A Tiny Speck of Black and Then Nothing

A Tiny Speck of Black and then Nothing is the exquisitely-written and utterly compelling tale of a young English teacher abroad in Japan, and her struggle to find answers when her friend, a Western nightclub hostess, disappears. Set partly in the exhilarating neon-lit world of Osaka's clubs and bars, Midorikawa's novel captures the intoxication of new friendship, as well as the frightening unknowability of those we are closest to - including the protagonist's Japanese mother, who vanished when she was a child. Interwoven with folklore and insights into contemporary Japan, A Tiny Speck of Black and then Nothing is a gripping and twisty literary thriller, with a cast of fascinating, enigmatic characters, and great emotional resonance and depth. * Susan Barker, author of The Incarnations and Old Soul *
A Tiny Speck of Black and then Nothing has the soul of a stylish mystery and the pace of an old-fashioned thriller. Meticulously plotted and beautifully written, it will keep you riveted till its very last page. * Mohammed Hanif, author of Red Birds *
Characters so real they seem like old friends. Settings so striking they take on the quality of memories. An elegant, edgy and cinematic portrait of womanhood in all its vulnerability and strength. A Tiny Speck of Black and then Nothing is a captivating novel that explores what it means to disappear without trace and asks what it takes to leave one's mark. * Emma Claire Sweeney, author of Owl Song at Dawn *
A Tiny Speck of Black and then Nothing is an exquisite vortex of a novel, as compelling as it is cinematic. I was inexorably drawn into the lives of Anna and Loll, two women grappling with alienation and belonging in a world of ever-shifting peril. This is a captivating, luminous debut that lingers long after the final line has been read * Stephanie Scott, author of What's Left of Me Is Yours *
A taut, terrifying, and irresistible novel in which the reader, like Anna, is never quite sure whom to trust and whether it's safe to answer the phone, open the door, or turn the page. * Sarah Emsley, author of The Austens *

A compelling and beautifully told mystery that unfolds with delicate precision, A Tiny Speck of Black and thenNothing captures perfectly the loneliness and unease it's possible to feel both in an unfamiliar place and one's own skin.

* Hester Musson, author of The Beholders and The Night Hag *
A beautifully written novel that immerses you in the Osaka of 2003, where Anna finds herself suspended between past and present and competing desires. She is entranced by Loll, a bar hostess, but soon finds herself dragged into a murky underworld that reveals its strong hold over her. A tense and compelling novel about the confusion of loss, yearning and the ghosts of the past that we chase but can never quite understand. * Jo Leevers, author of Tell Me How This Ends *
A page-turning novel that vividly evokes a dark side of Japan while exploring the uncertainties of youth. I couldn't put it down. * Annabel Abbs, author of The Joyce Girl *
I absolutely loved it! So atmospheric... at once a pacy thriller and an elegantly written tale of family and connection. * Sonia Velton, author of Blackberry & Wild Rose *
Emily Midorikawa excels in the sensual precision of her depiction of multi-faceted Osaka and in the sureness of her grip on the multiplying mysteries at the heart of this compelling, suspenseful first novel. * Andrew Cowan, author of Your Fault *
I've never read anything else quite like this intriguing novel. It's pacy and thrilling - yet suffused with calm, precise beauty on a sentence level. A heartfelt quest for belonging set in the murkier fringes of Noughties Japan, full of neon, stilettos and perfectly constructed cocktails, it's also a paean to friendship. Not to be missed. * Rebecca Ley, author of For When I'm Gone and The Trip *
Hauntingly beautiful. A captivating, page-turning debut. * Kate Mayfield, author of The Parentations and The Undertaker’s Daughter *
Elegant, precise and mysterious, this is a stunning debut that quietly gets under your skin. Both a literary thriller and an exploration of guilt, loneliness and identity, set amongst the gloss and grit of Noughties Osaka. * Amélie Skoda, author of Bethnal Green *