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3.48 AVERAGE
3.48 AVERAGE
There are two main plot points in Six Four. One is that Mikami (a former detective turned press director for a police precinct in Japan) has to prepare the media for an upcoming visit from the commissioner. The commissioner is coming to visit the father of a murdered girl whose case is still unsolved after 14 years. The visit is a PR stunt of sorts that Mikami has reservations on having had worked that case and understanding the open wound that still stings all those involved in it. The other main plot point is that Mikami's teenage daughter is missing, believed to have run away but being gone long enough for her parent's to have become overwhelmed with worry.
Yokoyama works well in crafting a thriller that is unconventional at least to American audiences, where the story arc often rides more on how Mikami deals with the media then what happened with the cold case murder or where his daughter is at. Mikami must bob and weave against this aggressive press corp watching his department's every move and also against his higher ups who have their own agenda and an angry detective division who feel he can't be trusted as an administrator. It creates a refreshing new setting for a thriller, but at the same time the drama in particular that develops with him and his dealings with the media seem so overblown that its hard to always buy in.
Yokoyama works well in crafting a thriller that is unconventional at least to American audiences, where the story arc often rides more on how Mikami deals with the media then what happened with the cold case murder or where his daughter is at. Mikami must bob and weave against this aggressive press corp watching his department's every move and also against his higher ups who have their own agenda and an angry detective division who feel he can't be trusted as an administrator. It creates a refreshing new setting for a thriller, but at the same time the drama in particular that develops with him and his dealings with the media seem so overblown that its hard to always buy in.
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
No
While I do think this is an excellent novel, it is not the one I thought I'd be reading based on the description on the back. It is more about the mysteries of bureaucracy than murder.
Six Four is full of so many different forces, it's difficult to imagine what the ultimate outcome will be. Hideo Yokoyama has crafted a wonderful story with two unique mysteries. With the two mysteries he is able to give us two very different endings, both satisfying in their own ways. Pieces that seem to belong to one mystery may belong to the other. The characters aren't the particularily nuanced, but they serve their purpose for our protagonists internal development. Absolutely worth reading.
dark
mysterious
tense
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
Cracking read that keeps the pages turning. Very evocative of Japan and its very structured society. Occasionally borders on OTT in some scenes. Or are the Press really that explosive.
The twist in the tail is quite believable unlike some similar police procedurals.
The twist in the tail is quite believable unlike some similar police procedurals.
dark
emotional
mysterious
sad
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Complicated
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated
Maybe the best crime/mystery novel I've ever read. The action steadily accelerates such that by the back third of the book, it becomes impossible to set it down. I ended up staying up until 3am to finish reading on a work night because I had to know what happened next.
This is a pretty nifty Japanese thriller that gives the reader a good impression of how Japanese society works. It focuses less on solving crimes and more on office politics and power games, so if you want the former you will probably be disappointed. But if you’re open-minded, this is a fascinating read.
Because I was lazy, I ended up reading the German translation, which was really the German translation of the English translation from the Japanese - something I am not a fan of. I doubt you can tell if you don’t know any Japanese or not much about Japan, but there are a couple of mistakes in there that bugged me quite a bit. However, I persisted, which shows laziness can overcome a lot of things.
Because I was lazy, I ended up reading the German translation, which was really the German translation of the English translation from the Japanese - something I am not a fan of. I doubt you can tell if you don’t know any Japanese or not much about Japan, but there are a couple of mistakes in there that bugged me quite a bit. However, I persisted, which shows laziness can overcome a lot of things.