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madameroyale's review against another edition
4.0
I was iffy about this book at first, but I ended up enjoying it more and more as I read. It felt like a breath of fresh air in comparison to most detective novels I've read. It was not too noisy, and the slow, plodding nature of the investigation was comforting instead of dull. The narrator had a charming way of becoming so certain that each clue would break open the case, and then so completely depressed when each failed, that I hardly even noticed the red herrings and just got lost in the story.
Despite what the book jacket says, there really is not any strife between the detective and his superiors, and as that can be a tiresome trope in mystery novels, I didn't mind its omission here. But it was quite comical how every single person the investigators came across was unfailingly helpful, sometimes offering tips unsolicited (one witness actually follows after the detective to pass on his (of course) very useful tip). It was an entertaining read overall; I'm looking forward to more of Matsumoto's work.
Despite what the book jacket says, there really is not any strife between the detective and his superiors, and as that can be a tiresome trope in mystery novels, I didn't mind its omission here. But it was quite comical how every single person the investigators came across was unfailingly helpful, sometimes offering tips unsolicited (one witness actually follows after the detective to pass on his (of course) very useful tip). It was an entertaining read overall; I'm looking forward to more of Matsumoto's work.
Content Warnings
Minor: Sexism
ireg's review against another edition
mysterious
reflective
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
3.75
È un libro molto semplice, la cui trama si basa sulle ricerche di due detective su un suicidio/omicidio. Non è splatter, non è grafico. È molto ragionato e calcolato. È un libro che ho apprezzato molto anche se si sa chi è il mottllrto e si capisce in fretta chi è l'assassino, ma come ha fatto? Questo lo si capisce solo nelle ultime pagine.
Davvero molto bello.
Davvero molto bello.
vicaleggecose's review against another edition
mysterious
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
3.0
bookishmama17's review against another edition
mysterious
reflective
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
3.75
ellielou2's review
mysterious
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
4.25
luxxybee97's review
challenging
tense
fast-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? It's complicated
3.5
Tokyo Express doesn’t have much in the way of strong character development or vivid interior worlds, but its short and quick-paced enough that you’re never left to linger for too long. The main appeal, of course, is the central mystery – how did two bodies end up on a shore, and how was the central suspect apparently hundreds of miles away when this occurred? Using train timetables to construct and then dismantle this mystery is quite an ingenious plot device, and I did find Matsumoto’s handling of it sufficiently deft to keep me second-guessing the whole way through.
paperscrawls's review against another edition
mysterious
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? N/A
- Loveable characters? N/A
- Diverse cast of characters? N/A
- Flaws of characters a main focus? N/A
3.5
rahulricky's review
mysterious
fast-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? No
3.0
8797999's review
5.0
What a great and interesting read, very cleverly written and I wouldn't have guessed it at all. I would love to see more by the author translated or republished.
This brings me full circle, Matsumoto's Inspector Imanishi Investigates was the first book I bought and read on Kindle when I switched from a Sony Reader, and got me into Japanese mysteries. Nice to revisit his work and this one was not a disappointment at all.There is another of his works available, A Quiet Place but that is more of psychological thriller so not really my cup of tea but I may get around to this one eventually.
I would recommend this one, really superb and also Inspector Imanishi Investigates.
This brings me full circle, Matsumoto's Inspector Imanishi Investigates was the first book I bought and read on Kindle when I switched from a Sony Reader, and got me into Japanese mysteries. Nice to revisit his work and this one was not a disappointment at all.There is another of his works available, A Quiet Place but that is more of psychological thriller so not really my cup of tea but I may get around to this one eventually.
I would recommend this one, really superb and also Inspector Imanishi Investigates.
jakepenny33's review against another edition
mysterious
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.0