Running from a life she didn't choose, in a city she doesn't know In the glow of Tokyo's endless neon, three bodies lie in a studio—one of them still breathing. Detective Hiroshi Shimizu is called from his desk and thrown into a case that spirals through the city's darkest arteries. What begins as a brutal multiple murder soon leads him into the sleek, deadly machinery of human trafficking, cryptocurrency laundering, and the people who profit from both. Somewhere in the chaos, a teenage girl named Sukanya has vanished—taking with her a stolen laptop that could expose an empire of exploitation. Hunted through Tokyo's alleys, hostess bars, and freight docks, she's the only witness who can unravel a web that stretches from the city's glittering skyline to its deepest shadows. With his steadfast mentor Takamatsu and the ever-formidable Sakaguchi, Hiroshi follows the trail through brothels disguised as clubs, hackers' dens pulsing with code, and offices that reek of power and denial. Every lead points to the same truth: in Tokyo, traffic isn't just cars and trains—it's people. Bought, sold, erased. As time runs out, Hiroshi faces a city where justice is negotiable and survival comes at a cost. To save the girl—and himself—he must navigate the blurred lines between victims and killers, cops and criminals, truth and the lies Tokyo tells itself. Tokyo Traffic is a relentless noir thriller that rips through the heart of modern Japan—where technology hides sin, compassion is dangerous, and power profits from the powerless. Awards & Recognition Gold Award - Literary Titan (2020) - Gold Medallion - Book Readers Appreciation Group (B.R.A.G.) (2020) - Reviewer's Choice - Feathered Quill Book Awards (2020) - Winner - Thriller - Independent Press Award (2021) - Winner - Thriller - National Indie Excellence Awards (2021) - Silver Medal - Reader's Favorite Fiction Mystery Murder - Silver Winner - Thriller and Suspense - Foreword Indies (2020) - Bronze Award - Reader Views Reviewer's Choice Awards (2020-2021, Mystery/Thriller) "A great page-turner with real tension towards the endand I hope that it won't be too long before we hear more about Hiroshi," The Bookbag . ★★★★ "A dark and striking thriller with an indelible cast and setting," Kirkus Reviews . "Starts fast and doesn't let up on its breakneck pace until bodies (both living and dead) are strewn all over the place," Pacific Book Review . "With Tokyo Traffic , Pronko further establishes Hiroshi as one of the most distinctive and intrepid detectives in contemporary crime fiction," Best Thrillers . "This is a classic thriller in terms of the gritty atmosphere, the dark characters and the brave and slightly broken hero," The Wishing Shelf . ★★★★★ "Pronko develops characters that leap off the page. We want them to escape, we want them to get caught, we want them to solve the case," Chanticleer Book Reviews. ★★★★★ "Combining old-fashioned gumshoeing with modern-day social conventions, Pronko's tale is as much a Tokyo detective's diary as it is a gritty underworld whodunit," US Review of Books . "Tokyo is described in all of its beauty and ugliness, where the sparkling world of music clubs, internet cafes and teen hangouts are tainted by a dismaying traffic of young people," Advicesbooks . "Pronko's characters are fully developed, his dialogue is authentic, and his writing is clear and concise," San Francisco Book Review . ★★★★½ "It's clear the author knows Japan deep in his soul. Pronko is also a masterful storyteller. As the narrative's tension builds, readers will find themselves racing toward the inexorable moment when police, victims and villains collide," Blue Ink Review . Starred Review "A high-energy thriller set in the gruesome world of human trafficking and child pornography, TOKYO TRAFFIC keeps the adrenaline pumping until the very end," IndieReader . ★★★★½ "The novel gives us deep insight into the criminal underbelly of Japan and how the different criminal activities are inter-related and inter-dependent on each other," Reedsy Discovery . ★★★★★ "A story that winds through Tokyo's streets and Hiroshi's heart alike, drawing readers through a dangerous game that culminates in an unexpected, satisfying conclusion," Midwest Book Review . "Taut and terse, this noir novel is executed to perfection," Foreword Clarion Reviews . ★★★★★ "Pronko creates the backdrop to this story as if it is a character all on its own and invites readers into this colorful world in an easy yet striking way. Thrilling crime fiction set in an exotic location," Literary Titan . ★★★★★ "Raw and gripping, told by a confident, complex, and creative author. Pronko is deeply in tune with emotional language and human connection. Moments of intimacy and closeness are told with the same authenticity as the most gritty and suspenseful passages in the prose. As has been true for all of the Detective Hiroshi novels, Pronko beautifully captu