”Shinjuku Shark”By Arimasa Osawa

Translated by Andrew Clare

Vertical Inc.

Paperback, $14.95

285 pages

Both my kids have taken four years of Japanese under “Irigashi Sensei” at White Station High School, and I sincerely hoped I would like this book, the first English translation of a series of police procedurals that are extremely popular in Japan.

I do like the characters and the story, but the translation has serious problems.

The Shinjuku Shark is the nickname of the book’s hero, Samejima, a rogue, loner cop who won’t kowtow to his go-long-to-get-along superiors in the Japanese police hierarchy.

He has a beautiful rock singer girlfriend, Sho, who seems to be poised to launch into stardom.

The plot involves a gay, sadistic maker of illegal firearms and a mysterious serial killer who targets young police officers.

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