Our take
The setup
A poison gas attack strikes a famous Tokyo tower, tied to a shadowy group behind the worst postwar terrorism the city has seen. The detective infiltrates the life of a young woman who turns out to hold a startling secret connected to the plot.
Why read it
For fans of
This volume continues a psychological suspense series built around undercover infiltration into the lives of dangerous or secretive people, this time centered on a catastrophic act of terrorism. A poison gas attack on a famous, towering Tokyo landmark becomes the worst terrorist incident the postwar city has faced, and a detective is sent undercover to stop the group responsible before they can finish what they started.
The investigation leads the detective to a twenty-six-year-old woman whose ordinary appearance hides something far more complicated. As the undercover relationship deepens, the detective discovers that she is connected to the terrorist scheme in a way that upends what seemed like a straightforward case. The looming threat of hundreds of casualties gives every scene a sense of dread, and the question of whether the attack can be stopped in time drives the plot forward with real urgency.
Readers drawn to tense, high-stakes investigative thrillers will find plenty to like here. The series leans into moral ambiguity and the psychological strain of living a double life, rather than straightforward action, which gives it a slower-burning, more unsettling atmosphere than a typical crime story. The undercover premise means trust is always in question, and the reveal about the woman's identity promises to complicate the detective's mission even further.
Having reached its fourteenth volume, the series shows no sign of running out of ideas or easing off the tension. Instead of coasting on established characters or familiar beats, it keeps escalating the scale of the threats its protagonist faces, this time with a death toll large enough to make the stakes feel genuinely dire. For readers already invested in the detective's undercover world, this entry promises another test of nerve and conscience, wrapped in the kind of suspense that rewards patience and close attention to detail.
14 volumes in print / Volume 1 to the latest
Spoilers through Vol.14
Official synopsis
In 2013, a poison gas terror attack occurred at the Tokyo Sky Tower, the tallest tower in Japan. Godai takes on the worst terror incident in the post-war era, which the 'World Rescue' was involved in. The target of his current infiltration is a 26-year-old woman, Kaori Kido. And, Kido has a surprising true identity...!! Can Godai stop the heinous terror attack with 313 victims...!? This hot topic psycho-suspense enters an unprecedented territory...!!
Official synopsis
Entrusted by Mikoshiba, Godai infiltrates the "South Kanto Serial Preschooler Abduction and Murder Case" of 1996, which is considered the first time the serial killer Phantom committed a crime. The goal is to solve the case and stop Phantom's awakening as a serial killer. With no information about the perpetrator, Godai enters the body of a 5-year-old girl, "Yuzu-chan." What appeared before her was a couple with a strange appearance...!? The time limit is Christmas Eve!! Can he prevent the tragedy on the holy night...!!
Official synopsis
Entrusted by Mikoshiba, Godai infiltrates the "South Kanto Serial Preschooler Abduction and Murder Case" of 1996, which is considered the first time the serial killer Phantom committed a crime. The goal is to solve the case and stop Phantom's awakening as a serial killer. With no information about the perpetrator, Godai enters the body of a 5-year-old girl, "Yuzu-chan." What appeared before her was a couple with a strange appearance...!? The time limit is Christmas Eve!! Can he prevent the tragedy on the holy night...!!
Official synopsis
Is Kozaka's accomplice actually Satomi!? Can the hot-blooded teacher Godai save the heart of the wandering girl!? And what is the "Showa-style" punishment he will deliver to the brainwashed boy Kozaka!? Furthermore, the story enters a hair-raising new chapter!! Who is the worst serial killer in history waiting for Godai...!?
Official synopsis
Godai is sent back to a high school in 1986. There, he finds the younger self of the "brainwashing killer" Kozaka, who in 2011 would cause a tragedy where he made brainwashed people kill each other. Godai infiltrates the school as Kozaka's homeroom teacher to probe his movements, but there is no record of Kozaka committing murder during his high school years. "Why was I sent to this era?" Amidst the intense confusion, Kozaka's classmates meet mysterious deaths one after another. Naturally, Godai suspects Kozaka, but he has a solid alibi. "Could it be that someone who received his brainwashing...?" Godai pursues the unknown "accomplice," but since it's a case that doesn't remain in history, there are zero hints. And under the rule of infiltrating as the "victim," an invisible murderous intent creeps up on Godai too...!?
Official synopsis
A serial mysterious death case in a hospital that came to light in 2009. Detective Godai infiltrates the consciousness of a young boy who becomes a victim. He closes in on Maishiro, a nurse who murdered over 50 patients, but arrives at a shocking new fact...!? Take on the "worst" hag in the boy's body!! The "Black Tower" arc, climax!!
Official synopsis
Detective Godai infiltrates the consciousness of Haruka, a victim in a series of high school girl murders. Catch the perverted serial killer Izaki before he kills her as history dictates!! A life-or-death game of tag begins on Mount Rokko in midwinter...!!
Official synopsis
Godai, a hot-blooded detective who was demoted for using excessive force against criminals. His new boss is Superintendent Hikadaka, a self-proclaimed "superpowered investigator." Shortly after arriving at his new post, Godai is ordered to go undercover to investigate a series of murder cases...!? Challenge the murderer as a "victim"!! The most stimulating psycho-suspense!!