Book Review: “Midnight Climax (A Kats Takemoto Novel)” by Peter Kageyama

Man on the Run

When a local Chinese girl is murdered under mysterious circumstances in a seedy part of San Francisco her high-ranking Hop Sing Tong gang member cousin wants revenge on her killer. Calling in his old friend Katsuhiro Takemoto, he begins to investigate, but what he finds is disturbing and has extreme implications. After meeting with a long-time doctor friend, he learns more about his target. Stephen Epps is a soldier who was captured during the war and subject to torture and experimentation. He is volatile, highly unpredictable, and extremely dangerous. Kats also learns that a clandestine CIA operation has been set up in the tenderloin district of the city which lures unsuspecting victims into involuntary experiments. It was apparently one of those secretive human lab rat situations that Epps found himself in with disastrous consequences. The operation, a ccovert offshoot of the MKUltra project is so secretive that even the police record of the murder has been scrubbed. Kats, Molly, and Shig begin to follow the trail but with a rival gang involved and a shaky peace accord in place, one false move could spell doom not only for Chinatown but all of San Francisco. With not only Kats, but also the Hop Sing Tong and the CIA looking for Epps, Kats needs to be the one to find him first. But finding him is only part of the problem, then he needs to get him out of San Francisco before he is killed or captured.

Midnight Climax is the newest in the Kats Takemoto series of novels by author Peter Kageyama. In this second installment we are again taken back to San Francisco in the 1950’s. With the action taking place approximately a year after Hunters Point, one would think that San Francisco had seen its share of government cover ups and scandals, but this is not to be. The project, dubbed Operation Midnight Climax was an active if not secretive government operation based in areas of New York and San Francisco to counter and compete with various mind control tactics and experiments used during that era by the Chinese and Germans.   Epps character is a perfect storm of what can happen when an already damaged person is pushed possibly beyond their limits. Throughout the story I was both afraid for Epps but also hoping that he could get the help he needed to find closure for the trauma he endured. Once again Kageyama has crafted a story that will grab the reader from the beginning and keep them hooked. Even with this being the second in a series, for those who are unfamiliar with the characters or the events of Hunters Point this title also works well enough as a standalone as the events in this book do not overlap with the prior except for a passing mention of the events of the previous year.  As an avid reader I find myself drawn to books that are not only entertaining but also provide an educational aspect for those who are curious enough to research locales, persons, or event. As with Hunters Point before it, Midnight Climax delivers in both of these categories.

If you are already familiar with Kageyama’s work, Midnight Climax will not disappoint and if you are a new reader, you are in for a treat. I am looking forward to what Peter Kageyama has in store in future installments in this series as he brings to life more of San Francisco and the rich history of this city.

Full disclosure, I was provided a copy of this book by Stephanie Barko, literary publicist however, have voluntarily chosen to write a review. All opinions are my own