Nicolas Obregon Books In Order

Publication Order of Inspector Iwata Books

Nicolas Obregon, a London based English author of mystery books best known for his Inspector Iwata series. Before switching to full-time writing, Obregon worked as a travel writer, a security steward, an ice rink attendant, an overnight guardian, a post boy, editor, odd jobs man, and a bookseller. (Not in that order). His debut novel, Blue Light Yokohama was released in 2017 and published in more than seven countries across the world. The book’s idea was conceived while Nicolas aboard a train from Hiroshima to Kyoto.

Blue Light Yokohama

Nicolas Obregon has crafted his debut page-turning and nail-biting thriller, Blue Light Yokohama, the first in a fast-paced epic crime fiction series Inspector Iwata. In this debut novel, a tough Tokyo police officer is tasked to investigate a second-hand case, the brutal killings of a family of four in their home with only one piece of clue available- a painting of a black sun along with an assistant lady detective. Together they discover mysteries surrounding the in house corruption in the police department, the Japanese culture, broken pasts and ghosts coming back to life. Even despite resistance from his superiors, the tough cop is hell-bent on catching the killer before the killer kills again or before he is kicked out of the police force.

Kosuke Iwata joins the Tokyo police department to handle an almost cold case of a former senior detective who committed suicide by throwing himself off a bridge maybe because he couldn’t handle the grief of losing his Korean family in the heart of Tokyo, in their home by a serial killer. From the time he steps into the Tokyo PD, Iwata not only faces resistance from his colleagues and his seniors, but he also faces resistance from his sidekick, detective Sakai. But despite all these, Iwata won’t stop at anything until the killer is brought to justice. But little did Iwata know that his tormented past and broken personal life would come back haunting him beside the gruesome murder mystery, that made him travel to unknown places like the underbelly of the city, upscale sections and countryside risking his own life. Can Iwata and his untrusting sidekick Sakai catch the killer before the body count across the city rises?

The author brings Tokyo and other cities in Japan alive in this novel and paints the picture vividly with the chaos of the people, neon lights flooding the darkness, dirty alleys smelling of soy sauce, sky-scraping buildings, the smell of incense, dirty canals, the whooshing of bullet trains, the madness in technology and many other details that will allow the readers to visualize the city of Tokyo right in front of their eyes. The author vividly captures the true flair and flavor of Japan, and that proves his intense love for this fast-developing city. Nicolas doesn’t stop there; he also brings alive a few of forgotten Japanese cult stories and culture that will allow the readers to experience the unseen and the unheard part of Japan in his tale. His writing style is unique lace with evocative emotions, edgy tensions to not only intrigue the readers but also connect on a deeper level. The narrative is also engaging and rich in lyrical prose which makes it so easy to comprehend.

As you would expect in a mystery thriller book, Blue Light Yokohama is fast-paced while the mystery concocted by Nicolas Obregon tightly woven under deep layers of unpredictable twists and turns. The mystery itself is more like a drug and keeps getting addictive as you read through the pages. On the other hand, the author did a fantastic job of creating simple and yet authentic characters with their flaws and charms. The main character, Iwata, is a fantastic hero. His flaws, shattered past, personal drama and intensity of his thoughts make him real and honest to the core. He maintains a strong grip into the reader’s minds all through to the very end of the book. The supporting casts are also very well crafted out.

Sins as Scarlet

In the second book in Inspector Kosuke Iwata series, Iwata returns to Los Angeles after the dramatic twist of events in the previous book, Blue Light York. He may have escaped the city of Tokyo, but the fact is that he cannot escape from his tormenting past. He’s now working as a private investigator investigating cheating spouses for a living. But murder is cross his path when familial connections result in Charlotte Nichol requesting that he look into the murder of a transgender Julian/Meredith whose body was found close to rail tracks. Was Meredith targeted because she was transgender or was she in the wrong place at the wrong time? Well, that’s what our detective will have to find out, and in the process, he’ll soon discover that Los Angeles isn’t the city of angels but a very seedy place that will lead him to the depths of hell before its over.

Sins as Scarlet deals with some important and sensitive issues we all face in the modern world, they include issues to do with corruption, gender, exploitation and human rights abuse (man’s inhumanity to man). The hunting trail will take Kosuke from the LA underbelly to the desert landscapes of Mexico with some heartbreaking scenes that are hard to watch, as a part of this journey. Nicolas Obregon takes the readers into a seedy work where evil lucks around the corner and where racism and hatred is rife. Meredith death is initially treated as a hate crime, hatred against the transgender community, but Iwata soon discovers there is a hidden world where illegal activities are taking place.

The second in the series is a fantastic read. The main character, Iwata, is the kind of a damaged and broken man you will root for. Also, the author truly makes the location feel like a character itself through his vivid descriptions. Sins As Scarlet is a highly perceptive novel as Obregon raises the sensitive issues of transgender, immigration, violence, murder, human nature, and exploitation in detail.