Shimoda's best novel to date, and his first psychological thrillerTodd Shimoda was the winner of the 2010 Elliot Cades Award for Literature, given to Hawaii's top writer. Past winners include Paul Theroux & Ian MacMillan. Shimoda's 2009 novel Oh! was picked as a summer best read by NPR's Morning Edition & a notable book by the Asian Art Museum of San Francisco.The Fourth Treasure (2002) was translated into six languages and was named a notable book by the Kiriyama Prize. 100,000 copies in print worldwide.The novel contains a book within a book of 16-page, 4-color art by Linda Shimoda which tells the ancient story of Kashima, a god who controls a thrashing catfish said to be the cause of Japan's earthquakes. The inserted book offers clues to the contemporary thriller surrounding it.Linda Shimoda's 2-color calligraphic art throughout the novel adds depth of meaning to the story, as her artwork in Oh! did. NPR called that book «a kick in the pants to anyone who doubts the future of paper-and-ink books.»The first anniversary of the 3/11/11 earthquake and tsunami in Japan will bring renewed attention to this subject in spring 2012. Participating in the CBSD January 2012 Galley Box
