Shunned by his colleagues for refusing to toe the line Inspector Samejima, known by the name of Shinjuku Shark for his relentless pursuit of justice regardless of the cost, is on the trail of gun manufacturer Kizu. Once regarded as a shining light within the force he is now treated as something of a loose cannon but one that cannot simply be dismissed. He holds information which could potentially have devastating consequences if it gets released. No-one in the department wants to work with him, partially because of his methods and also in fear that their own careers would be harmed, so the Shark works alone in one of the toughest precincts in Japan. But while he's closing in on his target it seems another hunter has entered his waters and is preying on his fellow officers. Will he give up his own enquiries to take on the the new target and become a team player or will his own investigation lead him there anyway as he suspects that it might?

This is quite a fast-paced, hard-boiled detective story with an interesting set of characters that has turned into a popular and multi-award winning series in Japan. It features some detailed police procedural work too, particularly in the ballistics field, which is worked well into the story. There is probably a little too much coincidence going on though which ties everything together including Samejima's personal life but despite that it's still an enjoyable tale and I'm glad that I've also picked up the 2nd in the series to continue with at some point. ( )