whatsoever, the tension was average and I actually don't really find their motive that convincing enough (except for Monoi and Koh, and Nunokawa for his family problems) but I digress on this as I remembered Handa said; “…to few crimes it could be the devil made me do it.” Still wondering on how they planned and initiated this huge and complex crime as none of the 5 men appeared in the post-kidnapping scene but I guess I need to wait for volume 2 later to know more about it. 3 stars to this first volume!

Lady Joker, Volume One by Kaoru Takamura | Goodreads Lady Joker, Volume One by Kaoru Takamura | Goodreads

Hallelujah! Inspired by the real-life, still unsolved Glico-Morinaga kidnapping and extortion case that led to the nationwide hunt for ‘The Monster with Twenty-one Faces,’ Kaoru Takamura’s Lady Joker is at last available in translation; epic in its scale and vision, yet gripping from first to last, this is one of the great masterpieces of Japanese crime fiction and one of the must-read books of this or any year.” A swarm of characters, an unorthodox structure, and slow-moving, ultimately irresistible suspense distinguish Lady Joker . . .Like some novels by James Ellroy and Marlon James, Lady Joker is wildly ambitious in scope.” What does it take to break someone? Debt, life-circumstances, tragedy? Life is more than just one bad day, it is the strains of injustices that the body sustains and remembers. This is the first volume of work published by Kaoru Takamura in the English language, although the author has published 13 novels to date in her native Japan. Lady Joker is inspired by the true life crime kidnapping an extortion by “the monster with the 21 faces” in the early 1980s which saw a targeted campaign against confectionery companies where the perpetrator(s) were never discovered.Hinging on a kidnapping plot, Takamura’s prismatic heist novel offers a broad indictment of capitalist society.” The cynical nature of the capitalist society is also represented through the actions of the police. Their determination to try to locate the missing CEO and find the kidnappers is equalled by their resolve to prevent any kind of deal behind the eyes of the public. It is very evident that the people already appear to hold very little trust in business and political leaders. Thirdly there is very much familiarity with the journalists who dedicate their resources to following the key men of Hinode. Their ambition to establish the truth is done with the sole intention of getting that scoop piece of news that they can break ahead of their competitors at other publications. While this novel was written in 1997 in Japan, it can be argued that it’s condemnatory views of the actions of powerful businesses, the police and the press hold a mirror to those of us in the west in the current age will equally recognise. Like Don DeLillo’s Underworld, Takamura’s sprawling saga situates its crime plot in the context of corruption . . . A complex work of stunning breadth and depth by a master of the genre.”

Lady Joker, Volume 2 by Kaoru Takamura, Paperback | Barnes

This is a hard book to rate. The translation and writing style is wonderful, to an extent. I find the story quite wordy yet the minute details are what shapes the characters. Skimming the text would have portrayed the characters flatter than they are. I can definitely understand readers finding the characters flat regardless but to me, they felt very much so as I'd expect for a Japanese translated work. My thanks to John Murray Press U.K. Baskerville for an eARC and to John Murray Press U.K. Audio for a review copy of the unabridged audiobook edition, both via NetGalley, of ‘Lady Joker Volume 2’ by Kaoru Takamura. The audiobook is narrated by Brian Nishii. This isn't always the case, and at times the story really flies along. It's not even that there is more action happening, it just eases up on double and triple explanations. This book is also about Japanese corporate culture and how boardroom politeness and ass-kissing and ass-covering inaction result in tragedies such as suicide, murder, and organized crime ties! Sounds like a great book for me and all my people on Goodreads!

An immense and extraordinary feat of writing and translation that has been long-awaited in English, Lady Joker is at once a thriller and a sweeping cultural history of Japan, a love story and a work of poignant social commentary.” We then encounter the eldderly Monoi and his friends from the racecourse including Yo-Chan - a Zainichi (Korean), Nunokawa who struggles through life with a mentally handicapped teenage daughter, and a police sergeant called Handa. Each feels that they have been left neglected within modern Japanese society. Together they devise a plan to kidnap the president and CEO of Hinode - Kyosuke Shiroyama and then hold the company to ransom.

Lady Joker: Volume 2 (Paperback) - Waterstones Lady Joker: Volume 2 (Paperback) - Waterstones

A tasty, if not always tasteful, tale of supernatural mayhem that fans of King and Crichton alike will enjoy. Takamura’s eye for detail and storytelling prowess are astonishing . . . It’s possible to read Lady Joker in various ways—as a mystery novel, a police procedural, or a cautionary tale of corporate risk management. I read it as an exploration of the original sin of human existence . . . The depth of empathy readers will feel for this book’s characters directly corresponds with the author’s insight on the intersections of human existence.” Like Ellroy’s American Tabloid and Carr’s The Alienist, the book uses crime as a prism to examine dynamic periods of social history . . . Takamura’s blistering indictment of capitalism, corporate corruption and the alienation felt by characters on both sides of the law from institutions they once believed would protect them resonates surprisingly with American culture.” Takamura joins American writers James Ellroy, author ofAmerican Tabloid, and Don Winslow, author of several novels about the drug trade, to illuminate a society in which power and money matter far more than morality. All three write mysteries that also function as morality plays . . . Bravura.” DNF at 47%. Although Lady Joker is by no means a horrible book, I just cannot motivate myself to finish it. It is boring and repetitive, the characters are neither nuanced nor interesting enough to keep me invested, and I do not see the plot going anywhere.Brokenness is incorrect, nor are they desperate: the fire of hatred has been lite and it desires action—so they kidnapped and extort the CEO of Japan’s biggest beer company, Hindoe. Impressive, very large-scale crime(-and-more) novel of post-war Japan . . . Lady Joker is anything but your usual mystery.” With respect to the audiobook, actor Brian Nishii has narrated a wide range of titles and has a golden, resonant voice that was a pleasure to listen to. Inspired by the real-life Glico-Morinaga kidnapping, an unsolved case that terrorized Japan for two years, Lady Joker reimagines this watershed episode in modern Japanese history.