A Body Escapes from a Gruesome Murder Scene?! Ian Rogers's Highly Anticipated and Ridiculously Entertaining Mystery 'Sycamore' (Translated by Kenji Kazama) Releases from Shinchosha Paperbacks on Saturday, March 30!

When it comes to weapons, it's quick feet and a smart mouth. A supernaturally gifted private detective is "challenged" by a serial murder case from the demon realm?! Ian Rogers's 'Sycamore' (translated by Kenji Kazama) is finally being published by Shinchosha Paperbacks on Monday, March 30.

A portal to a dark demon realm known as the <Blacklands> has appeared in Sycamore, a town near Toronto. Coincidentally, a series of gruesome murders is occurring in the town, and a body has disappeared—or rather, seemingly run away—from a blood-soaked crime scene. Felix, a private detective who received an odd request to find a missing person, somehow finds himself forced to search the <Blacklands>, a place he has no desire to visit. The case challenged by (or forced upon) our seemingly unmotivated protagonist actually requires unraveling a complexly intertwined mystery. Featuring a special setting akin to dark fantasy, serial murders, a wise-cracking private eye, and unexpected twists perfectly executed as a whodunit. This highly unconventional mystery, truly fitting the term 'page-turner' for an all-in-one-sitting read, might just become the eye of the storm in this year's top 10 mystery rankings.

### Book Synopsis The magical city of Sycamore. A town where a portal to the <Blacklands>, a demon realm teeming with vampires and werewolves, has appeared. A series of gruesome murders is taking place in the streets, and a corpse has vanished from a bloody scene. Detective Felix, having received a request to 'find my husband's body,' teams up with a strong-willed female librarian and unexpectedly ends up stepping into the Blacklands... Swallowing a variety of elements whole, the ultimate cutting-edge special setting mystery, fully realized even as a whodunit, is born!

### Author Bio: Ian Rogers Born in 1976. Resides in Ontario, Canada. Dark fantasy, horror, and mystery author. Debuted in 2012 with the short story collection 'Every House Is Haunted'. Made his full-length debut in '24 with 'Family'. In the same year, he released the full-length novel 'Sycamore', depicting the exploits of private detective Felix set against the backdrop of the <Blacklands>. The 2012 'SuperNOIRtural Tales' is a collection featuring Felix's stories.

### Translator Bio: Kazama Kenji Born in Tokyo in 1953. Graduated from Musashi University, Faculty of Humanities. Researcher of fantasy literature and translator. Won the Mystery Writers of Japan Award in the criticism category for 'The Encyclopedia of Horror Fiction' in '98. Major authored works include 'A Complete History of Bizarre and Grotesque Mysteries' and 'The Encyclopedia of Horror Fiction'. Translated works include King's 'The Dark Tower' series, Williams's 'The War in Heaven', and Stephen's 'Splatter Movies and Capitalism: The Political Economy of Blood-Spattering Horror'.

### Bibliographic Data [Title] Sycamore [Author] Ian Rogers / Translated by Kenji Kazama [Release Date] March 30, 2026 [Format] Paperback (Bunko) [Price] 1,210 yen (tax included) [ISBN] 978-4-10-241181-0