A review by geethr75
The Red Collar by M. Kato

adventurous dark emotional mysterious tense medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

5.0

 

This was my first book by this author and while I thought the premise sounded interesting enough, the reality surpassed my expectations. 

The Red Collar is a supernatural mystery with an M/M romance set in modern day Japan. It revolves around Hayashi Teruo, the chief inspector of homicide with the Tokyo Metropolital Police Department who has a reputation for being tough and impatient with mistakes. He has had four partners requesting reassignments or resigning and his superior has threatened him with a demotion if he drives away the latest one as well. Enter Miyazaki Shinji who is not only professional and efficient, but is very easy on the eyes. As a closeted gay out only to his best friend, Teruo is both attracted to Shinji and mistrustful of some of his actions. What Teruo doesn't know is that Shinji is no mere cop; he's also a Shinigami, the Japanese equivalent of a Grim Reaper. He can see ghosts and helps them cross over. 

When they encounter a series of murders, Shinji realises that the ghosts of the dead people are being controlled by another Shinigami, preventing him from finding the truth about the murders. As Teruo and he struggles to piece clues together, Shinji has to hide his truth while people are dying around them. 

I loved the lore in this. Being from India, I've always loved Eastern mythology, since they're all close to the ones I grew up with. The mystery was well written and kept me engaged throughout. The chemistry between Teruo and Shinji was also an aspect that I enjoyed. Both the characters were well fleshed out with backstories and motivations of their own. 

If you love eastern mythology, murder mysteries, high heat romance, and urban fantasy, this is the perfect book for you.