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3.49 AVERAGE
3.49 AVERAGE
Be prepared to be immersed in the world of Japanese bureaucracy. The fascination of experiencing this new world could be worth another star, but the tediousness of living it could take it away. Worth the effort if you enjoy mysteries set in non-American cultures.
Weird. Bureaucracy at its worst in a for me personally very foreign society.
At the same time unputdownable. Would give it 3,5 stars if that were possible.
At the same time unputdownable. Would give it 3,5 stars if that were possible.
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
This very long procedural is maybe most interesting for the novelty of it's approach: our protagonist is a detective, but one who works for the media office, and as a result, instead of cracking cases, most of what he does is negotiating between the warring factions, the investigators on one side of him, and the press who report out the crimes on the other. And that's kind of the story here, the conflicts between the desire for knowledge and the need to hold back knowledge for ethical and investigative reasons. There's a large, overarching bit of business, about administrative re-classifications of the prefectural police offices, as well as a cold case murder that occurred in "64," the last year of the Showa Emperor's reign (1989, if I'm reading wikipedia correctly) that has, in the story present (2002) almost reached the statute of limitations.
This description probably tells you if you're interested in reading this. I finished it, and I kind of think it could be set at any institution of sufficient longevity-- my school, for example, could be the setting as well as a police station. The cold case murder, which does ultimately get taken up here, is ultimately solved in a brute force manner, which is starkly in contrast to the idiosyncratic leaping style that you expect from brilliant detectives. It's kind of novel in that way, but I'm not sure it's particularly exciting from the narrative side.
An odd book, with a really lovely design.
This description probably tells you if you're interested in reading this. I finished it, and I kind of think it could be set at any institution of sufficient longevity-- my school, for example, could be the setting as well as a police station. The cold case murder, which does ultimately get taken up here, is ultimately solved in a brute force manner, which is starkly in contrast to the idiosyncratic leaping style that you expect from brilliant detectives. It's kind of novel in that way, but I'm not sure it's particularly exciting from the narrative side.
An odd book, with a really lovely design.
Fourteen years ago in January 1989, a kidnapping case ended in murder and for the department, it is the only dark mark in their history - Six Four. The kidnapper got away, the parents were let down and distraught, and the police force have all intentions of moving forward following public apologies. However, it is clear that there is a loss of trust in the community.
Yoshinobu Mikami, a former detective that have worked on the past case, is now bitterly serving as the Press Director in the Media Relations department and finds himself jumping right back into Six Four in 2002. At the same time, his teenage daughter has disappeared and his wife Minako has holed herself in their home to stay near the phone after several silent calls have been received. Mikami finds himself dragged further and deeper into the mystery while dealing with the conflict between press (Prefectural HQ Press Club and the representatives for the newspapers), the police (Criminal Investigations and police force), and admin (Administrative Affairs, Media Relations, and so forth).
As note, the author Hideo Yokoyama, has been an investigative reporter for a regional newspaper for twelve years and uses this extensive experience to detail his novels. He is a well-known, prolific author in Japan and currently only has two translated novels in English - this one and Seventeen that was released in 2018. Yokoyama is also know for his work ethic and relentless behavior, which often peppers into his characters. When you feel that a character is relatively intense in their actions, it is likely that Yokoyama reflects himself in that scenario.
This novel is definitely long and slow-burning - it is crucial to remember that it's not about action scenes and bad-ass guys, it is about understanding rankings and bureaucracy While Mikami often gets frustrated with those above him, he understands his place and errs on the side of caution in order to not overextend his reach. In Japan, showing honor and respect is embedded into the the culture, both in the workplace and everywhere else - whether it is someone higher ranking than you or older than you (or both!), you have to reflect respect in your words and physical behavior.
Interestingly, we start to see a change in Mikami's personality as the story continues and it is not just because his daughter went missing and his marriage is straining. He discovers secret after secret, many of them relating to Six Four, all which will build up to the very big twist at the end and his decisions to handle it. Granted, it will take a good 350 pages to get to that point and another 150 following for Mikami to start getting all of it together.
This is a good read for those who enjoy politically-charged mysteries - I would say it tough to call it a thriller by American standards because the action is much more subdued and Mikami is not a James Bond type character. The pacing is strong moving and often tense, often times you will find that something may not be resolved for quite some time. As it is also a book in translation and only one of two books of Yokoyama to be translated into English, you only receive so much insight into his style. I would recommend those interested in reading Japanese thrillers to start with a less-hefty book and come to this one when there is a good understanding of Japanese culture and honor.
Yoshinobu Mikami, a former detective that have worked on the past case, is now bitterly serving as the Press Director in the Media Relations department and finds himself jumping right back into Six Four in 2002. At the same time, his teenage daughter has disappeared and his wife Minako has holed herself in their home to stay near the phone after several silent calls have been received. Mikami finds himself dragged further and deeper into the mystery while dealing with the conflict between press (Prefectural HQ Press Club and the representatives for the newspapers), the police (Criminal Investigations and police force), and admin (Administrative Affairs, Media Relations, and so forth).
As note, the author Hideo Yokoyama, has been an investigative reporter for a regional newspaper for twelve years and uses this extensive experience to detail his novels. He is a well-known, prolific author in Japan and currently only has two translated novels in English - this one and Seventeen that was released in 2018. Yokoyama is also know for his work ethic and relentless behavior, which often peppers into his characters. When you feel that a character is relatively intense in their actions, it is likely that Yokoyama reflects himself in that scenario.
This novel is definitely long and slow-burning - it is crucial to remember that it's not about action scenes and bad-ass guys, it is about understanding rankings and bureaucracy While Mikami often gets frustrated with those above him, he understands his place and errs on the side of caution in order to not overextend his reach. In Japan, showing honor and respect is embedded into the the culture, both in the workplace and everywhere else - whether it is someone higher ranking than you or older than you (or both!), you have to reflect respect in your words and physical behavior.
Interestingly, we start to see a change in Mikami's personality as the story continues and it is not just because his daughter went missing and his marriage is straining. He discovers secret after secret, many of them relating to Six Four, all which will build up to the very big twist at the end and his decisions to handle it. Granted, it will take a good 350 pages to get to that point and another 150 following for Mikami to start getting all of it together.
This is a good read for those who enjoy politically-charged mysteries - I would say it tough to call it a thriller by American standards because the action is much more subdued and Mikami is not a James Bond type character. The pacing is strong moving and often tense, often times you will find that something may not be resolved for quite some time. As it is also a book in translation and only one of two books of Yokoyama to be translated into English, you only receive so much insight into his style. I would recommend those interested in reading Japanese thrillers to start with a less-hefty book and come to this one when there is a good understanding of Japanese culture and honor.
Not a traditional crime/mystery novel but well written and an interesting view into Japanese society 👍🏽
An interesting police procedural set in Japan that was riveting in parts, but other parts were repetitious which made for arduous reading.
Lots of things I just didn’t care about that were heavy for the main character and the things I did care about or want more from were just glossed over!
Two points. One, this is a very long book, over 600 pages of tiny print, it took me weeks to read and I generally finish a book in days. Two, it is NOT a thriller, by any stretch of anyone's imagination. I wouldn’t even describe it as crime fiction, because the crime is very much in the background.
But, if you’re interested in Japanese culture and you're a fan of police procedural novels than this might be the book for you. Its a slow build novel about two connected crimes fourteen years apart but it’s more an exploration of corruption in the Japanese police force than it is a detective story - and that is fascinating if you have the patience for it.
But, if you’re interested in Japanese culture and you're a fan of police procedural novels than this might be the book for you. Its a slow build novel about two connected crimes fourteen years apart but it’s more an exploration of corruption in the Japanese police force than it is a detective story - and that is fascinating if you have the patience for it.