The design and UX isn't done, Rob and Abbie, okkurrrr! 😌
petitemass15's review against another edition
dark
mysterious
reflective
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death of parent, Violence, Grief, and Murder
jhbandcats's review against another edition
adventurous
hopeful
mysterious
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.5
This book is as much a collection of character studies as it is a murder mystery. It isn’t told in a straightforward way; rather,we get all sorts of extraneous information that’s only tangentially related to the case itself. For one thing, we learn about why men might or might not be wearing suit jackets in the hot summer evenings.Â
Instead we get half a dozen looks at specific people and places in a tight-knit community - the people at the rice cracker store, the manager and workers at the high-end restaurant, the clock store proprietor who works more on repairs than sales, and other neighborhood denizens. We see the murder victim’s hopes and dreams finally being realized after a lifetime of being a dissatisfied housewife.Â
I really liked learning about the people, their families and friends, their places of business, the worries that kept them up at night and the successes that brought relief and happiness. The solution of the mystery wasn’t as interesting as everything that lead up to it.Â
Overall a very enjoyable book that offers a glimpse at a Tokyo neighborhood in the turn of the millennium.Â
Instead we get half a dozen looks at specific people and places in a tight-knit community - the people at the rice cracker store, the manager and workers at the high-end restaurant, the clock store proprietor who works more on repairs than sales, and other neighborhood denizens. We see the murder victim’s hopes and dreams finally being realized after a lifetime of being a dissatisfied housewife.Â
I really liked learning about the people, their families and friends, their places of business, the worries that kept them up at night and the successes that brought relief and happiness. The solution of the mystery wasn’t as interesting as everything that lead up to it.Â
Overall a very enjoyable book that offers a glimpse at a Tokyo neighborhood in the turn of the millennium.Â
Content Warnings
Graphic: Infidelity, Murder, Grief, Pregnancy, and Violence
akira_outofthegravity's review against another edition
emotional
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.5
Admittedly this is not one of Higashino’s finest works but it’s such an easy and clean read that I can’t criticise it so much.
I loved how all the individual parts of the story interlinked, everyone is connected in a way. And to be honest I wasn’t super interested in finding out who killed the victim, but rather how everyone’s stories pieced together.
Not his best work, though maybe that’s also the fault of the translator, but still a decent read!
I loved how all the individual parts of the story interlinked, everyone is connected in a way. And to be honest I wasn’t super interested in finding out who killed the victim, but rather how everyone’s stories pieced together.
Not his best work, though maybe that’s also the fault of the translator, but still a decent read!
Content Warnings
Graphic: Murder and Grief
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