Tezcatlipoca

WINNER OF THE 165TH NAOKI PRIZE
WINNER OF THE 34TH YAMAMOTO SHUGORO PRIZE
THE REMARKABLE, AWARD-WINNING JAPANESE THRILLER.

After a violent conflict with a rival drug cartel, a ruthless Mexican crime lord escapes to Jakarta, where he encounters Suenaga, a disgraced Japanese heart surgeon who has become involved in the illegal organ trade.

Recognizing an opportunity to build a profitable criminal enterprise, the two men join forces and travel to Japan. There, the former cartel leader takes a lonely young boy under his protection, drawing him into an increasingly dangerous world.

As their lives become intertwined, the three find themselves at the centre of a brutal network of organized crime, betrayal and violence. Their ambitions lead them deeper into a terrifying underworld where human lives are treated as commodities and power comes at an unimaginable cost.

But as their criminal empire expands, an ominous force seems to be watching from the shadows. The ancient Aztec god Tezcatlipoca casts a dark presence over their actions, raising unsettling questions about fate, violence and the consequences of human ambition.

Blending Japanese crime fiction, psychological horror and Aztec mythology, Tezcatlipoca is a dark, unforgettable literary thriller that introduces award-winning author Kiwamu Sato to English-language readers.