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4.02 AVERAGE
4.02 AVERAGE
emotional
hopeful
inspiring
mysterious
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No
A surprisingly cozy mystery, with storytelling elements similar in style to some of the “healing fiction” novels coming out of Japan and South Korea. Each chapter is a vignette focused on a different cast of characters within a neighborhood, and threads of the murder mystery story are woven throughout. These threads are pulled together by Detective Kaga, who takes community policing to a whole different level.
I really enjoyed this mystery, and really enjoy Kaga as a character. Interestingly, we’re never in his head, and only see him through the eyes of other characters, tinged with their judgement of him. Ultimately, he shows himself to be not only a fantastic detective, but also a keen observer of the human condition with a compassionate heart. Despite being centered around a murder, this story is quite wholesome.
I really enjoyed this mystery, and really enjoy Kaga as a character. Interestingly, we’re never in his head, and only see him through the eyes of other characters, tinged with their judgement of him. Ultimately, he shows himself to be not only a fantastic detective, but also a keen observer of the human condition with a compassionate heart. Despite being centered around a murder, this story is quite wholesome.
Keigo Higashino is a Japanese crime writer who likes to spin his tales in a completely different way to most crime writers. He basically takes the rules of the genre, rips them up and throws them away — and then does things completely on his own terms.
Newcomer, which is set in Tokyo, is a whodunnit but the narrative is structured in an unusual way: each phase of the police investigation into the homicide of a 40-something woman is told as if it’s a standalone short story. With each new story, or chapter, we learn something new about the case as the list of suspects grows longer and longer.
The investigation is led by Detective Kyochiro Kaga, a sharp-minded, highly experienced policeman who has just been transferred to the Tokyo Police Department and who was first introduced to readers in Higashino’s previous novel Malice. (Newcomer is billed as book 2 in the Kyochiro Kaga series but you don’t need to have read the first to enjoy this one.)
As his investigation into the murder of divorcee Mineko Mitsui proceeds, more and more potential suspects enter the fray to the point where you wonder whether he is ever going to be able to weed out the real culprit.
The evocative setting — the Nihonbashi area of Tokyo, which is dominated by family-run shops and all-night bars, and is, I believe, one of the original areas of the city — lends an olde-worlde charm to the tale as Kaga slowly but surely traces a series of items found in the dead woman’s home back to the shops in which they were purchased.
His logical and methodical inquiry eventually allows him to rule out several suspects, and the denouement comes in the form of a final chapter that reveals who did it, how they did it and why.
To read the rest of my review, please visit my blog.
Newcomer, which is set in Tokyo, is a whodunnit but the narrative is structured in an unusual way: each phase of the police investigation into the homicide of a 40-something woman is told as if it’s a standalone short story. With each new story, or chapter, we learn something new about the case as the list of suspects grows longer and longer.
The investigation is led by Detective Kyochiro Kaga, a sharp-minded, highly experienced policeman who has just been transferred to the Tokyo Police Department and who was first introduced to readers in Higashino’s previous novel Malice. (Newcomer is billed as book 2 in the Kyochiro Kaga series but you don’t need to have read the first to enjoy this one.)
As his investigation into the murder of divorcee Mineko Mitsui proceeds, more and more potential suspects enter the fray to the point where you wonder whether he is ever going to be able to weed out the real culprit.
The evocative setting — the Nihonbashi area of Tokyo, which is dominated by family-run shops and all-night bars, and is, I believe, one of the original areas of the city — lends an olde-worlde charm to the tale as Kaga slowly but surely traces a series of items found in the dead woman’s home back to the shops in which they were purchased.
His logical and methodical inquiry eventually allows him to rule out several suspects, and the denouement comes in the form of a final chapter that reveals who did it, how they did it and why.
To read the rest of my review, please visit my blog.
adventurous
mysterious
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No
Why oh why have the stamped Keigo as "The Japanese Stieg Larsson", talk about wildly off the mark as they have very different styles.
This book for instance has no torture or bloody murders for a start. It is gentle, almost poetic set of vignettes that glides the reader towards the solution. Although "who done it" isn't all that important in any case. It's about people, relationships, and a neighbourhood - the murder is almost incidental.
Need to read more Detective Kaga stories!
This book for instance has no torture or bloody murders for a start. It is gentle, almost poetic set of vignettes that glides the reader towards the solution. Although "who done it" isn't all that important in any case. It's about people, relationships, and a neighbourhood - the murder is almost incidental.
Need to read more Detective Kaga stories!
a page-turning Japanese murder mystery, which was just fine. nothing earth-shattering. very little character development, with the story mostly propelled by dialogue. seeing the slow unraveling of the case through the many witnesses was a unique perspective. my main gripe - there is nothing sexy about this book. not even a little. I think sex is referenced once, but only in procreative terms. like, there are at least 20 characters in the book, and none are having sex?! please.
challenging
dark
emotional
informative
lighthearted
mysterious
sad
fast-paced
I had forgotten how good Higashino is. The translation is a bit clunky, but the mysteries are told in a truly original and intriguing manner. Easy to read but never superficial.
I enjoyed the various vignettes but the main mystery itself was not particularly compelling.
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
N/A
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No
What a different format for a book! Splitting up the story by similar groups of people rather than following a linear timeline gives you the chance to pick out clues in interesting ways. Continues to confirm himself as one of my favorite authors.