“An assassination in the heart of Tokyo is rare and it causes a sensation,” says one of the characters. So when a stabbed man collapses on a bridge in the megalopolis where all the country’s transport routes converge, the media make their headlines on this news item.
Pressure is high on the police to solve the case, but Inspector Kaga, a sleuth known for his tenacity (who has already appeared in two previous novels by the author), is convinced that the investigators are on the wrong track. lingering to prove the guilt of the designated suspect. With his colleague and cousin Matsumiya, he surveys the district of Tokyo where the victim spent his last hours.
Fascinating foray into the heart of the city and Japanese traditions, this detective novel is just as gripping as it is interesting, especially for everything we learn about Japanese society and values, as research unfolds. A well-crafted, fast-paced plot, but above all an entertaining journey and a thriller author to add to his list.
The Seven Deities of Happiness
Keigo Higashino (translated from Japanese by Sophie Refle)
South Acts
304 pages