Jun 9

Jun 9 Keigo Higashino’s "Newcomer"

Detective Kyoichiro Kaga is assigned to a Tokyo neighborhood filled with small businesses, many specializing in traditional or handmade Japanese goods. His task: to investigate the strangulation murder of a 45-year-old woman who, recently divorced, had just moved to the area.

Thus begins a densely plotted mystery as Kaga moves from shop to shop, asking seemingly random questions while slowly assembling the pieces of a crime that appears to have left no clear clues.

But this is Higashino, after all. As readers of his other mysteries know, his stories often hinge on seemingly unrelated details that—successfully, in this case—are intricately woven together in unexpected ways by the end.

I’m not usually a major fan of mysteries, but I’ve learned to trust that Higashino’s novels will not only be fiendishly well-plotted, but will also offer fascinating insights into Japanese culture. Recommended!