Kudos to the author for writing such a superb debut novel! It has everything you'd want in a book; fascinating setting, quirky characters, romance building, mysterious pasts etc. It all comes together perfectly. By the end of the book I was feeling as if I was a member of the community. I want the story to continue because I want to know more about Amy and her mother. Please take us back to the city under the roof! I feel like there are many stories there just waiting to be told.

Thank you to NetGalley for an advance copy of this book. I'm a total fan and can't wait for Yamashita's next story!

4.5 Chilly stars!
Detective Cara Kennedy arrives from Anchorage to the strange city of Point Mettier - a tiny little claustrophobic city of 200 (out of tourist season) literally under one roof. A teenager has found a hand and a foot and this murderous discovery may connect to a case Cara is already investigating.

A small winter storm closes the tunnel and Cara is stuck in Point Mettier for an indefinite amount of time as she tries to track down who the appendages may have belonged to. The problem is, only people with something to hide live in the city, and they are unlikely to assist an outsider. It isn't long before Cara is forced to share secrets of her own in order to stay alive and get to the bottom of the case. If you like claustrophobic and atmospheric thrillers, unusual settings and interesting background or just want a great original police procedural, City Under One Roof is for you! #Edelweiss

https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/4970373743

This debut novel was a gripping and immersive mystery set in a small Alaskan town, temporarily closed off from the rest of the world due to inclement weather. Told from the perspective of three female characters, the novel centers on protagonist Cara Kennedy, a detective with Anchorage PD. The other two perspectives are local residents with key roles in the mystery, and at least one of whom may play an ongoing role in the series.

Detective Kennedy is in town, but not in an official capacity, since she is on disability due to stress. Rather, she is looking into clues that could shed light on the disappearance of her own family members. Unfortunately, a storm arrives just after she does, and she is stranded. While waiting for the road to clear so she can return home, she makes some interesting discoveries, and ultimately becomes embroiled in a local effort to ward off a violent attack by a local gang.

This novel's strengths are it's sense of place & atmosphere, fast-paced yet intricately-woven plot, and solid character development. You can feel the cold of winter setting in, the isolation of the one large building that houses everyone in town, the suspense of all that transpires in quick succession, and the emotions of the main characters.

Highly recommended for fans of suspense/thrillers, locked-room type mysteries, and books set in remote locations.

City Under One Roof is a form of locked-room murder set in a remote Alaskan town. Most everyone lives in a large building that contains residents’ condos, public safety and other government services, hotel rooms, etc. Soon after a city detective arrives to do some detecting related to her own personal loss, the town is closed off from the outside world by a blizzard and subsequent avalanche and she becomes embroiled in the investigation of a recent local murder. The story is full of local characters, most of whom are there because the town is remote and a great place to hide from the outside world. This was a solid mystery in a unique setting. The townspeople’s back stories were intriguing and made for an interesting assortment of characters. I might have hoped for a little better character development for the MC and her love interest, but the plot and supporting characters kept me interested and carried the day. The ending leaves the door wide open to a sequel featuring detective Cara Kennedy.

One reason I found the concept for Iris Yamashita’s debut mystery so intriguing is because I had seen the CBS Sunday Morning feature about Whittier, Alaska. Yamashita’s City Under One Roof is set in the fictional town of Point Mettier, Alaska, but her notes following the story thank the residents of Whittier. She based her setting on that town.

When a teenager finds body parts in a cove, the police investigate, but their standard response is that the parts probably come from a cruise ship, and they’ll never identify the victim. And, the people of Point Mettier keep their mouths shut when it comes to “otters”, others from outside their town. In Point Mettier, they all live in the Davidson Condos – the Dave-Co, a building that houses two hundred five full-time residents. There’s a post office, church, infirmary, a general store, a school, all just one tunnel away. The only way to get to the town is through a two mile tunnel, and when the weather is bad, the tunnel shuts down, and the residents are on their own. They even have a two-man police force with Chief Sipley and Officer Joe Barkowski, J.B.

No one is expecting Detective Cara Kennedy to show up with a follow-up investigation about the body parts. Cara comes from Anchorage, and has a personal reason for examining the body. She only means to spend one day in Point Mettier, but by the time she tries to return through the tunnel it’s closed indefinitely because of snow and an avalanche. She’s claustrophobic, and now she’s stuck in a small rented room in one building with everyone in town. And, everyone in town seems to have an excuse for lying. It doesn’t take long for Cara to realize that everyone who moved there is running from somebody or something.

Cara is present when one of the residents uncovers a head, a head that probably belongs with the other body parts. The police chief is nonplussed when she insists they store the head in a freezer, but, then, he has secrets he’s hiding. Following the invasion of a gang from a nearby village, trashed apartments, and the disappearance of a mother and her sons, J.B. and Cara team up to find answers to the crimes that have invaded the small town.

Three women, including Cara, narrate the story of City Under One Roof. I don’t know when I’ve read a book with such an unusual setting. While the characters aren’t well-developed, the setting and atmosphere are unique. Unless you’re claustrophobic, I’d recommend this strange, memorable story.

Appropriately creepy, with a rather pleasant (if chilly) sense of atmosphere. Does anyone remember the tv show Northern Exposure? I'd forgotten it until reading this, whatever that tells you.

Did you like the idea in the book "Artemis" that everyone in yr town lives in one compound? Did you like the family twist in "Woman in the Window"? Did you like the first part of "The Sound and the Fury" narrated by Benjy? Have you ever met anyone from Alaska? These are all influences on this book, and I am glad that I read it. Thank you for the ARC.

I enjoyed reading a novel in this setting, a small town in the frigid wilds of Alaska. The isolation adds to the suspense, especially when a major snowstorm blocks the tunnel, the only way out of the town by car. The characters are memorable, a mish mash of people - many long timers, and several who have come to this out of the way part of Alaska for their own private reasons.

The plot is a good one that fits the stark isolated setting. The discovery of human body parts washed ashore puts the town on edge, and starts the process of discovery and crime solving. A young female detective protagonist from Anchorage is trapped in town by the storm, helping to resolve the mystery and finding romance on the way.

An enjoyable read.

This book had so much more potential than what really played out. I enjoyed most of it, it was just really slow in too many areas to give it a glowing recommendation.

City Under One Roof by Iris Yamashita is an engrossing nd interesting read with fully detailed characters and plot. Well worth the read!

This book is fantastic! I loved it! It’s smart!
It’s a claustrophobic thriller! It’s a dramatic very very small town/ let’s rephrase: small unit drama where everyone is exiled here to hide from their pasts! It’s a story of ghosts haunting the place where you can hear their screams mixing with the wind’s howling. And finally this is action packed, fast pacing, character driven story!

Iris Yamashita : Oscar nominated screenwriter from “Letters from Iwo Jiwa” ( 2006, directed by Clint Eastwood), crafted something extraordinary and one of the most unconventional, absolutely one of most anticipated thrillers!

Just think about an Alaskan town called Point Mettier: a place where the weather is minus thirty five degrees and the winter lasts for eight months. There are 205 full-time residents live in the same building, UNDER ONE ROOF! They called the building they live: “ Dave-Co”. The town has a postoffice, a church, an infirmary, and a general store. You can get your take-out two places: from a pub who sells greasy food and booze and a Chinese restaurant with cardboard tasted greasy food.

Why those 205 people preferred to live you live in a backwater hole of a place where everyone lived in one building and your eyelashes could actually freeze? Because all of them hide something or run away from someone!

There are only two police officers of Point Mettier: Chief Sipley ( elder man taking care of Loonie the crazy lady with a moose) and young Joe Barkowski a.k.a. J. B.

When Amy, 17, finds pieces of body including a severed hand and foot washed up from the shore, an Anchorage officer ( the neighborhood town to Point Mettier) takes testimony of Amy and thinks this was suicide case of a tourist who jumped in the water and killed himself.

But later another Anchorage officer arrives to the town. Her name is Cara Kennedy. She is so adamant to open the Pandora’s box as entire townies are reluctant to help her.

After the avalanche closes the tunnel, Cara finds herself trapped in this claustrophobic town, becoming a reluctant resident of the same building with the other townies who are not welcomed her with open hands. Even the kids are paid to terrorize her to knock her door and run in the middle of the night.

Only J. B. who finds out her past and what she’s hiding of, coming to her help for the investigation.

But Cara’s not only threatened by the townies, but also she’s intimidated by gang members of native village. They arrive to the town to look for something.

I especially liked the POV of Lonnie: it made so sad how she’s traumatized and how she’s doing everything she can to protect the town’s safety and her loved ones.

Overall: I extremely advise you to read it! It’s a secret gem! It truly surprised me and surpassed my expectations! Giving my five, cold, tricky, smart Alaskan stars!

Many thanks to NetGalley and Berkley Publishing for sharing this amazing digital reviewer copy with me in exchange my honest opinions!

You know something bad is going to happen the minute you start to read this book. An isolated Alaskan village only populated during the tourist season. That is over with now and only residents remain, and they all lived in the same condo establishment. Body parts washing up on shore, an eclectic mixture of people, a troubled detective on medical leave and a snowstorm that strands everyone in place. What could possibly go wrong?

I must admit I liked the atmospheric setting and the characters reminded me of episodes of Northern Exposure. I loved that show! I have a feeling this will turn into a good series and I think readers will enjoy it. Oh, did I mention the moose?

Recommended!