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catbrigand's review against another edition
DNF at 15%. Would have been a quick read, but I couldn’t get into the writing style. While I can appreciate that the author is very into Japan, the book very much feels like “look at how much I know about Japan” in a way that’s inauthentic and annoying.
nicolemhewitt's review against another edition
5.0
This review and many more can be found on my blog: Feed Your Fiction Addiction
I don’t really read Cozy Mysteries, but when I heard that Pajonas was writing one, I knew that I’d be jumping into the genre – I’ll pretty much read anything Pajonas writes because I LOVE the Japanese culture that she infuses into her bo0ks. Anyone out there who’s looking for diverse books for a challenge (or just because) should check out hers!
This book followed Mei, whose life is at a bit of a crossroads. She’s lost (another) job and has to move back home with her mother to work on their farm in a small Japanese village. She’s not thrilled at the prospect. But once she gets there, she finds that things are not as boring as she imagined they’d be. First off, her best friend’s father is murdered, and Mei makes it her mission to find the killer and clear her friend’s name. Then there’s the handsome owner of the new restaurant in town – what starts out as a bet that he can’t impress her with his food (she’s a pre-packaged cuisine kind of girl) turns into much more!
What Fed My Addiction:
The Japanese culture.
Since this book is set in Japan, it obviously has quite a bit of Japanese culture in it. The setting is key to the story and incredibly fleshed out – you feel immersed in all aspects of the culture (without feeling like you’re being hit over the head with it). Of course, since one of the main characters owns a restaurant, Japanese food is a big part of the story as well!
The romance.
Besides the culture, the romance was my favorite aspect of the book. It’s a bit of a slow burning romance, which I loved – Mei isn’t sure at first how she feels about Yasahiro, and she certainly doesn’t expect anything to happen between the two of them. Still, I was hooked from the start and was definitely rooting for them to end up together. Yasahiro was sweet and caring and fun and he helped Mei get past some of her insecurities, which she definitely needed!
Self-discovery.
Even though Mei is twenty-six years old, she was kind of finding herself in this book. She’d had a lot of setbacks and false starts in her life and so she was kind of doubting her own worth and her ability to succeed. Losing her job and moving back home made her feel like a failure and she had a hard time seeing past that. She’d had art, but a bad experience with a teacher made her doubt that as well. Because of that, Mei was mostly just floundering. Her journey in this book was not just to catch a killer – or even a road toward romance – but a journey of self-discovery.
What Left Me Wanting More:
I’m not a mystery reader.
So, mysteries aren’t really my favorite genre, and the mystery aspect of this story didn’t excite me all that much. This is pretty typical for me with the mysteries I’ve read (which is why I don’t read a ton of it). I enjoyed the climactic ending, but the actual investigation into the murder wasn’t my favorite aspect of the book. Luckily, this book almost felt more like a romance or a coming of age (maybe a little late?) story to me than a true mystery, so it actually didn’t bother me that I wasn’t that invested in who killed Akiko’s dad.
So, if you’re a cozy mystery reader, I highly recommend this book! Even if mysteries aren’t generally your genre, you’ll find lots to love with this one – between the Japanese culture, the romance and Mei’s internal struggles, there’s a lot going on! I give this book 4/5 stars.
***Disclosure: I received this book from the author in exchange for an honest review. No other compensation was given and all opinions are my own.***
I don’t really read Cozy Mysteries, but when I heard that Pajonas was writing one, I knew that I’d be jumping into the genre – I’ll pretty much read anything Pajonas writes because I LOVE the Japanese culture that she infuses into her bo0ks. Anyone out there who’s looking for diverse books for a challenge (or just because) should check out hers!
This book followed Mei, whose life is at a bit of a crossroads. She’s lost (another) job and has to move back home with her mother to work on their farm in a small Japanese village. She’s not thrilled at the prospect. But once she gets there, she finds that things are not as boring as she imagined they’d be. First off, her best friend’s father is murdered, and Mei makes it her mission to find the killer and clear her friend’s name. Then there’s the handsome owner of the new restaurant in town – what starts out as a bet that he can’t impress her with his food (she’s a pre-packaged cuisine kind of girl) turns into much more!
What Fed My Addiction:
The Japanese culture.
Since this book is set in Japan, it obviously has quite a bit of Japanese culture in it. The setting is key to the story and incredibly fleshed out – you feel immersed in all aspects of the culture (without feeling like you’re being hit over the head with it). Of course, since one of the main characters owns a restaurant, Japanese food is a big part of the story as well!
The romance.
Besides the culture, the romance was my favorite aspect of the book. It’s a bit of a slow burning romance, which I loved – Mei isn’t sure at first how she feels about Yasahiro, and she certainly doesn’t expect anything to happen between the two of them. Still, I was hooked from the start and was definitely rooting for them to end up together. Yasahiro was sweet and caring and fun and he helped Mei get past some of her insecurities, which she definitely needed!
Self-discovery.
Even though Mei is twenty-six years old, she was kind of finding herself in this book. She’d had a lot of setbacks and false starts in her life and so she was kind of doubting her own worth and her ability to succeed. Losing her job and moving back home made her feel like a failure and she had a hard time seeing past that. She’d had art, but a bad experience with a teacher made her doubt that as well. Because of that, Mei was mostly just floundering. Her journey in this book was not just to catch a killer – or even a road toward romance – but a journey of self-discovery.
What Left Me Wanting More:
I’m not a mystery reader.
So, mysteries aren’t really my favorite genre, and the mystery aspect of this story didn’t excite me all that much. This is pretty typical for me with the mysteries I’ve read (which is why I don’t read a ton of it). I enjoyed the climactic ending, but the actual investigation into the murder wasn’t my favorite aspect of the book. Luckily, this book almost felt more like a romance or a coming of age (maybe a little late?) story to me than a true mystery, so it actually didn’t bother me that I wasn’t that invested in who killed Akiko’s dad.
So, if you’re a cozy mystery reader, I highly recommend this book! Even if mysteries aren’t generally your genre, you’ll find lots to love with this one – between the Japanese culture, the romance and Mei’s internal struggles, there’s a lot going on! I give this book 4/5 stars.
***Disclosure: I received this book from the author in exchange for an honest review. No other compensation was given and all opinions are my own.***
stella_starstruck's review against another edition
3.0
I enjoyed this book and the characters. I would like to read the other books in the series. The Japan setting is fun for me, although some of the details aren't completely correct.
Love Mei's mother and her boyfriend too! A light, cozy mystery.
Love Mei's mother and her boyfriend too! A light, cozy mystery.
lauraew333's review against another edition
5.0
Thank you to the author, S.J. Pajonas, as well as Lola's Blog Tours for gifting me with a copy of The Daydreamer Detective in exchange for an honest review!
I really loved this book, honestly. It was such a... nice mystery. Yes, it was about a murder, but somehow the whole book wasn't sinister. There are just a few tiny things that would have made it even more perfect. Let's jump in!
1. The mystery itself. So this book is centered around a murder mystery. Mei (our MC) comes back to her home town to find that her best friend's father has died. At first, everyone believes it was natural causes but the autopsy soon reveals it's anything but. As I said in the intro, this was such a nice mystery. While it is about a murder, it didn't have that overly sinister feel for the entire book. There were nice breaks which I'll talk about in the next section. Mei's journey to solving the mystery along with the police office Goro is really interesting to follow. While it didn't really have any major twists, there were some small ones that kept me interested. I loved the way it ended up! It's also really fun to follow along with Mei as she tries to figure it out. She isn't really an actual detective, it's just how crimes are solved in her small town that has virtually no crime. So she's pretty inexperienced and Google is one of her main sources of information which I actually really liked because I could picture myself doing that! It's nice to get away from the professionals once in a while.
2. All of the other plot lines. There are several other plot lines going at the same time as the mystery. I really liked how the two interacted simply because Mei isn't an ordinary detective and it just fit her life perfectly. There is a romance which I found so adorable as well as different events that force Mei to examine her life path. These plot lines also had a wonderful effect on the mystery story line. It broke it up a bit which kept the book from getting too dark.
3. The characters. For the most part, I really liked all of the characters. They all had their different characteristics which was interesting to explore. I do wish some of the characters had been a bit more fleshed out (such as Akiko). Sometimes I had difficulties remembering specific characters and their relationship to other characters. I don't know if it's simply because I'm unused to reading Japanese names or what.
4. The setting. This was actually my favorite part. I haven't read many books that take place in Japan and I've always found the different contrasting parts of their culture fascinating. Such as how Mei (who's lived in a big city like Tokyo for the past few years) comes to this small town where a lot of the older customs are still around. It's really cool to me how the Japanese culture is evolving but still staying the same. On a more micro scale, I could picture every scene and I loved getting to know the different places in the town and how they reflect the Japanese culture.
The Final Verdict:
A wonderfully warm mystery that still felt sinister, but never became too creepy. It kept a nice balance between the parts of the MC's life. The characters were very nice although a few could use a bit more fleshing out. The shining star of this book is the setting.
4.5 stars
Quotes:
"Yasahiro, seeing my clumsiness for the tenth time from the floor. 'Let me get you a new one.'"
"He laughed. 'Wooing? You want to be wood?'
'I do. I've never been wooed, and it looks like fun.'"
"'Sake for lunch and a rosemary plant.'
'A rosemary plant? I can't keep anything alive.'
He laughed, walking past me into the house. 'The plant is for your mom.'"
I really loved this book, honestly. It was such a... nice mystery. Yes, it was about a murder, but somehow the whole book wasn't sinister. There are just a few tiny things that would have made it even more perfect. Let's jump in!
1. The mystery itself. So this book is centered around a murder mystery. Mei (our MC) comes back to her home town to find that her best friend's father has died. At first, everyone believes it was natural causes but the autopsy soon reveals it's anything but. As I said in the intro, this was such a nice mystery. While it is about a murder, it didn't have that overly sinister feel for the entire book. There were nice breaks which I'll talk about in the next section. Mei's journey to solving the mystery along with the police office Goro is really interesting to follow. While it didn't really have any major twists, there were some small ones that kept me interested. I loved the way it ended up! It's also really fun to follow along with Mei as she tries to figure it out. She isn't really an actual detective, it's just how crimes are solved in her small town that has virtually no crime. So she's pretty inexperienced and Google is one of her main sources of information which I actually really liked because I could picture myself doing that! It's nice to get away from the professionals once in a while.
2. All of the other plot lines. There are several other plot lines going at the same time as the mystery. I really liked how the two interacted simply because Mei isn't an ordinary detective and it just fit her life perfectly. There is a romance which I found so adorable as well as different events that force Mei to examine her life path. These plot lines also had a wonderful effect on the mystery story line. It broke it up a bit which kept the book from getting too dark.
3. The characters. For the most part, I really liked all of the characters. They all had their different characteristics which was interesting to explore. I do wish some of the characters had been a bit more fleshed out (such as Akiko). Sometimes I had difficulties remembering specific characters and their relationship to other characters. I don't know if it's simply because I'm unused to reading Japanese names or what.
4. The setting. This was actually my favorite part. I haven't read many books that take place in Japan and I've always found the different contrasting parts of their culture fascinating. Such as how Mei (who's lived in a big city like Tokyo for the past few years) comes to this small town where a lot of the older customs are still around. It's really cool to me how the Japanese culture is evolving but still staying the same. On a more micro scale, I could picture every scene and I loved getting to know the different places in the town and how they reflect the Japanese culture.
The Final Verdict:
A wonderfully warm mystery that still felt sinister, but never became too creepy. It kept a nice balance between the parts of the MC's life. The characters were very nice although a few could use a bit more fleshing out. The shining star of this book is the setting.
4.5 stars
Quotes:
"Yasahiro, seeing my clumsiness for the tenth time from the floor. 'Let me get you a new one.'"
"He laughed. 'Wooing? You want to be wood?'
'I do. I've never been wooed, and it looks like fun.'"
"'Sake for lunch and a rosemary plant.'
'A rosemary plant? I can't keep anything alive.'
He laughed, walking past me into the house. 'The plant is for your mom.'"
abibliophagist's review against another edition
4.0
I was gifted a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.
S.J Pajonas' 'The Daydreamer Detective' was an unexpectedly fun read. The story revolves around a 26 year old, Mei, returning home to her country town after losing her job in the city. She reluctantly returns home to figure her life out and gets wrapped up in investigating a death that happens the day of her return. Even though this is a mystery, the book is more about Mei coming to terms with herself, her life, and what she wants from it.
Pros:
Interesting and believable characters that were enjoyable to read.
Not over the top but well written romance, without silly love triangles.
Writing that is well paced and enjoyable, quick and fun read.
consistently written and believable town building.
Cons:
Mystery could have used a few more twists.
Pacing and attention wasn't consistent with all characters.
Sometimes there were too many Japanese words that weren't necessary
What I really loved about this book is that it read like a kdrama (or JDrama in this case) but less over the top. The banter between the characters and the pacing of the events in the story made it such an easy read that I kept looking forward to reading more of. There was the cool romantic interest, the main character that underestimates her value, the quirky and strong mother and even the childhood friends. I wanted to watch this show. I found myself in Mei and wanting to see her figure herself out and the mystery out. The book balanced her finding herself with the mystery well, and it never focused on one too long.
I only had a few issues with the book. The primary one was that the pacing and great characters weren't consistent with all of the characters. There were few background characters that almost disappeared as quickly as they came, even though it seemed like they were supposed tone part of the mystery.
The mystery, while satisfying , was quick and slightly predictable. I wish it had had a few more twists and a little more depth. It went to the back burner a bit, but this actually helped bring Mei's finding herself to the forefront .
The third thing is a nitpick. As a Japanophile, I know some Japanese and found the overuse of Japanese words for simple things with obvious English equivalents a little more on the " look I know these word's and less this in Japan. Certain ones didn't have English equivalents, kotatsu for instance, and I didn't mind those. Luckily this began to lessen as the story progressed.
Oh and one other nitpick. One I have with a lot of modern books. It unfortunately dates the book like crazy to mention things like Skype or Twitter or YouTube. In 10 years or more those things might not be around, say things like videochat instead, that way your book will always be relevant and no future person will read it and laugh, or have no idea what you're talking about.
Other than that I really really liked this book, and can't wait to read the next one. I thank the author so much for the ARC and for writing such a fun and enjoyable book.
S.J Pajonas' 'The Daydreamer Detective' was an unexpectedly fun read. The story revolves around a 26 year old, Mei, returning home to her country town after losing her job in the city. She reluctantly returns home to figure her life out and gets wrapped up in investigating a death that happens the day of her return. Even though this is a mystery, the book is more about Mei coming to terms with herself, her life, and what she wants from it.
Pros:
Interesting and believable characters that were enjoyable to read.
Not over the top but well written romance, without silly love triangles.
Writing that is well paced and enjoyable, quick and fun read.
consistently written and believable town building.
Cons:
Mystery could have used a few more twists.
Pacing and attention wasn't consistent with all characters.
Sometimes there were too many Japanese words that weren't necessary
What I really loved about this book is that it read like a kdrama (or JDrama in this case) but less over the top. The banter between the characters and the pacing of the events in the story made it such an easy read that I kept looking forward to reading more of. There was the cool romantic interest, the main character that underestimates her value, the quirky and strong mother and even the childhood friends. I wanted to watch this show. I found myself in Mei and wanting to see her figure herself out and the mystery out. The book balanced her finding herself with the mystery well, and it never focused on one too long.
I only had a few issues with the book. The primary one was that the pacing and great characters weren't consistent with all of the characters. There were few background characters that almost disappeared as quickly as they came, even though it seemed like they were supposed tone part of the mystery.
The mystery, while satisfying , was quick and slightly predictable. I wish it had had a few more twists and a little more depth. It went to the back burner a bit, but this actually helped bring Mei's finding herself to the forefront .
The third thing is a nitpick. As a Japanophile, I know some Japanese and found the overuse of Japanese words for simple things with obvious English equivalents a little more on the " look I know these word's and less this in Japan. Certain ones didn't have English equivalents, kotatsu for instance, and I didn't mind those. Luckily this began to lessen as the story progressed.
Oh and one other nitpick. One I have with a lot of modern books. It unfortunately dates the book like crazy to mention things like Skype or Twitter or YouTube. In 10 years or more those things might not be around, say things like videochat instead, that way your book will always be relevant and no future person will read it and laugh, or have no idea what you're talking about.
Other than that I really really liked this book, and can't wait to read the next one. I thank the author so much for the ARC and for writing such a fun and enjoyable book.
socorrobaptista's review
4.0
Eu pensei que fosse mais uma narrativa de detetives situada nos Estados Unidos, mas gostei muito que tenha como cenário uma pequena cidade japonesa. Gostei também da protagonista, principalmente de sua luta para recuperar a auto-estima. Bem gostoso de ler.
marzipanwonderland's review
emotional
mysterious
sad
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
3.5
lolasreviews's review
4.0
I received a copy in exchange for an honest review
I was so excited when I first heard SJ Pajonas was writing a cozy mystery and this book definitely didn't disappoint. The Daydreamer Detective is about main character Mei, she has just been fired from her job and can't afford to pay the rent on her Tokyo apartment so she return to her small hometown. This book is a cozy mystery, but it's about so much more. the characters take a strong focus and Mei her search for what she wants to do next and finding her place in the world. I really enjoyed this book, it has a gentle pace like I expect from Pajonas her books which fits the story perfectly. There was enough going on to keep me interested and I enjoyed the book.
The mystery is an important part of the book and while normally I like the mystery to be front and center in cozy mysteries I didn't mind it here as much when the mystery went to the background a few times as there was enough else to keep me interested and I wanted to know more about the characters and their daily life. I did think the mystery was a tad predictable, there are some suspects at first, but as the story continues a few get cleared and one of my initial suspects turned out to be the murder. I also would've liked a bit more insight in the murders motives. Overall it was a nice mystery, but I would've liked a few more twists and turns. I did like how Mei got bought into the investigation, it was a fun scene and it was interesting how open the police were about people helping with the investigation.
This book is different form most cozy mysteries I've read so far, a slightly different feel and some of the standard themes like how the main character usually is the one to find the death body were absent. But the book made it work. I think the setting is one of the things that made it so different. This book is set in Japan and that means the law and police investigations are different. I really felt like Pajonas had done her research into this as it all sounded believable and I got a bit of a feel of how law and investigations are handled differently in Japan than here or in the US, which was interesting.
How the story takes place in Japan also makes for an interesting setting. The book is set in an adorable small Japanese town and I could visualize it pretty well. There are also some developments going on in the town, with some new stores and a big grocery store settling there, which makes me curious how the town will continue to develop. Oh and I loved the mentions of food and drinks, which made me wish I could try out whatever Mei was eating. There are some Japanese words added into the story which added to the Japanese feel and I didn't have any trouble understanding any of the words used as it was always obvious due to the context or previous knowledge what the word meant.
Mei the main characters makes for a great main character and I immediately liked her and could relate her when we met her. She's a daydreamer, often letting her mind wander, this aspect was described well and the title Daydreamer Detective definitely fits her. She's a bit lost, doesn't know what to do next and figuring out what to do next. She loves art, but hasn't painted in a long time. She also has some scars from the past and some flaws like her low self esteem and urge to run away at times. She was a well developed character with strengths and flaws, she felt like a real person. I loved reading about her and following her adventures and daily life.
There were some interesting side characters as well. My favourite were Mei her mother and Yasahiro. Mei her mother is very sweet and supportive, she works hard and loves to cook. She also is very supportive of Mei and gives her the space and freedom to figure out her next path. She's also proud of her daughter and willing to help her when possible. I really liked her and Mei was lucky to have as her mom.
I had some trouble remembering who was who at times, but for some reason I have a lot of trouble with Japanese names usually, it just mashes all together and they all sound similar. Although I was glad that some characters had a bit shorter names, which seemed easier to remember. There is quite a cast of side characters, but not all of them play as big a part, so that's probably also a reason why I had some trouble remembering who was who at times. Most of the side characters do stay a bit flat and I would've liked to get to know some a bit more. I wasn't a fan of Akiko, she should've been Mei her best friend, but I just didn't quite feel it. I did like Goro the police officer.
Then there is Yasahiro the love interest, he was a great character too and I liked his interactions with Mei. He's very caring and sweet and I liked these two together. Oh and he's a cook! I liked the food and cooking aspect that his job brought to the book. There is a bit of romance, more than in most of cozy mysteries and I would've liked even more. Their relationship does develop a bit fast, but I didn't too mind too much as I liked them together. I hope to see more of these two in the next book.
To summarize: I really enjoyed this book! The mystery was a tad predictable and I would've liked a few more twists or surprises, but I did like how Mei got into the investigation and helped out. It also was interesting to learn a bit more about how Japanese law and police works, the author sure did her research. I liked the Japanese settings and the use of some Japanese words and mentions of food which added to the feel. I really liked Mei, she was a great main character. Her mother is a great side character and I really liked her. There is some romance which was a nice addition and I really liked Mei and Yasahiro together. All in all a great start of the series and I can't wait to read the next book!
I was so excited when I first heard SJ Pajonas was writing a cozy mystery and this book definitely didn't disappoint. The Daydreamer Detective is about main character Mei, she has just been fired from her job and can't afford to pay the rent on her Tokyo apartment so she return to her small hometown. This book is a cozy mystery, but it's about so much more. the characters take a strong focus and Mei her search for what she wants to do next and finding her place in the world. I really enjoyed this book, it has a gentle pace like I expect from Pajonas her books which fits the story perfectly. There was enough going on to keep me interested and I enjoyed the book.
The mystery is an important part of the book and while normally I like the mystery to be front and center in cozy mysteries I didn't mind it here as much when the mystery went to the background a few times as there was enough else to keep me interested and I wanted to know more about the characters and their daily life. I did think the mystery was a tad predictable, there are some suspects at first, but as the story continues a few get cleared and one of my initial suspects turned out to be the murder. I also would've liked a bit more insight in the murders motives. Overall it was a nice mystery, but I would've liked a few more twists and turns. I did like how Mei got bought into the investigation, it was a fun scene and it was interesting how open the police were about people helping with the investigation.
This book is different form most cozy mysteries I've read so far, a slightly different feel and some of the standard themes like how the main character usually is the one to find the death body were absent. But the book made it work. I think the setting is one of the things that made it so different. This book is set in Japan and that means the law and police investigations are different. I really felt like Pajonas had done her research into this as it all sounded believable and I got a bit of a feel of how law and investigations are handled differently in Japan than here or in the US, which was interesting.
How the story takes place in Japan also makes for an interesting setting. The book is set in an adorable small Japanese town and I could visualize it pretty well. There are also some developments going on in the town, with some new stores and a big grocery store settling there, which makes me curious how the town will continue to develop. Oh and I loved the mentions of food and drinks, which made me wish I could try out whatever Mei was eating. There are some Japanese words added into the story which added to the Japanese feel and I didn't have any trouble understanding any of the words used as it was always obvious due to the context or previous knowledge what the word meant.
Mei the main characters makes for a great main character and I immediately liked her and could relate her when we met her. She's a daydreamer, often letting her mind wander, this aspect was described well and the title Daydreamer Detective definitely fits her. She's a bit lost, doesn't know what to do next and figuring out what to do next. She loves art, but hasn't painted in a long time. She also has some scars from the past and some flaws like her low self esteem and urge to run away at times. She was a well developed character with strengths and flaws, she felt like a real person. I loved reading about her and following her adventures and daily life.
There were some interesting side characters as well. My favourite were Mei her mother and Yasahiro. Mei her mother is very sweet and supportive, she works hard and loves to cook. She also is very supportive of Mei and gives her the space and freedom to figure out her next path. She's also proud of her daughter and willing to help her when possible. I really liked her and Mei was lucky to have as her mom.
I had some trouble remembering who was who at times, but for some reason I have a lot of trouble with Japanese names usually, it just mashes all together and they all sound similar. Although I was glad that some characters had a bit shorter names, which seemed easier to remember. There is quite a cast of side characters, but not all of them play as big a part, so that's probably also a reason why I had some trouble remembering who was who at times. Most of the side characters do stay a bit flat and I would've liked to get to know some a bit more. I wasn't a fan of Akiko, she should've been Mei her best friend, but I just didn't quite feel it. I did like Goro the police officer.
Then there is Yasahiro the love interest, he was a great character too and I liked his interactions with Mei. He's very caring and sweet and I liked these two together. Oh and he's a cook! I liked the food and cooking aspect that his job brought to the book. There is a bit of romance, more than in most of cozy mysteries and I would've liked even more. Their relationship does develop a bit fast, but I didn't too mind too much as I liked them together. I hope to see more of these two in the next book.
To summarize: I really enjoyed this book! The mystery was a tad predictable and I would've liked a few more twists or surprises, but I did like how Mei got into the investigation and helped out. It also was interesting to learn a bit more about how Japanese law and police works, the author sure did her research. I liked the Japanese settings and the use of some Japanese words and mentions of food which added to the feel. I really liked Mei, she was a great main character. Her mother is a great side character and I really liked her. There is some romance which was a nice addition and I really liked Mei and Yasahiro together. All in all a great start of the series and I can't wait to read the next book!
katiya's review
4.0
3.5 Stars
Mei Yamagawa loses yet another sales job in Tokyo and is forced to return to her old small-town life on her mother's farm. When her best friend's father dies under mysterious circumstances, she is forced to investigate or see her best friend imprisoned for a crime she didn't commit.
Usually, I find glossaries a bit of an irritation, but there were at least five words in this book that were not easily discernible. One I managed to get through context and one was in the Kobo dictionary but the other three required a google search. In her notes, the author mentions having removed some cultural influences that could be foreign to western readers; perhaps some translations of unfamiliar terms would be useful too.
Mei is very timid and self-effacing. She's probably the last person I would pick as an investigator. Perhaps it works in this setting, but it just didn't captivate me. I wasn't too crazy about the massive amount of romance in the novel, either. It seemed to overwhelm the mystery aspect.
Recommended.
Mei Yamagawa loses yet another sales job in Tokyo and is forced to return to her old small-town life on her mother's farm. When her best friend's father dies under mysterious circumstances, she is forced to investigate or see her best friend imprisoned for a crime she didn't commit.
Usually, I find glossaries a bit of an irritation, but there were at least five words in this book that were not easily discernible. One I managed to get through context and one was in the Kobo dictionary but the other three required a google search. In her notes, the author mentions having removed some cultural influences that could be foreign to western readers; perhaps some translations of unfamiliar terms would be useful too.
Mei is very timid and self-effacing. She's probably the last person I would pick as an investigator. Perhaps it works in this setting, but it just didn't captivate me. I wasn't too crazy about the massive amount of romance in the novel, either. It seemed to overwhelm the mystery aspect.
Recommended.