I find that some of Jokichi Hikage’s books feel like a blend of literary fiction and mystery, but 孤独の罠 leans more on the side of literary fiction. The story is mainly focused on our protagonist, Shinobu Oogi, and while it starts with an unsettling mystery, it is not central to the book, and the complex..
Book review:『七年目の脅迫状』by Futari Okajima
The three horse racing mysteries by Futari Okajima definitely belong to my favourite mystery novels.
Book review: 『焦茶色のパステル』by Futari Okajima
I’m really loving Futari Okajima’s horse racing mysteries, 焦茶色のパステル is as good as あした天気にしておくれ, and I recommend both!
Book review: 『99%の誘拐』by Futari Okajima
The two topics of this novel, kidnapping and computer science, did not manage to trigger my interest, and though the book was good overall, it was not for me.
Book review: 『あした天気にしておくれ』by Futari Okajima
An excellent mystery novel about horse racing. Even though it is not a topic I’m particularly interested in, I was completely engrossed in the novel from beginning to end.
Book review: 『解決まではあと6人』by Futari Okajima
I found the concept of the book really good (6 detectives investigate a part of the case and only the reader gets the whole picture), but it somehow failed to completely trigger my interest.
Book review: 『北斎殺人事件』by Katsuhiko Takahashi
Second book in the ukio-e series, 北斎殺人事件 is both an engrossing murder mystery and a fascinating exploration of Hokusai’s life. However, it felt very tedious to read at times, and it definitely belongs to the most difficult books I read in Japanese so far.
Book review: 『針の誘い』by Takao Tsuchiya
Third book in the Chigusa series, and unfortunately, the last one available.
Book review: 『赤の組曲』by Takao Tsuchiya
Second book in the Chigusa series, 赤の組曲 is a fast-paced, engrossing detective novel.
Book review: 『13階段』by Kazuaki Takano
A book about wrongful conviction and capital punishment with an engrossing investigation.
『白い衝動』by Katsuhiro Go
Even though I found the main character difficult to understand, I really enjoyed this book for its engrossing plot and interesting topics.
Book review: 『七回死んだ男』by Yasuhiko Nishizawa
Time loop and murder mystery… this book sounded so promising, yet I ended up being disappointed with it.