He killed two gangsters for the woman he loves, Makiko. The sensation of the murder on Koji's hands is still fresh. Now he's running from the police as well as the mob. Unlike your ordinary hero, Koji kidnaps a boy during his getaway. On his trail is 'the Old Dog', Detective Takagi... Kitakata is the undisputed don of hardboiled and mystery writing in Japan. He is the renowned author of The Cage (Vertical, 2007), Winter Sleep (Vertical, 2004) and Ashes (Vertical, 2003).