A review by kurenzhi
Lady Joker, Volume 1 by Kaoru Takamura

3.25

More of a sprawling, social criticism novel that happens to revolve around a criminal incident than a crime novel, really, but an interesting take on the Monster with 21 Faces kidnapping. It's nice to see something translated that actually discusses discrimination against Burakumin in Japan--it's a pretty taboo topic, and aside from the meager amount of Kenji Nakagami's work that has been translated, not one anglophone readers are likely to have had much exposure to. 

Hard to judge the efficacy of the pacing without reading part II, but this felt well-done and thoroughly planned to me.