Tokyo Juku, book seven in Michael Pronko's Detective Hiroshi series, begins with Mana, a student at Fukoto Juku, who discovers her teacher Terui Sensei fatally stabbed. Detective Hiroshi Shimizu, alongside Ishii, Sugamo, and Sakaguchi, begins a detailed investigation, tracing Terui’s finances, professional connections, and personal relationships to find the suspect, with Mana being one of them. Mana, Rinka, and Kota search Terui’s apartment for clues, maneuvering the Tokyo streets to avoid surveillance. The detectives follow leads through interviews with colleagues, students, and publishers, examining security footage, financial records, and Terui’s personal effects. Mana, still under scrutiny and with media reports hinting at her involvement, juggles her exam preparations with finding the truth, while Hiroshi pieces together evidence to identify who had motive and opportunity to kill Terui.

Tokyo Juku by Michael Pronko delivers the goods in a murder mystery that pulls together his established Detective Hiroshi and a new crime, this time leaning into Mana's story and the weight of an investigation under a crushing academic schedule. The energy of Tokyo is brilliant. Pronko’s attention to interior and exterior settings, from bustling Shinjuku streets and public transport to the quiet of a shrine, breathes life into the places we traverse as readers. We know that Mana is not the murderer, but Pronko gives little reason for others to believe her, so the implication of her being a person of real interest isn't far-fetched. Hiroshi is rational and intelligent, even with a change afoot in his private life, and Pronko's inclusion of the procedural details is on point. Overall, this is a fast-paced, intelligently written, and entertaining read. Very highly recommended.

Tokyo Juku: Detective Hiroshi Series Book 7 by Michael Pronko is a gripping cozy crime mystery. The story unfolds at a prestigious cram school in Tokyo. Mana, a student cramming for her history exam through the night, dozes off. But a thump and someone running down the stairs wake her up. Mana walks to the lit-up lecture hall and discovers Terui, her history teacher, lying unconscious with a knife in his stomach. Mana grabs the knife’s handle but thinks better of it. She checks Terui’s pulse and breathing and tries CPR, but in vain. Mana yells for the security guard, who calls the police. Detective Hiroshi Shimizu starts investigating, but his chief thinks that Mana’s fingerprints at the crime scene make her a murder suspect. Meanwhile, Mana begins her own investigation into Terui’s death. But will they find out who murdered Terui and why?

Tokyo Juku was a delightful treat for me as a cozy crime mystery fan. I liked how Michael Pronko translated his teaching experience in Tokyo into an authentic and relatable story, offering a taste of life in Japan alongside a riveting murder mystery investigation. The superb intrigue and suspense were immensely entertaining! On a deeper level, I liked how the story explored highly topical themes of work-life balance and school bullying. I also enjoyed learning about Japan’s education system, the interlocking interests of test and prep industries, the impact of exam stress on students and their families, the technology assisting police, and the Taekwondo wisdom. All in all, it was a highly satisfying read, and I recommend this brilliant, gripping crime mystery to cozy crime fiction fans.