Ideal Lost Part One: The Shrikes (Ideal Lost #1) by J. T. Wong [with preorder bonuses!]

Release date: October 26, 2026

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Note: if you are based in the US and this is the only book you want to order, consider ordering from the author herself: https://jtwongstudio-shop.fourthwall.com/en-cad/pages/books

A beloved childhood friend that he always idolized isn't who he thought he was. Because even gods have bloody hands.

Jun hasn't left his room in the last three months. Finally being dragged to the mall by his roommate Alex, Jun's world is turned upside down when he runs into Ruki, his childhood best friend. A friend he hadn't spoken to since Ruki was slaving away to one of the biggest science research companies in the country. Their abrupt encounter left Jun and Alex the repercussions of Ruki's confidential work that somehow ended up in the dark underbelly of Los Angeles.

With Alex's harrowed past of LA's criminal world and Jun's drive to salvage his relationship with Ruki, the young men dive into the city's glittering lights by encountering corrupt celebrities, cops and gangsters. As more is revealed, neither of them realize how enormous the impact Ruki left behind. They will have to work out their differences together before their own secrets destroy each other.

For fans of neo-noir films like Pulp Fiction, Fight Club, Drive, and Nightcrawler that's driven by a diverse found family and a queer love story at its core, Ideal Lost is a three-part crime thriller that deals with the destructive consequences of a young man's struggle to carry everyone's idealized expectations on himself.

About the Author

J. T. Wong (also goes by Joanne or Jo) is a music teacher that resides in Los Angeles. She has taught all levels in elementary general music, middle school concert band, and high school band and choir. She also holds an MFA in Musicology with an emphasis on Asian pop music and its influence on hyper-consumerist culture.

Her other passion is storytelling with a huge influence from her love of visual storytelling from graphic novels, manga, anime, video games, and especially movies. Even though she loves the film medium, she has no experience in filmmaking, so she decided to go towards writing novels instead.

For more information, please visit her instagram @jtwongwriting.