Soul Cage

Narrator Emily Woo Zeller went solo in The Silent Dead, which introduced Anglophone readers to Tokyo Metropolitan Police lieutenant Reiko Himekawa; in Honda's sophomore series title, Zeller has company. Feodor Chin performs the opening, almost growling through a construction site suicide that will, of course, prove to be a key element of the why behind this how- and whodunit. Josh Bloomberg—sounding youthfully tentative—takes over as the suicide victim's son Kosuke, who finds nurturing companionship with guardian-of-sorts Kenichi Takaoka. By the time Himekawa appears, Takaoka is apparently dead, his severed hand found in a bloodied minivan. Despite a DNA match, too many details don't add up, e.g., where's the rest of the body? Himekawa's unit spreads out to find answers, uncovering accidents-that-weren't, widespread insurance fraud, and a horrifying link to the Yakuza. While Zeller efficiently, comfortably controls the majority of airtime as Himekawa, adding Chin and Bloomberg makes this sequel a more robust production than the series launch.