4.3 Stars
This is my first novel written by the author, and I must say I'll read the other books (that have been translated into English). What I liked was the pacing, the language, and the control over the plot. This could have been one heck of an overdramatic novel, but it is balanced and silently works its charm on the readers.
The story is divided into parts where Osamu Nonoguchi and Detective Kaga take turns to narrate what has happened. As the story progresses, we see that things are not what they seem. The truth is uncovered in various ways, most of which require using the brain (the famous grey cells).
Imagine knowing who the murderer is but not knowing why the crime has been committed. Is the confession correct? Why should it even be wrong? What if the truth is something else? How does it affect the dead if the motive is A, or B, or even C?
Something that was supposed to be simple ends up as a complex tangle of lies and manipulation. Where does this lead? Rather, where did it start?
We are who we are, and the core doesn't change much over the years.
The book deals with a lot of issues (bullying especially), but as I said before, it's not dramatic. It is casual, way too casual for some readers. But that's where the trick lies. We have to be detached to see through the words. Reading between the lines and connecting the dots requires a calm and controlled mind.
Detective Kaga has it in him to solve the case. He is constantly thinking, wondering, trying to match words to actions to characters. And when the pattern doesn't work, he knows something is not right.
This reminds me of a lot of Christie's works. She's the Queen of Crime Fiction, after all. No gore, no psychopath killers on a murdering spree, and no unexpected twists added for the sake of the thrill.
Kaga isn't Poirot, but he is efficient. The writing flows (the translator sure did a good job) and makes it an even better read.