Lost lad london vol 1 by shima shinya

College student Al decides to stay in London for the winter holidays to work as many shifts and save money for the next term, but when London’s mayor is found dead in the same subway Al was on, he gets tangled up in a clandestine investigation with Ellis, a detective seeking redemption. Al's flatmate also gets intertwined with a disastrous outcome, so nothing is looking too good for Al. The search for leads forces Al to seek out his birth mother and confront a past he had been content to keep buried. 

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This story is a really engaging murder-mystery that doles out clues and developments in a satisfying pace that is sure to keep readers hooked and wondering how right they are in their suspicions. Both main characters have a lot of depth developed within the first volume despite the very minimal detailing and exposition in the word balloons. The art is also very different from other manga styles. It’s a little more western and sparse in character detail, favoring more atmospheric drawings and an emphasis on characters' surroundings, but these major differences still lead to enjoyable and meaningful panels. 

There is some blood on the page, and obviously it's about murder. There are some pretty serious murder-y situations, so this might be better for older audiences or students who can handle that sort of serious subject-matter.

Sara's Rating: 10/10
Suitability Level: Grades 10-12

Publisher: Yen Press
Publication Date: May 24, 2022
ISBN: 9781975340827 (Paperback)

​Tags: Rating: 10/10, Suitability: High School, Manga, Mystery, Realistic Fiction, Suspense, ​Yen Press