M. Kato (1)

I personally don't care for murder mystery novels, however I was intrigued to continue the novel when I started to read it. There were very intense romance scenes between two men. The story flowed and developed smoothly. The mystery, romance and supernatural parts just seemed to make sense and it made for a beautiful story. This book definitely had some steamy parts but it's definitely worth a read. I’d love to read more about these characters and more books hoping to add this book to my collection.… (más)

A murdered man is found in the shrubs of Yoyogi park. Around his neck there is a red dog tag dangling from a wire which is methodically wrapped around his neck. Soon, more victims are found with the same MO. Are these murders connected, and can our intrepid detectives catch them before more bodies begin to stack up?

The Red Collar—the first book of the MPD Mystery series—combines crime, the paranormal, romance, and sex. Chief Inspector Hayashi Teruo is the best detective in Tokyo. Due to personal and professional reasons, Teruo doesn’t take being lied to (or left in the dark). When he is assigned a new partner, he senses that he is hiding something from him; something important. Will this affect their ability to solve the case?

Miyazaki Shinji has turned down a promotion in order to be transferred to work specifically with Teruo. He arrives with a set of rumors about his possible malfeasance at his previous position. He also comes with a 100% clearance rate, and the skills Teruo looks for in a detective sergeant.

Shinji is a grim reaper working part-time for an organized paranormal group. His ability to interact with the dead helps solve crimes. However, his actions seem odd to those who watch him zone out and talk to himself.

The combination of the logical with the paranormal is done well by the first-time author, and soon the supernatural becomes accepted as reality.

A romance develops between the two men which they start as being only about sex. However, we all know that when it comes to a romance story, deeper feelings begin to evolve.

I highly recommend this book.

I would like to thank LibraryThing for the opportunity to be an Early Reviewer for this book.… (más)

The Red Collar by M. Kato is a wonderful combination of murder mystery, ghost-filled fantasy, and gay romance with some steamy sex scenes and plenty of supernatural flavor. Kato writes from the perspective of both main characters, which helps remind the reader just how much each of them knows. The plot is good, and the twist at the end is enjoyable if a little predictable (but then, what end-of-the-mystery plot twist/reveal is a total surprise these days). I have two criticisms for the book, both very small. The first is that the characters seem to suddenly develop traumatic events in their pasts about halfway through the book, with very little hinted at them before that. This is perfectly fine, since there is no reason the reader needs to be aware from the beginning, but it did feel a little like Kato made up these moments on the spot to help the characters bond. The other criticism is that we are given information about the spiritual world and how it functions in a very offhand manner, which felt similar to the way the traumatic events showed up just as needed. That is to say, the "rules" of how the spiritual world works seemed to be made up on the spot to justify plot points or a character's abilities and limitations without there being any supporting structure given to the reader. I hope that the forthcoming sequel(s) will be better on both fronts, since the characters will be better established and Kato will have the chance to explore the spiritual side of things more fully. Both of these issues are very minor, and the book was a delight to read. I highly recommend it to anyone who enjoys gay romance, steamy sex scenes, and police-perspective murder mysteries.
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