'Imperfect Strangers' is a murder mystery set in small-town, present-day Japan. President Nomura, head of a small university in Kyushu, the westernmost island of Japan, is found with his throat slit in his office. Chief Inspector Inoue of the local police learns that the victim had many enemies and few friends. Inoue uncovers a web of deceit and self-deception, with nearly everyone involved harboring his own secrets and lies. To find Nomura's killer, Inoue realizes he must take into account issues festering in modern-day Japanese society. He faces his greatest challenging, risking professional ruin and personal disgrace, in his race to solve the case.