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4.02 AVERAGE
4.02 AVERAGE
adventurous
lighthearted
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No
adventurous
fast-paced
Hard to keep track of all the different names but overall a good mystery.
Originally posted on This is Lit.
Like every other Higashino novel, this one’s different from traditional crime fiction. The premise is simple. A woman is dead and our favorite detective Kaga starts investigating. The business district near the woman’s apartment is filled with shops whose owners are in some way linked to her murder. How Kaga finally unmasks the killer forms the rest of the story.
The Higashino touch in this novel is that we don’t see Kaga’s POV until the very end. Instead, each chapter is dedicated to one of the shops of the business district of Nihonbashi. You get introduced to at least 3 new characters every chapter, but it doesn’t get confusing at all. And therein lies the beauty of a Higashino book.
We get the shop owners’ perspectives when they’re being investigated by Kaga and the other detectives of his precinct. At the end of each chapter, we also get to hear Kaga’s reasoning behind suspecting the people he did in that chapter. This was my only problem with the book. I don’t think a detective would reveal any information about an ongoing investigation to a person, despite them not being a suspect anymore.
But it’s very easy to look past this minor issue as the story is very plot-driven and fast-paced. If you’re craving crime fiction right now, this–or any other Higashino–should be your go-to!
I received a copy of this book through NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
Like every other Higashino novel, this one’s different from traditional crime fiction. The premise is simple. A woman is dead and our favorite detective Kaga starts investigating. The business district near the woman’s apartment is filled with shops whose owners are in some way linked to her murder. How Kaga finally unmasks the killer forms the rest of the story.
The Higashino touch in this novel is that we don’t see Kaga’s POV until the very end. Instead, each chapter is dedicated to one of the shops of the business district of Nihonbashi. You get introduced to at least 3 new characters every chapter, but it doesn’t get confusing at all. And therein lies the beauty of a Higashino book.
We get the shop owners’ perspectives when they’re being investigated by Kaga and the other detectives of his precinct. At the end of each chapter, we also get to hear Kaga’s reasoning behind suspecting the people he did in that chapter. This was my only problem with the book. I don’t think a detective would reveal any information about an ongoing investigation to a person, despite them not being a suspect anymore.
But it’s very easy to look past this minor issue as the story is very plot-driven and fast-paced. If you’re craving crime fiction right now, this–or any other Higashino–should be your go-to!
I received a copy of this book through NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
adventurous
mysterious
medium-paced
Higashino's book's are an excellent break from the usual gritty mystery novels that tend to flood the market without being overly cosy. The main detective Sergeant Kaga, is likeable, carrying little in the way of emotional baggage which is rather refreshing in itself. in many ways he feels cut from the same cloth as Poirot or Holmes.
Fans of the classic mystery stories will definitely enjoy this book and series.
With thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for the ARC.
Fans of the classic mystery stories will definitely enjoy this book and series.
With thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for the ARC.
mysterious
reflective
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated
emotional
inspiring
mysterious
medium-paced
I picked this up because I read that Detective Kaga was being called "Japan's Sherlock Holmes." This was a sweet book, I think what they call a "cozy mystery." Kaga reminded me more of Columbo than Holmes, but it was still fun. This story had many threads that were followed in a sequence that may or may not have been chronological, all of which were charmingly sorted out.
This isn't really my cup of tea and I probably won't be reading more of Detective Kaga, but I'm not sorry I read this one.
This isn't really my cup of tea and I probably won't be reading more of Detective Kaga, but I'm not sorry I read this one.