My does these books getter better and BETTER! I liked the way Brodie took the little boy in his arms to comfort him when he saw his dad lying dead on a art sculpture and he had been told that the boy stayed with his dad all night as he chanted over and over Brodie's name in Japanese. Brodie had been the key to uniting the countries of the Pacific Rim together for a major art showing. Once he learned that not only that the boy's dad was a target but his long time friend and the boy's grandfather was targeted as well! I liked Jim Brodie from the moment he appeared on paper, and I hungrily await his next book! ( )

A good page turner. Lots of interesting places and things in Japan. In fact, for aficionados of Japanese culture, the 'About Authenticity' at the tail end of the book is a rich vein to mine. ( )

We meet Jim Brodie and his friend Detective Frank Renna, when Frank calls Jim in the early morning to help with a crime scene. A man is dead and a young Japanese boy who doesn’t appear to understand English is at the scene and keeps repeating the same phrase over and over like a mantra. Since Jim does work for the police as a Japanese interpreter he gets this one. Not to mention, it turns out there is a more personal connection to the dead man and his son. They are the son and grandson of Jim’s great friend from Japan.

The dead man appears to have slipped in some oil and died when he hit his head on a sculpture. Once Jim calms the boy, they discover he was murdered and left that way to throw off the police. The autopsy confirmed what the boy had said.

Shortly after Jim’s friend comes over to collect his son’s body, both he and Jim are shot at as they leave the Mayor’s office, only Jim’s reactions save them both from dying on the steps. After the latest attack, Jim worries about the rest of the family and calls to warn them.

Besides being an art dealer and a Japanese interpreter, his father left him Brodie Investigations, so he has some resources and abilities to look into the matter. It turns out that there were quite a few possible avenues for people wanting revenge. Though one of the most promising was the daughters crusade, fighting the corrupt energy mafia in Japan. Jim gets a tip that the legendary Steam Walker is rumored to have been hired to kill the family, and since Jim had thwarted 2 attempts, he was also added to the list.

This is the 3rd Jim Brodie book though the first one that I have read. I thought this book had an interesting view into Japanese culture and really enjoyed reading it. I have put the earlier 2 books onto my wish list. The mystery was good, the story was very engaging and kept my attention. I was fairly surprised at who dun it. Good mystery worth the read. ( )

Note: Even though this is Book 3 in the series, it works fine as a stand along novel.

Jim Brodie’s passion is art and he loves his life as an art dealer. However, he inherited another life from his father, one that is inextricably tangled in his deceased father’s security firm. The son of his good friend Ken Nobuki is dead and a week later an attempt is made on Ken himself. Local San Francisco politicians put pressure on Jim and the local police department to solve the two cases quickly. But this mystery will take Jim across the nation to DC and then on to Japan and back. All his skills will be needed to catch the killer.

Jim Brodie is a fascinating character. At first he comes off as a kind of bookish man with his love of art and as a widower taking care of his young daughter. Then we learn that he’s fluent in Japanese when the local PD ask him to act as interpreter. His surprisingly quick reflexes from years of martial arts training are put into use when an attempt is made on Ken Nobuki’s life. Then he calls in members of his security firm to guard Ken in the hospital while he travels to DC and then Japan to secure the Nobuki family and hopefully track down the killer. It’s a very interesting skill set and all sorts of seedy characters are pulled into the story via both the art world and the security work.

The plot was awesome. Naomi Nobuki, Ken’s daughter, is a journalist and anti-nuclear power activist. Of course, Jim is immediately worried that her activist activities may be the reason behind the targets on the Nobuki family. Jim races to Japan to wrap the Nobuki family up tight in security and there he hears his first tale of the legendary Steam Walker. I won’t spoil it for you because it is pretty freaking awesome. Just know that Jim and his friends have met a worthy opponent.

There’s a touch of romance in the story. On a previous trip to Japan, Jim met Rie Hoshino, a Tokyo cop. So far, their personal relationship has been kept under wraps. They have some lovely moments together that may one day lead to something more. She’s a martial artist herself and handles herself in conversations but, alas, the author never shows us her other skills. In fact, she has to be medically assisted once and rescued at one point. I hope the author chooses to do more with her character instead of giving her these cliched moments during the action scenes.

I was kept guessing throughout the tale. There’s plenty of Japanese culture wound throughout the story and it is done well. I never felt that the author had fallen into teacher mode and was giving a lecture. Even once our main characters have a solid idea of who their killer is, there is quite the chase to catch him. And this killer has yet more surprises for our heroes. I really appreciated the final note from the author noting what elements of the story were fictional and which are real. It speaks volumes to the research done by the author.



I received a copy at no cost from the publisher in exchange for an honest review.

The Narration: I think this is one of Scott Brick’s better works. I have listened to many of his SFF narrations but it has been a while since I picked up a book narrated by him. His female voices were quite believable and each distinct. He did a great job with all the Japanese sprinkled throughout the story. ( )

Pacific Burn (Book 3)
By: Barry Lancet
Published By: Simon & Schuster
Copy Courtesy of Goodreads Giveaway
Reviewed By: tk

An international thriller delivered by the unique and exceptional talent of Barry Lancet.

PI Jim Brodie is about to embark on another incredible adventure. From San Francisco, Tokyo and beyond, Jim has no idea how to quit. He must save his friend and their family from be killed where the stand. Sounds fairly easy right? Find the person or persons responsible and that should take care of the problem. Brodie is now involved with CIA, FBI, and any other agency that wants a part of the action. Continuous action and unnerving possibilities, and did I mention a killer as legendary and lethal as no other human on earth, Jim Brodie will be challenged at every turn.

Some say the writers write what they know. I would have to say Barry Lancet has the true edge here. His phenomenal life experiences, along with an incredible mind for imagination is epic in his novels. Japantown, and Tokyo Burn are excellent and Pacific Burn is over the top. I truly can’t hardly wait for the next adventure. I am envious of his amazing talent and hope that you will enjoy them as much as I have. It is not required that you read them in order, however you won’t be disappointed to read them all.

5/5 ( )