This would probably the last book in the Keigo Higashino I may get to read this year. Another intriguing tale of murder investigation where the suspense around “Who” and more importantly the “how” gets prolonged almost till the last chapter, unlike his other novels where it’s mostly open book case of who is the killer with only the investigation procedure taking everyone on a thrill rider. Here again, the police investigation and the detailing around it makes it a compelling read.
There is a death pretty much at the very beginning of the novel with more than sufficient hint as to who is going to kill the victim and even on the “how” part. But as the investigation progresses, there are so many view points and details that crop up which makes one wonder where the initial apprehensions as simple as they seemed. Whatever could be the point of view of the reader, there is a character that voices out and thinks on the same line and thereby the author makes a big win. There are immediate connects to each of the character and after a while, it feels as if the dialogues are being voiced out in your head with each character speaking for itself!!
Like each of his mystery novels, there is a strong undercurrent of love and relationship as the central plot and each of the novels have a very strong heroine/villi, around whom the entire story revolves. The translation of this particular novel is almost on the lines of “Devotion X” and never gives a feeling of an imitation. But one thing that was a big letdown was the very thing which is the strong point of the story – a water tight investigative procedure. Would they been so callous as to not check the plants from the very beginning when they are searching for the source everywhere? And the reason why the victim hides details about his personal life, especially his girlfriends, doesn’t quite add up and felt as if its forced to bring the story to a conclusion. When you expect mega serial like fighting scenes between the wife and the “other lady” in her husband’s life, it never happens and the reason, when revealed in the end, elevates the poignancy behind the act. The fact that the crime is touted as the perfect crime falls flat on these aspects but other than that, the premise and the way the murder is self-inflicted on the victim are brilliant. To wrap it all, the motive being such a sensitive one, considering that Japanese do suffer from such demography related issues and to make a crime story out of it is sheer brilliance.
Gils verdict – the story doesn’t offer the thrills and twists of the other novels. But it deals with a very important situation in a country where the population growth rate is always in the news for its abysmally low levels. It may not be the best of the lot, but it sure does have its heart in the right place. But wonder why such an odd title though? To cash in on the “Devotion” success probably, to make it sound like a sequel?
There is a death pretty much at the very beginning of the novel with more than sufficient hint as to who is going to kill the victim and even on the “how” part. But as the investigation progresses, there are so many view points and details that crop up which makes one wonder where the initial apprehensions as simple as they seemed. Whatever could be the point of view of the reader, there is a character that voices out and thinks on the same line and thereby the author makes a big win. There are immediate connects to each of the character and after a while, it feels as if the dialogues are being voiced out in your head with each character speaking for itself!!
Like each of his mystery novels, there is a strong undercurrent of love and relationship as the central plot and each of the novels have a very strong heroine/villi, around whom the entire story revolves. The translation of this particular novel is almost on the lines of “Devotion X” and never gives a feeling of an imitation. But one thing that was a big letdown was the very thing which is the strong point of the story – a water tight investigative procedure. Would they been so callous as to not check the plants from the very beginning when they are searching for the source everywhere? And the reason why the victim hides details about his personal life, especially his girlfriends, doesn’t quite add up and felt as if its forced to bring the story to a conclusion. When you expect mega serial like fighting scenes between the wife and the “other lady” in her husband’s life, it never happens and the reason, when revealed in the end, elevates the poignancy behind the act. The fact that the crime is touted as the perfect crime falls flat on these aspects but other than that, the premise and the way the murder is self-inflicted on the victim are brilliant. To wrap it all, the motive being such a sensitive one, considering that Japanese do suffer from such demography related issues and to make a crime story out of it is sheer brilliance.
Gils verdict – the story doesn’t offer the thrills and twists of the other novels. But it deals with a very important situation in a country where the population growth rate is always in the news for its abysmally low levels. It may not be the best of the lot, but it sure does have its heart in the right place. But wonder why such an odd title though? To cash in on the “Devotion” success probably, to make it sound like a sequel?
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