Reviews - Death on Gokumon Island

544 reviews for:

Death on Gokumon Island

Seishi Yokomizo

3.75 AVERAGE

katiedreads's review against another edition

3.0

dark mysterious reflective slow-paced

Plot or Character Driven: A mix

Strong character development: Complicated

Loveable characters: Complicated

Diverse cast of characters: Yes

Flaws of characters a main focus: Yes

I picked this up after enjoying the first in the series so much. However this one didn’t engage me as much as the first. While the island as a atmospheric setting and the characters ranged from mad to sad to silly to murderous I just wasn’t feeling the mystery and couldn’t wait to find out who the killer was so I could move on. I think this is due to the book having a slower pace than the first, this author could have maybe done better if he had 50-75 fewer pages to make the novel move. However I did still enjoy the main character detective kosuke and his deductions and reasonings about the murders.

trenton_ross's review against another edition

4.0

mysterious medium-paced

Plot or Character Driven: Plot

Strong character development: No

jomiddlebrook's review against another edition

3.75

Plot or Character Driven: Plot

mbondlamberty's review against another edition

4.0

Fascinating examination of a family in the Seto Inland Sea in post-WWII Japan.
Great whodunit.

soletka's review against another edition

3.0

dark mysterious medium-paced

Plot or Character Driven: Plot

Strong character development: N/A

Loveable characters: Yes

Diverse cast of characters: Complicated

Flaws of characters a main focus: N/A

Elegant historical prose combining shocking, haunting events with old-school sleuthing based on thinking and careful combing through the various details and hearsay to investigate the truth. What is interesting here is the historical background of pre- and postwar Japan, presenting the type of acts typical for that time era - while today´s reader might go more for the shocking murder details here, the lover of the historical topics (like me) might enjoy the cultural details the most. The cultural differences are present and visible, but this presents a good teachable moment or two for the enthusiast like me.