| Book Review | Newcomer.
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"Sometimes, all you had to do was exist in order to be someone's saviour." - Keigo Higashino.
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Nothing pleases me more than reading a brilliant murder mystery by Higashino. Apart from including the classic whodunnit angle, Higashino also displays extreme emotional connection through his characters. This is why I can't seem to get enough of his books. I picked this one up yesterday and breezed through it at a terrifying speed. I've come to notice that this is often the case when I read Higashino's books. That goes to show how splendid of a writer he truly is. Newcomer was unlike any other crime novel that I have ever read and once you read it, I guarantee that you'll feel the same way. I say this with conviction that no one describes a plot as well as he does and Newcomer is proof enough.
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When a forty five year old divorcee Mineko Mitsui is found murdered in her apartment, detective Kyoichiri Kaga is appointed to carry out the interrogation. Kaga is an eccentric young man in his thirties who has a reputation for being unique in undertaking his investigations. Being new to the precinct, Kaga calls himself a newcomer, hence the title. The novel is divided into eight sections in which he interviews a bunch of people who knew the victim either directly or indirectly. He offers his sympathies and condolences, lends a friendly hand to the ones who are affected by the murder and yet proceeds with his interrogation in a strict manner. Throughout the novel, he oozes charm and sips on iced coffee while paying attention to even the tiniest of details. It is this quality of him that sets him apart from rest of the cops.
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While Kaga does his checks in the background, the author focusses on many families that had interacted with the victim previously. Be it the rice cracker owners, the girl at the pastry shop or even the victim's own son, the stories are all neatly arranged. As I read along, I did not know what to expect and this is why I absolutely enjoy Higashino's books. When one feels that he knows who the murderer is, Higashino picks a completely different path.
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Even though his books contain quite a few characters, it does not make it difficult to keep track of them. In Newcomer, the stories are interlinked and I was often left stunned by the beauty of it. The ending was unexpected and took me by surprise. I personally feel that no one can narrate stories that are this complex in a relaxed manner like Higashino. I've read couple of other works by him and I cannot for the life of me pick a favourite. Newcomer is a very fast paced book, one that I'd recommend without even having to think twice about it. Higashino continues to remain my favourite.
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Rating - 5/5.