''The buildings, tall and solidly built, stored wealth in their floorspace, upper-floor views, elegant construction and prestige.''
Perhaps the biggest character, though, is the city and culture of Tokyo, which Pronko brings alive. It's a city he obviously knows and loves and if you would like to read more about the city, we can recommend Pronko's [[Beauty and Chaos: Slices and Morsels of Tokyo Life by Michael Pronko|Beauty and Chaos: Slices and Morsels of Tokyo Life]], but - even in ''Azabu Getaway'' - you'll feel as though you're walking the streets, eating the food. It's not all pristine, though , as you'll find out when the investigation gets to Disneyland: ''Here and there the pavement was unfinished and a few walls misaligned. The roofs over the arcade, cracked and brittle from the sun, looked like they leaked. No one cared about those rough edges in cartoon heaven''. The rough edges might have been financial in Tokyo city - but it was no less cartoonish in its own way.
The plot's superb: it had me guessing to the very end and I'd like to thank the publisher for sending a copy to the Bookbag.