At the Sharpe End

By Hugh Ashton

Kenneth Sharpe is a British expatriate consultant living in Tokyo. A mysterious stranger, who claims to be hunted by the American security services, presses a box into his hand shortly before being discovered dead under the wheels of a train at Tokyo's busy Shinjuku station.

Sharpe and his Indian friends discover there's more in the Hello Kitty box than he was originally told, and before long, Sharpe's life (not to mention his flat) are turned upside-down as he finds himself rubbing shoulders with some very strange people indeed.

His whirlwind adventure spans East Asia, and involves the security forces of at least four countries, including North Korea, mobsters, and beautiful (if dangerous) women.

Along the way, Ashton provides readers with a view of everyday Japan and Tokyo which is far removed from the cliché of "cherry blossom and kimono" and the mystic Orient. Kenneth Sharpe's city is a gritty, fast-moving metropolis with its quirks and idiosyncrasies.

This Inknbeans edition contains a foreword by Tokyo resident Robert Whiting, best-selling author of Tokyo Underworld: the Fast Life and Hard Times of an American Gangster in Tokyo, and You Gotta Have Wa, etc.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Inknbeans Press
• Release date: Apr 30, 2013
• ISBN: 9781301022281

Hugh Ashton

Hugh Ashton was born in the UK in 1956, and after graduation from university worked in the technology industry around Cambridge (the first personal computer he used was Sir Clive Sinclair’s personal TRS-80) until 1988, when a long-standing interest in the country took him to Japan.There he worked for a Japanese company producing documentation for electronic instruments and high-end professional audio equipment, helped to set up the infrastructure for Japan’s first public Internet service provider, worked for major international finance houses, and worked on various writing projects, including interviewing figures in the business and scientific fields, and creating advertorial reports for Japanese corporations to be reprinted in international business magazines.Along the way, he met and married Yoshiko, and also gained certificates in tea ceremony and iaidō (the art of drawing a sword quickly).In 2008, he wrote and self-published his first published novel, Beneath Gray Skies, an alternative history in which the American Civil War was never fought, and the independent Confederacy forms an alliance with the German National Socialist party. This was followed by At the Sharpe End, a techno-financial-thriller set in Japan at the time of the Lehman’s crash, and Red Wheels Turning, which re-introduced Brian Finch-Malloy, the hero of Beneath Gray Skies, referred to by one reviewer as “a 1920s James Bond”.In 2012, Inknbeans Press of California published his first collection of Sherlock Holmes adventures, Tales from the Deed Box of John H. Watson M.D., which was swiftly followed by many other volumes of Holmes’ adventures, hailed by Sherlockians round the world as being true to the style and the spirit of the originals by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle. Inknbeans also published Tales of Old Japanese and other books by Ashton, including the Sherlock Ferret series of detective adventures for children. He and Yoshiko returned to the UK in 2016 for family reasons, where they now live in the Midlands cathedral city of Lichfield.In December 2017, Inknbeans Press ceased to be, following the sudden death of the proprietor, chief editor and leading light. Since that time, Ashton has reclaimed the copyright of his work, and has republished it in ebook and paper editions, along with the work of several other former Inknbeans authors.He continues to write Sherlock Holmes stories, as well as various other fiction and non-fiction projects, including documentation for forensic software, and editing and layout work on a freelance basis, in between studying for an MSc in forensic psychological studies with the Open University.

Reviews for At the Sharpe End

[agingcow2345 · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

Really weird biz-tech noir set in Japan by someone who appears to know Japan well. The plot is tissue paper, the characters are straight out of central casting and the writing and pace are SO good that if you like the genre or anything close to it you will be having too much fun to care. If the world was ending this would be a fun book to curl up with.

[sean191 · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

I couldn't remember putting a request in for this book and when I received it, I was even more confused since an action/espionage book isn't my usual cup of tea. But the author was gracious enough to send me a printed copy rather than make me read it online, so I promised I would read it once I wrapped up some others in my stack.Then I read the plot - it involved a computer blogger? reporter? consultant? I guess a bit of all those...and stolen software programs and technology and *yawn*But no...not really "yawn." In fact, I was really surprised. Maybe the protagonist isn't a ex-military action hero or so suave with the ladies, but the plot and story seem (with some stretch) plausible. Better yet, Ashton writes a quick-moving story. The writing is precise and the story is exciting and even though it's really covering an array of topics I usually have zero interest in reading about, I found myself eager to get back to my work commute for more than the reason of getting home, but to have time to read a bit further about Sharpe and the rest of the crew. I thought Ashton did an amazing job of making characters who should have been unlikable likable and then throwing them back into the despicable category. He manages to do this with multiple characters and he did so with real skill. I was very impressed with this book and don't see any reason it's not being published by a major publisher for a shot at the best-seller list.

[phoenixterran · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

At the Sharpe End by Hugh Ashton is one of those books that I probably wouldn't have come across if it wasn't for the fact that I am a member of LibraryThing. The author, taking advantage of the Member Giveaway program, was providing review copies of the book and I was lucky enough to win one. The novel is self-published and so hasn't gotten a lot of media attention, but when I went searching for reviews most of them were favorable. At the Sharpe End, released in 2010, is Ashton's second novel to be published, the first being an alternative history called Beneath Gray Skies. Ashton, who was originally from the United Kingdom, has been living and working in Japan since 1988. In addition to writing stories and novels, Ashton has experience working in both the financial and the information technology industries--a background that came in handy while writing At the Sharpe End. I probably wouldn't have picked up At the Sharpe End on my own, but I am still happy to have had the opportunity to read it.Kenneth Sharpe is a freelance technology consultant working in Tokyo and is fairly happy with his life. One day he is unexpectedly approached by the president of Katsuyama Electronic Devices to do some work publicizing their recent developments and advancements in facial and image recognition technology. Soon later the man is reported as dead and Sharpe suddenly finds his life much more complicated; there are plenty of people interested in obtaining the Katsuyama technology and Sharpe has the only known prototype in his possession. With the help of his friends, he is able to determine that the technology is more than just a facial recognition program and is something that is potentially far more valuable. Unfortunately for Sharpe, he and the technology has caught the attention of the Japanese authorities, both the British and American governments, and even the North Korean yakuza.I will admit that when it comes to finances, my mind tends to go blank and my attention starts to wander so I was pleasantly surprised when Ashton was able to keep me engaged throughout the entire novel. In fact, his use of the 2008 financial collapse as an important plot element was excellent. (Actually, after reading At the Sharpe End, I even understand some of what was going on then better than I did before.) When it comes to information technology, which is something that does interest me, I am on much more familiar ground and once again Ashton makes good use of it in his story. At the Sharpe End is unquestionably fiction and some turns of events may seem a bit far-fetched, but overall the novel is realistic and believable. I am not entirely clear about some of the character' motivations, though. The people involved are fairly normal, ordinary people and with a few exceptions even the situations they find themselves in aren't terribly extraordinary. In some ways it is exactly because of this realism that I found the novel to be so interesting.I enjoyed At the Sharpe End more than I expected I would and it reads quickly. Ashton did have a habit of going off on cultural tangents that tended to break up the flow of the narrative. However, I found the subject matter interesting in most cases and so I didn't mind too terribly much. There were a few things, like one of the character's personality changes, that although explained I wasn't convinced by and a few plot elements that felt extraneous but that I was willing to go along with for the sake of the story. Perhaps what I most enjoyed about At the Sharpe End was the authenticity lent to the novel from Ashton's own experiences in Japan and his excellent use of current events to help shape the book's plot. At the Sharpe End isn't without its occasional awkwardness, but I found reading it a satisfying way to pass the time.Experiments in Manga

[fmgolden · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

Kenneth Sharpe is chosen by someone unknown to take part in a crazy scheme that involves a facial recognition computer program and hidden behind that program a much more interesting computer program, the gifted Japanese creator of those programs, the Korean mobster family of the creator, a rogue secret agent and several other assorted police or secret agent types. Half James Bond and half Austin Powers, Kenneth Sharpe is all fun. You are caught up in this story, just as the main character, not knowing where the next surprise will come from. You can never fully trust anyone, even his friends, you can never feel that he is safe, even with the so called, good guys and even the end of the story leaves you with questions about what happened next. I found this novel about computer technology and the financial world easy to understand. I would not hesitate to recommend it to someone who does not have a computer or financial background. The book was easy to read and I looked forward to getting back to my reading when I had to be away.

[redwood5 · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

This novel took me a while to get around to, but I was pleasantly surprised at how much I enjoyed it. I really enjoyed the portrayal of Kenneth Sharpe and found his character very believable. Hugh Ashton's Japan is spot-on as well, and his outsider's take on Japanese culture and people is enlightening, informative, and at times humorous. All told, At the Sharpe End is a well written, engrossing thriller that I personally will be sure to recommend to other readers.

[vkhowll · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

When reading the synopsis of the book I was worried that this book would be a hard read. I believed that either/both the "technical communications" language or the Japanese culture would be over my head somewhat. But, I ended up loving this book. It was an easy book from the very beginning. The author seem to take into account for the readers who know nothing about computers or Japan culture. I usually read fantasy fiction novels but recently decided to go outside my box and read different genres. Thank you, Hugh, for sending this great piece of work to be my first "murder mystery" book. Though I find it hard to call it that because there were so many different aspects to the book. This was an excellent read and would recommended to anyone. Thanks Hugh.

[croknot1 · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

This novel has it all! Intrigue, suspense,action, violence, romance, and it all fits together nicely. I was very srprised to find that it was not "above me", and I was enthralled with the story line. The characters were so rich, I could see them all! A lot of the good guys were bad, and the bad guys were good. I was glad it is a work of fiction. Well done and kudos!

[krista23 · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

I thought this book was going to be over my head. In reading the synopsis you see such words as "freelance technology consultant" "2008 wall street collapse" and "global financial markets". I was intrigued by this book because it takes place in Modern day Japan, in the point of view of a foreigner. And that is also the reason that I enjoyed and would recommend this books to others. I found the main character Sharpe a little sarcastic and affable. He is thrown into a mess of a situation involving murder, the mob, and endangers the lives of his girlfriend and friends while rolling with the punches of the situation he's gotten envolved with. A stranger has approached him at a coffee shop, hiring him to write an article on some technology he's been working on. He then hands him a hello kitty box with unknown content and is found dead in mere hours. Leaving Sharpe the last one to see him alive. Come to find out not only are Americans, Britans, North Koreans and the Japanese looking into this technology and now Sharpe is the last one to question. What I found completely encouraging about this novel was as a reader, asking myself questions like "why doesn't he just give up the computer card instead of risking his loved ones" my answers were immediatly answered within seconds. I found that the language used was smooth, detailed and not overwhelming at all. The characters (even the bad guys) were all very well developed and entertaining. I am very happy that this book found its way onto my shelves and encourage others to pick this one up. It's intriguing, intuitive, educational and entertaining.

[bilja_1 · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

This book is very pleasant to read and hard to put down.The esthetic has been well taken care of.I particularly enjoyed the kitchen connection, how Sharpe does things or makes up his mind in there. I love the brisk, short narrative style. the dialogues and the thoughts.The thriller is played in a very unusual set, kind of akward things happening, reminds a little bit of the movie Entrapment, with Kathrine Zeta Jones ans Sean Connery. I definitely agree with whom sees a potential for a screen play, although I'd rather make a short TV serial than a movie out of this book. Way to go Mr.Ashton

[livelylady · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

Through no fault of his own, Kenneth Sharpe, living in Japan, becomes involved and then targeted for the discoveryof a techno program which could change his life...and the world...if he survives to share it. With mysterious killings, the finding of a severed head, and a "presumed" dead person appearing, Sharpe is pursued. He just is not sure who the enemy is. And you, the reader, will not know until the end just who the enemy is and what Sharpe's future holds. While somewhat complex with foreign names, I found the storyline and the plot engrossing. This is definitely screenplay material. And the story lends itself to a sequel. The author's knowledge and experience of Japanese life comes I am not a Ludlum or Follett fan. While the storyline may be simillar I believe the character development is more complete. I would recommend this to those who like excitement and business drama.

[ngorman-1 · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

I enjoyed this book very much. It keeps you on the edge of your seat throughout the whole book. Kenneth Sharpe is a freelance technology consultant who is pulled into a world of murder, kidnapping and government espionage. The story brings realism inwhich it pulls you into it as if you are part of it. This story is centered in Tokyo, Japan. I liked the part of of using the hello kitty box, that seems so innocent, that contains something that changes his life for the worse. the suspense of this story will keep you reading and reading to find out more. It's hard to put down before finishing the book completely. I would absolutely recommend this book.

[yoyogod · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

Wow, this was an exciting book. Kenneth Sharpe gets handed a gizmo that can make someone very rich. Unfortunately, the mob and several secret government agencies all want to get their hands on it, and are willing to kill to do so. I could barely put the book down.The only real problem I had was when the writer felt the need to explain fairly everyday terms that any Internet savvy person should be familiar with--like voice over IP and Skype. It was also somewhat jarring to hear the US President referred to as a "psychopathic moron" in a book written in 2010, until several chapters later when Wall Street collapses and you realize that the book is taking place in 2007 and the "psychopathic moron" is George W. Bush not Barrack Obama.All in all, though, it is a very good book.

[hollyharper-1 · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

Who is more trustworthy-- the mafia, the police, or the international diplomats? Set in modern Tokyo, At the Sharpe End is a convoluted, fast-paced tale of international intrigue, high tech gambling, and violence. Protagonist Sharpe is a self-deprecatory expatriate who is handed a Hello Kitty box that ultimately leads to murder, riches, insanity, and more trouble than anyone bargained for. The nonstop action is sometimes slowed by the wordiness of the characters, but that same wordiness, particularly in the spot-on rendering of Indian-laced English, evoked several appreciative snorts and a couple bouts of laughter. The twists in this plot will keep you guessing, so read sharpe… (Get it?)

[eanause · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

This book is a fantastic financial thriller. I love how the author mixed suspense, the currency markets and current events. The author found the proper balance to describe technical details without being boring. The characters are well developed and I found myself liking a villain or two as much as the good guys. The good guys are flawed and hypocrites. They end up becoming exactly like the insider traders and cheats the author demonizes in the book. It just made them seem more human and not above making mistakes. The characters are colorful and relatable. Hugh Ashton did a wonderful job bringing the Japanese culture to life. This was a fast read that kept my interest until the end. A great read!