| Title | : | A Death in Tokyo (Detective Kaga, #3) |
| Author | : | |
| Rating | : | |
| ISBN | : | 1250767504 |
| ISBN-10 | : | 9781250767509 |
| Language | : | English |
| Format Type | : | Hardcover |
| Number of Pages | : | 368 |
| Publication | : | First published March 3, 2011 |
On the Nihonbashi Bridge in Tokyo stands the statue of a mythic beast – a kirin. One evening a man staggers onto the bridge and collapses beneath the winged creature. The patrolman on watch goes to rouse the man, who he presumes to be drunk – only to discover that the man had been stabbed in the chest. He is dead.
Meanwhile, a young man named Yashima is injured in a car accident nearby while trying to flee from the police. Found on him is the wallet of the murdered man.
But is he actually responsible for the crime? What is his connection to the victim? And why did the dying man drag himself from the crime scene to the Nihonbashi Bridge? Tokyo Police Detective Kyoichiro Kaga must piece together the answers to all of these questions in order to find the killer, but each answer he finds seems to throw up more questions …
A Death in Tokyo (Detective Kaga, #3) Reviews
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The latest instalment in acclaimed author Keigo Higashino’s mystery (honkaku) series centred on Inspector Kyoichiro Kaga, the former schoolteacher who’s reinvented himself as a homicide detective. Similar in style to the previous book featuring Kaga, this is set in the central Tokyo district of Nihonbashi, a place that Higashino’s translator points out has significance for Higashino’s Japanese readership with its long history symbolic of Japan’s past and more “innocent” times. Kaga’s part of a squad investigating the brutal murder of a middle-aged man. A man who, for inexplicable reasons, stayed alive long enough to drag himself to the famous Nihonbashi Bridge, in order to die at the foot of the statues of mythological kirin adorning it.
Higashino’s narrative’s a fairly conventional one but tightly crafted and laced with unexpected twists and turns. In this intriguing mix of puzzle piece, police procedural and psychological crime, the tall, handsome but taciturn, Kaga’s at odds with his superior, not convinced their prime suspect is the most likely culprit. Higashino moves between Kaga’s investigation and the impact the crime has had on the suspect’s partner and the victim’s family. Set in 2011, it’s a restrained, almost austere piece but it’s also an insightful commentary on Japanese society. Tokyo is reeling from a growing recession and Kaga’s explorations lead to revelations about corporate corruption, intrusive media, the scapegoating of the "mushoku" (unemployed, marginal figures), and the conflict between traditional Japanese beliefs and values and a more pragmatic contemporary culture. There are some formulaic aspects but mostly I found this taut and gripping, and I really responded to Higashino’s understated approach. Translated by Giles Murray.
Thanks to Netgalley and publisher Little Brown Book Group/Abacus
Rating: 3.5 -
Delighted that we have another from this author translated into English (pretty well here, with a workaday but not clunky style and a sensible decision not to spoon feed absolutely everything Japanese to the Western reader). This is an excellent twisty mystery. The author is a master of using literary form and themes as red herrings in a way I don't think I've seen elsewhere, and it never fails to fool the crap out of me.
Also, a master of giving detective novels meaningful heft. This is really a book about the ripple effect of crime or, rather, of cruelty. Some forms of cruelty are illegal and some are just shitty, but all of them spread damage like cancer, and this book is very much about the importance of cutting it out, not covering it up.
I hope his entire oeuvre gets translated, absolutely top notch. -
A businessman is stabbed on a public street and manages to get to a famous shrine before dying. A suspect is soon apprehended with the victim’s belongings in his possession. However, Tokyo Police Detective Kaga doesn’t accept the simple answer and keeps digging deeper into the reasons why the victim and suspect were both in that area of Tokyo. The investigation is complicated by the fact that the suspect can’t speak for himself.
This is a conventional police procedural (not at all “mind-bending” as the blurb states) in which Kaga and his fellow detective/cousin follow the clues. It is the third book in the series to be translated into English, but can be read as a standalone. There is an unnecessary side plot about Kaga arranging a memorial service for his late father. The author may have been trying to say something about father/son relationships, but I think the main plot covered that topic pretty well. I don’t find Kaga at all intriguing, but the investigation held my interest. The resolution sort of came out of left field.
I received a free copy of this book from the publisher. -
দিস ইজ সামথিং মাইন্ডব্লোয়িং। ডিটেকটিভ কাগার প্রেমে পড়তে বাধ্য সত্যিকারের রহস্য প্রেমীরা। আপনি যদি হুটহাট রকেট গতির গল্প চান তবে হিগাশিনো বা কাগা কেউই আপনার জন্য নয়। তবে আপনি যদি চান গল্পের ডিটেকটিভ এর সাথে ধাপে ধাপে অতি সূক্ষ্ম ভাবে তদন্তপ্রক্রিয়ার অংশ হতে তবে আপনার জন্য অপেক্ষা করছে নতুন একটা দুনিয়া। গল্পের কাহিনী সামান্য একটা খুন নিয়ে। সেটাও সলভড, কারণ অপরাধী সাথে সাথেই ধরা পড়ে। তবে অপরাধী কিভাবে অপরাধ করেছে সেটার উত্তর খুঁজতে গিয়ে কাগা ও তার কাজিন ঢুকে পড়ে আরও রহস্যের মধ্যে। পেঁয়াজের খোসার মত অল্প অল্প করে উন্মুক্ত হতে থাকে রহস্য। আর শেষটা চমকে দেয়ার মত। ডিটেকটিভ কাগার কর্মপদ্ধতি আপনাকে মনে করিয়ে দেবে এরকুল পোয়ারোকে, সেইসাথে তার পার্টনার কাম কাজিন মাতসুমিয়া হচ্ছে হালের ক্যাপ্টেন হেস্টিংস। পুরাতনটার মত মডার্ন ডে পোয়ারোও আসলে বিশেষ কিছু।
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Cánh Kỳ Lân mở đầu bằng việc một người đàn ông được phát hiện đang dựa vào bức tương kỳ lân ở cầu Nihonbashi - trong tình trạng bị đâm bởi một con dao. Tuy nhiên, một chàng trai được cho là nghi phạm đã gặp tai nạn và rơi vào tình trạng hôn mê.
Điều mình thích ở đây là cách điều tra của
Cánh Kỳ Lân tương tự như Tập 8
Newcomer. Người đọc cùng thám tử Kaga hay lần này cùng với Matsumiya (em họ của Kaga) điều tra qua từng nơi mà nạn nhân, nghi phạm từng đến - những manh mối nhỏ bé nhưng lại mang đến mấu chốt quan trọng trong vụ án.
Bên cạnh quá trình điều tra hơi dài dòng, mình thích cách cuốn sách xen kẽ giữa hai POV người thân của nạn nhân lẫn nghi phạm, họ đều có những vấn đề tồi tệ mà không ai muốn nó xảy ra cả. Và mình thương cho Kaori.
"Án mạng cũng giống như tế bào ung thư, từ chỗ nhiễm ban đầu sẽ loang dần ra xung quanh. Dù bắt được hung thủ, khép lại hồ sơ, cũng không dễ gì chặn đứng lây lan."
Mình bất ngờ với lý giải sự thật đằng sau vụ án, đưa đến sự thật mình không ngờ được. Dù mình có bất ngờ về hung thủ nhưng vẫn cảm thấy hụt hẫng chút. Kể cả vấn đề của những người lao động được đề cập chưa thực sự thỏa mãn mình. Nếu ai đã đọc qua nhiều về series Kaga (như mình) sẽ thấy việc tác giả cài cắm về ý nghĩa gia đình hơi bị ngán. Vẫn rate quyển này 4☆ vì nhịp truyện nhanh, cách ứng xử của Kaga quá trời là khéo léo và tuyệt vời.
Đọc review của mình về các tập khác trong series thanh tra Kaga:(hãy click vào)
- Tập 1:
毕业 (Tốt nghiệp)
-Tập 2:
沉睡的森林 (Khu rừng say ngủ)
- Tập 3:
谁杀了她 (Ai đã giết cô ấy?)
- Tập 4:
Malice (Ác ý)
- Tập 5:
我殺了他 (Tôi đã giết hắn ta)
- Tập 7:
红手�� (Ngón tay đỏ)
- Tập 8:
Newcomer (Người mới đến)
- Tập 10:
祈祷落幕时 (Khi lời cầu nguyện kết thúc) -
I love Higashino but this one was just okay. I suppose we were due after the last two novels of his to be translated (NEWCOMER and SILENT PARADE) were two of the best so far. There is nothing all that wrong with this book! It's a reliable procedural. It slowly puts the pieces together. But I am picky and I know how good Higashino can be and I expect better! This feels like a good procedural by any old author, but just an okay one from him.
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This is my very first Keigo Higashino novel. It’s the ninth entry in Higashino’s series featuring Kyochiro Kaga, but only the third to be translated into English. (Thank you, translator Giles Murray!) Even so, I never felt lost, and, by the translation pattern — or lack thereof — it’s pretty clear that you don’t have to read these books in order to enjoy fine police procedural.
At the heart of this story is a kirin — no, not the beer, but a mythical horned, scaly beast that looks like a horse sporting a Chinese lion’s head. For Westerners, it looks like this:
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Có vẻ năm nay fan của tác giả Higashino Keigo có một mùa vụ bội thu, khi liên tiếp từ đầu năm đến giờ đã có 3 cuốn sách của bác được xuất bản ở Việt Nam rồi. Trong đó có 2 cuốn do Nhã Nam phát hành, còn cuốn “Cánh kỳ lân" là của IPM.
Một lần nữa, tác giả lại cho chúng ta gặp lại thanh tra Kaga- nhân vật mẫn cán đã từng xuất hiện trong tác phẩm “Ác ý". Câu chuyện lần này bắt đầu khi cảnh sát phát hiện ra một người đàn ông bị đâm trọng thương tại cây cầu Nihonbashi nổi tiếng ở Tokyo. Dù đã được đưa đi cấp cứu ngay lập tức nhưng các bác sĩ đã không thể cứu được người đàn ông xấu số. Cũng ngay trong đêm đó, cảnh sát đã bắt được nghi phạm nhưng trong quá trình chạy trốn hắn lại bị tai nạn giao thông rồi cũng qua đời. Mọi chứng cứ đều chỉ về hướng nghi phạm và các lãnh đạo cũng rất nóng lòng muốn kết thúc vụ án giết người cướp của này.
Thế nhưng, Kaga, bằng óc quan sát nhạy bén, khả năng suy luận tài tình cũng như quyết tâm tìm ra chân tướng sự việc của mình đã quyết định điều tra độc lập. Ta sẽ lại thấy quá trình anh tìm ra lời giải cho từng hành động của cả nạn nhân và hung thủ, ráp nối xâu chuỗi lại những dữ kiện rồi đưa ra suy luận và chứng minh những suy luận ấy như thế nào.
Có thể thấy Keigo dành rất nhiều tâm huyết để cố gắng xây dựng nhân vật và tạo nên những câu chuyện ẩn sau những nhân vật ấy. Ông luôn cố gắng truyền tải một thông điệp, một vấn đề còn tồn đọng trong xã hội Nhật Bản thông qua những câu chuyện của mình. Tuy lần này vấn đề không mới và bản thân vụ án cũng như câu chuyện đằng sau không có quá nhiều điểm bất ngờ hay đặc biệt, nhưng vẫn phải ghi nhận sự cố gắng của tác giả. Từ bầu không khí, cách kể chuyện, diễn biến phá án, mọi thứ tuy vẫn ở tốc độ vừa phải nhưng vẫn đủ lôi cuốn độc giả lật tiếp những trang sau.
Một tác phẩm trinh thám mình đánh giá ở mức độ vừa phải, không quá xuất sắc cũng không máu me, rùng rợn, kinh dị. Ai mới bắt đầu đọc trinh thám có thể bắt đầu từ cuốn này cũng rất oke. Mọi thứ đều dễ chịu.
Đánh giá: ⅗ -
เอาไปเลยห้าดาว
เป็นหนังสือสืบสวนสอบสวนที่ทิ้งประโยค “เรื่องนี้สอนให้รู้ว่า...” เอาไว้ในหัวใจและสมอง
มันเป็นการสืบสวนคดีฆาตกรรมที่จบได้ซึ้งกินใจ
เปิดเรื่องด้วยความตายของชายผู้เป็นพ่อถูกมีดปักกลางอก แต่ซมซานไปทิ้ง dying message ไว้ใต้ปีกรูปปั้นกิเลน
ผู้ต้องสงสัยในคดี ก็ดันมามีอันเป็นไปซะอีก
เบาะแสที่ตำรวจสุด cool อย่าง “คางะ” ใช้ในการคนหาคำตอบคือใบเสร็จร้านโซบะ!
หนังสือเล่มนี้เป็นหนังสือในซีรีย์ตำรวจสุด cool “คางะ”
ปูเรื่องด้วยการตายที่ไม่สมเหตุสมผล ผู้ต้องสงสัยที่แก้ต่างให้ตัวเองไม่ได้ และดราม่าครอบครัวที่บีบคั้นอารมณ์
แน่นอนว่าตามสไตล์เราจะได้อ่านหนังสือที่ดำเนินอย่างเนิบๆ นุ่มๆ ไปจนถึงกลางเล่ม แล้วก็เริ่มปล่อยของตอนกลางเล่ม และเคี่ยนอัตราการเต้นของหัวใจคนอ่านท้ายเล่ม
คนอ่านจะถูกทำให้ไขว้เขวว่าจริงๆ แล้วเป็นการฆาตกรรมชิงทรัพย์ดาดๆ หรือเป็นฆาตกรรมที่บรรจุความแค้นเอาไว้เต็มเปี่ยมของลูกจ้างที่มีต่อนายจ้าง
หรือแท้จริงแล้ว อุบัติเหตุของชมรมว่ายน้ำมัธยมต้นของลูกชายผู้ตาย มีส่วนเกี่ยวข้องกับการฆาตกรรมผู้เป็นพ่อกันแน่
แต่ละช่วงที่อ่านมันจะมีความสงสัยต่างๆ กันไป
และในที่สุดก็ได้รับคำเฉลยแบบคาดไม่ถึงท้ายเล่ม
สะพานนิฮอมบาชิ เป็นหลักกิโลเมตรที่ศูนย์ ที่ใช้สำหรับวัดระยะทางไปจังหวัดต่างๆ ทั่วญี่ปุ่น
เป็นทั้งจุดเริ่มต้นของตัวละครที่เดินทางจากต่างจังหวัดเข้ามาสู่โตเกียว และก็เป็นจุดเดียวกันที่เกิดเหตุฆาตกรรมในเรื่องนี้
Keigo เอาพื้นที่บริเวณนี้มาเดินเรื่องจนอยากเก็บกระเป๋า บินไปตามรอยที่ญี่ปุ่นเลยทีเดียว (แต่ตอนนี้เปิด google street view ดูแก้ขัดไปก่อน)
นอกจากการถ่ายทอดความรักของพ่อออกมาได้อย่างละเอียดอ่อนแล้ว ยังชอบตรงที่ Keigo ทำให้เห็นเกียรติศักดิ์ศรีของการรับผิดชอบในการกระทำ ไม่ใช่ซุกความผิด วิ่งหนีความจริงไปตลอด แถมยังถ่ายทอดด้วยการเล่าผ่านนิยายได้อย่างยอดเยี่ยม
หนังสือเล่มนี้ทิ้งความรู้สึกชื่นชมให้กับ “ความรับผิดชอบชั่วดี” ไว้ได้ดีจริงๆ -
Keigo Higashino is a recent arrival on my radar, and I'm ready to devour everything he writes. He's primarily a mystery writer, writing in Japanese, whose works are readily available in translation. This is the third of his Detective Kaga mysteries, though it's the first in the series I've read. Kaga falls somewhere on the Holmesian detective spectrum. He notices details and finds more meaning in them than most. He doesn't settle for simple solutions and is dogged in his pursuit of the full truth. He lacks Holmes' flash and disdain for other detectives, but makes for an excellent bookish companion nonetheless.
The book opens as a wealthy businessman staggers onto a bridge and collapses. The police officer who sees him collapse assumes he's drunk, but then discovers a knife sticking out of his chest. The businessman dies on route to the hospital. Not long after, an unemployed young man who obce temped for the company employing this businessman is found with the businessman's wallet and briefcase in his possession. Before police can question him, he dashes away, runs into traffic, is hit by a truck, and lapses into a coma.
That's our set-up. Almost everyone is happy to call the young man a murderer and to walk away from the case's complications, but not Kaga, who spends days on foot exploring the area where the businessman was killed. Complications abound, but none that fully exonerate the young man. Meanwhile, a different set of accusations begins to pile up against the businessman.
Higashino masterfully keeps the narrative ambiguous, which keeps the reader turning pages.
If you enjoy international mysteries with well-developed, original characters and deft plotting, you're in for a treat with A Death in Tokyo.
I received a free electronic review copy of this title from the publisher via EdelweissPlus; the opinions are my own. -
“Blood dotted the sidewalk!”
A case of a seemingly cut and dried murder turns out to be way more than first thought. Kyoichiro Kaga—detective, Nihonbashi Precinct, and his cousin Shuhei Matsumiya—detective, Homicide Division, Tokyo Metropolitan Police are part of a task force to investigate the murder of Takeai Aoyagi, a CEO of a small parts business.
It seems an ex-contract employee might be involved. Nothing adds up for Kaga however. The murder takes place on Nihonbashi Bridge.
Kaga’s investigation leads the reader through a set of circumstances that come together to make final sense of what’s happened.
Along the way we learn of cultural practices like the Nihonbashi Seven Lucky Shrines pilgrimage, the making of oragami paper cranes to be burnt offerings, health and safety coverups in factories.
A solid detective story one part a flash of intuition and three parts thorough investigative work.
I’m very excited to add Higashino to my growing list of Asian mystery authors I admire.
A St. Martins Press ARC via NetGalley.
Many thanks to the author and publisher. -
สนุกตามมาตรฐาน ส่วนตัวถ้าไม่นับภาพยนตร์ ถือเป็นเล่มแรกที่เราเห็นบรรยากาศความหนักอึ้งอบอวลอยู่ในงานชุดคางะ เคียวอิจิโร่
ฆาตกรรมเป็นเหมือนมะเร็งร้าย ความเศร้าก็คล้ายโรคติดต่อ ยิ่งสืบค้นก็ยิ่งเหมือนจมลงในบ่อน้ำไร้ก้น ที่น่าสนใจไม่ใช่ว่าเรื่���งจบลงอย่างไร ใครทำ แต่คนข้างตัวพวกเขาเหล่านั้น จะใช้ชีวิตต่อไปจากนี้อย่างไรต่างหาก
สุดท้าย นอกจากอ่านสนุกแล้ว ซีรีย์คางะยังทำให้เกิดความคุ้นเคยกับย่านนิฮงบาชิมากขึ้นไปอีก เดินกันทั้งเรื่องขนาดนี้ คนอ่านอย่างนี่คงไม่ต้องพึ่งกูเกิ้ลแมพแล้วมั้ง
ปล. อยากอ่านเรื่องต่อของเจ้าลูกชายลูกสาวทางฝั่งบ้านผู้เคราะห์ร้ายที่กระแสตีกลับจัง เด็กที่กำลังจะเกิดอีก พวกเขาเหล่านั้นจะเติบโตไปเป็นผู้ใหญ่อย่างไรกันนะ -
เป็นนิยายสืบสวนฆาตกรรมที่เศร้าอีกแล้ว T_T การฆาตกรรมเป็นเหมือนมะเร็งร้าย ความทุกข์แพร่กระจายไม่จบไม่สิ้น เรื่องนี้ทำให้เห็นภาพได้ดีเลย คนที่เกี่ยวข้องล้วนต้องเจ็บปวด
ชอบที่สุดท้ายแล้วตัวละครก็ยังเชื่อมั่นในสิ่งที่ดีงาม แม้จะผ่านความเจ็บปวดมามากแค่ไหนก็ยังมีความหวังอยู่เสมอ -
My third outing with the Detective Kaga series set in Tokyo.
I just love the methodical and detailed plotting that accompanies these crime mysteries. Keigo Higashino is a great writer within this genre but their accessibility must also be down to the talented translation of Giles Murray.
Kaga is a local cop who is meticulous in his questioning and thorough in his desire to understand motive within any murder enquiry.
The beauty of Japan, it’s culture and customs. It’s place and people lift from these pages and Kaga’s desire to feel and breathe the crime scene and it’s environs brings the location to the fore, stimulating the senses, so full of life and colour.
A businessman is seemingly the victim of a mugging that goes deadly wrong. But this wasn’t his neighbourhood. What was he doing there? And why did he get to his feet and stagger like a drunken man to the middle of Nihonbashi bridge?
Are these factors significant to anyone other than Detective Kaga especially when an unemployed man close to the scene is disturbed by the police and gets run over avoiding arrest? Perhaps even less so, when where he was hiding the victim’s briefcase was found and when the suspect had taken the dead man’s wallet.
All makes for an intelligent and progressive investigation which brings insight into police procedures in Japan and a glimpse into another country’s culture.
Furthermore through the story I understood more the capital city’s expansion from perhaps when it was award the 1964 Olympic Games, how neighbourhoods try to hold on to their past despite incursions by expressways and high rise, while amid the development and progress older Tokyo clings on in religious shrines and tradition shops.
The crime story is tragic but full of human endeavour. Good and bad are seen and lessons learnt without recourse to sleight of hand, criminal psychology and graphic horror. Just the telling of mystery wrapped up in a well told story. This is why I love whodunits. Not cos they are clever and the authors are spendthrift with the clues. Simply when they bare the human soul and psyche and when you can identify with the characters. -
At the moment I am hooked on Japanese thrillers. They are so detailed and richly descriptive. The culture, the life and of course the dirty deed. Hooked from the first to the last page. Well rounded characters and most were very unlikable. An old school whodunnit but so much more. Definitely left me wanting more. Loved it!!!!!
Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for the ARC. -
I loved
Malice,Newcomer not so much,and this is the weakest. Flimsy and slow. -
Deep Breaths because ... I WILL BE GUSHING ON HOW GOOD THIS BOOK IS AND HOW KEIGO DID IT. AGAIN
"Do what you know to be right."
Disclaimers: This is NOT a spoilery review and I advise to go into the book blind. Like just pick it up and blame me if its not good. But I can assure you, you won't regret reading this.
Third english instalment of the Detective Kaga series, and I loved this book most out of the three.
Malice was incredible. It set the tone and the differences from the Detective Gallileo series.
Then
Newcomer came in bringing something TOTALLY different and unexpected. This one showed Kaga as a character and as a detective and how it will eventually benefit him in the next book, which is well, the current book now.
Death in Tokyo, is something else.
There is a nuance to how Keigo writes his stories;(and yes I might be biased) which makes the plot and how everything turned out to be .. well... very unexpected at the end. For me, the case for this book took another turn and I almost teared up. Everything came together to form a story that not only addresses the cases in hand, it also addresses a lot of social issues , especially on how Keigo highlighted the importance of closure to the victim's families and anyone involved .
Since I don't want to spoil anything about the book, I will write down some takeaways that Keigo highlighted that made this book one that I will remember for a very long time.
1) The Significance of Kaga as a Character
I liked that Keigo brought something new to the table with Kaga, and his character showed a significance that made him so endearing despite being the oddball that he is. Whilst Yukawa in the Gallileo series highlights the significance of looking through the perspectives of the murderer and the blurred lines of the crimes as well as using STEM as a form to bring another angle and perspective in solving a crime, Kaga highlights the significance of empathy and the importance of closure for the people affected by the victims' murder .
This fact can be missed a lot of times as , once a case is solved, there's nothing much that can be done; and I liked what Keigo did in this series in showing how we need someone like Kaga who is not only emphatic but very persistent in giving closure to the families and solving the case and finding REASONS behind the crime. Yes, its a pretty unconventional way to solve a crime as a detective; and he's doing a sort of profiler's job in a sense, but, I liked how each book showed the impacts of the families that had been affected by the crime. Often, getting closure is a way for families to grief their loved ones, and I liked that Keigo had highlighted that very much in the series; as the case seemed so simple in the surface, and YET, there are so many layers needed to unveil.
(also please Kaga was so endearing in here I want to give him a huge hug)
2) Social Issues
This book highlighted a lot of social issues that are we can often observe in the real world as well. Some of them like,
❌ Corruption in workplace
❌ Exploitation of temporary workers
❌ Exploitation of the dead
❌ Unethical journalism (wow this one really made me want to slap someone)
Keigo brought forward that humans are fickle beings that, at the end of the day, resort to only protect themselves when they're in harm, and it really showed in this book.
Honestly, I can write more about this book, but it will be very spoilery so I will leave my thoughts only up till here. Please, please read this book. It was straightforward, left me heartbroken, tugged my heartstrings and above all, made me realize that there is nothing more in life than to appreciate the ones that you love. This book really shone Kaga as a character and I highly highly recommend everyone to read this. Its that good.
4.75🌟 for this gem
Biggest thank you to @definitelybooks for this copy <3 I truly appreciate it. -
Meeting Detective Kyoichiro Kaga again in this new translated instalment following his thrilling investigation journey to unravel the truth behind a murder case that was happened on Nihonbashi Bridge after a man was found stabbed and bleeding to death under a winged kirin statue. It was quite a decent and straightforward murder plot to me yet it turns complicated when the prime suspect who was seen hiding nearby died (after days in coma) when he was hit by a truck while trying to flee from the crime scene.
It was so intense and totally a page-turner to me, love the teamwork between Detective Kaga and his cousin, Detective Matsumiya (he’s a charm, I love his character so much!)— they went pursuing the investigation even with not much hints and I like how both their chief and leader being quite supportive with Kaga’s personal hunch about the case. Bit of red herring but so rivetingly executed that it leads to another gripping incident from years ago and Kaga did so well in disentangling the secrets and linking both cases with a solid motive from the killer.
The subplots were intriguing much as it highlighted on social inequality and power harassment also the family and friendship parts were quite emotionally driven to me; love to see Kaga’s interactions with both the victim’s son and the suspect’s girlfriend. I appreciate the morality aspect it tries to explore and it ends well too with a good and heartwarming lesson.
Might be easy to guess on the plotline or less twisty compared to Newcomer or Malice yet still in love with Higashino’s way in developing Kaga’s dynamic and characterization; I get anxious few times following his POV when he goes beyond the case trails but fancy the thrills nevertheless; still loving his style of suddenly popped up, asked few questions and vanished in a puff of smoke. 4.7 stars to this!
Thank you Pansing Distribution for sending me a copy to review :)
ps: I wonder why they did not follow the literal translation from the Japanese title; love it more, honestly -
Who writes things like this, Man?
I mean... just think about it. It's a murder mystery with lots of loose ends, trauma on all sides, and hints that very bad, very unfortunate things have happened, apart from that one murder. So it was OK for all of us to have our brains twisted around the plot and characters.
But a story that ties up all loose ends and brings tears to our eyes!
Who... how...?
Higashino, obviously! Who else could have even thought of such a story, and executed it with such elan?
Read up, Man! They don't produce things like this on wholesale basis. This is exclusive.
Highly recommended. -
4.5
Hay hơn nhiều so với Ác ý. Đây đúng thuần tuý một cuốn trinh thám chỉ là điều tra, đi tìm chứng cứ ngoại phạm, bới móc từ những chi tiết tưởng như vặt vãnh, nhỏ nhặt nhất. Không có hành động mang tính hồi hộp nhưng tác giả lại rất giỏi tạo được sự mong đợi ở người đọc, xây dựng dần dần những b�� mật đúng như những gì người đọc mong muốn. Mỗi phát hiện của thanh tra Kaga lại mở ra một góc nhìn mới, một bí ẩn mới về nạn nhân, về nghi phạm, để cuối cùng lật tẩy một vụ án rõ ràng là rất đơn giản mà thực tế lại phức tạp vô cùng.
Mình có hơi chút thất vọng về đoạn suy đoán thủ phạm và tiết lộ ra thủ phạm vì mình không thích thủ phạm này cho lắm, nếu là một nhân vật khác thì mình sẽ thấy hay hơn.
Cuốn truyện khai thác vào chủ đề tội lỗi, sự day dứt của lương tâm và cái giá phải trả khi cố gắng che giấu tội lỗi của mình.
Nhân tiện là cuốn này đọc siêu nhanh ấy, đã đọc là không dứt ra được. -
Thank you to the publishers for providing me with an e-ARC in exchange for an honest review!
This is the third entry in the Detective Kaga series that has been translated into English (though not the third book overall). It's not my favourite of Higashino's mysteries, but it was very enjoyable to read and kept me guessing the whole time. I don't think I liked it more than Malice, but I did like it much better than Newcomer, and overall I still prefer the Detective Galileo series to this one. What is different about this book is that usually, I feel like he focuses more on the how and why of the mystery at hand, whereas this book focuses primarily on the who and why. It's not a bad thing per se, but just a much more straightforward whodunit than I am used to from Higashino.
Overall, a solid entry to the series and Higashino continues to be my favourite mystery writer. -
Keigo did it again.
I don't mind being called biased when it comes to Keigo. Truthfully, I just adore how his narration was. Probably he's the first author of Japanese crime I discovered last year and still signing in as #keigocult. So when it comes to this book, I realized the beginning was slightly slow (maybe my patience level was running low at that time). However, the plot was buildable well in the middle and finally riled me nuts. Never moment leaves me gasping, questioning the cast characters, and stunned by how the crime works. With minimal hints, I can see how Detective Kaga alongside his cousin, Detective Matsumiya digs and efficiently deduce together the murder case that occurs at the classic Nihonbashi bridge.
Can you imagine a man being stabbed in the chest, half-conscious but still keeps on walking to that specific place and dying there? Not in a million years I would think his last action will lead to something. This book gets me hooked even more when the suspect also dies. Okay hello, so how?
I tell you guys, the afterward was so devastating but brilliant. Like how on earth is Kaga able to connect the dots so competently with the smallest details of someone's behavior/pattern, and fuse a bit with spiritual tradition? It does clear up something from the suspect's end and it makes me sad when knowing the truth. Anyhow, all those directions intertwined a one-time secret from the victim's family side. Ah, I go wild on this! Another heartbreaking subplot. Triple sad! Seriously, man. I guess Keigo never wants me to relax.
Even tho, the ending does give closure (and shocking!), I just love how some issues in this book are brought to for a better life lesson that should be stressed. Communication with family and friends requires attention, care with equality and excluding misbehavior workspace, always admitting to our mistakes, and take initiative to turn up better. Moreover, I hugely adore Kaga here as he looks so calm, attentive, and tactful with his words. So sad that I just know him in this series. Surely want to deeply know him in other books. For this book, 4.75 stars!
Big thanks to Pansing Distribution for sending me the review copy! I love it so much <3 -
Cầu Nihonbashi chính là cột mốc số 0 quốc gia. “Tóm lại, từ đây người ta sẽ tung bay đi khắp nước Nhật. Chính vì lẽ đó, kỳ lân mới được gắn thêm đôi cánh.” Có lẽ, chỉ có đoạn văn ngắn này mới nhắc đôi chút về chi tiết làm nên tiêu đề quyển sách. Độc giả có thể sẽ thắc mắc rằng tại sao “cánh kỳ lân” lại được dùng để trở thành mấu chốt của vụ án? Mặc dù đọc gần hết sách cũng không thấy cánh kỳ lân làm nhiệm vụ gì, sự tò mò cũng không quá thỏa đáng. Ý đồ của Keigo về bức tượng kỳ lân bên cầu Nihonbashi chẳng qua được giải quyết bởi một nickname . Người đàn ông trung niên Takeaki với nhát dao cắm sâu vào ngực nhưng vẫn cố gắng sức lê đến bức tượng kỳ lân bên cầu. Ta sẽ hiểu ngầm là Takeaki đang muốn cầu cứu hoặc để lại thông điệp nào đó. Nhưng không kịp để giữ lại tính mạng.
Sách đủ dài để lột tả một số yếu tố văn hoá, địa danh nổi tiếng, sự chật vật kiếm tiền của người Nhật, thói sợ trách nhiệm với pháp luật hoặc với những người xung quanh. Thật khó để tìm việc hoặc được làm việc với môi trường yêu thích của lớp trẻ. Điều ấy đẩy họ đến những hành động sai lầm, có người dằn vặt và muốn được chuộc tội, nhưng cũng có kẻ hèn nhát và luôn phải sống trốn tránh sau khi gây tội.
Hầu hết các nhân vật trong truyện đều phải loay hoay đối phó vấn đề của chính họ, thậm chí sống thay trách nhiệm mà người khác gây ra. Qua đó ta thấy sự gắn kết tình cảm trong gia đình và những người yêu thương nhau dù việc hiểu lầm nhau là điều không tránh khỏi. Chàng cảnh sát trẻ Kaga hay cô gái Kaori đều đại diện cho lớp người không bao giờ từ bỏ niềm tin vào trực giác của bản thân. Kaga thì nổi tiếng là quái kiệt trong giới cảnh sát hình sự, có khả năng xử lý công việc cực kỳ nhanh nhạy, kiên trì đeo bám vụ án đến cùng. Kaori thì trân trọng kỷ niệm và luôn tự tin với việc bảo vệ thanh danh cho người mình yêu, cậu bé Yotu cũng vậy, dù tuổi trẻ nhưng luôn suy nghĩ chín chắn và biết cách an ủi người khác.
Vụ án không đặc biệt, không hề có chi tiết giật gân, giọng kể đều đều nhưng không đến nỗi dài dòng gây khó chịu. Keigo luôn hướng đến những nhân vật là giới trẻ với những biến đổi tâm lý trong quá trình trưởng thành với cái tôi, sự tự ái và tâm lý sợ gánh vác trách nhiệm. Diễn biến và thông điệp ở đây khá giống với cuốn “Chuộc tội” của Minato Kanae. -
Trinh thám điều tra phá án điển hình kiểu Keigo. Không có kết cấu độc đáo kiểu Newcomer hay bí ẩn kiểu Malice (mà đọc Malice cũng khá lâu rồi nên không nhớ lắm, phải đọc lại mới được). Nhìn chung là một trải nghiệm trọn vẹn. 4⭐️
-
I enjoy this series a lot, having read several of the nine books.
It's a police procedural which follows the Tokyo detectives who refuse to take the obvious choice and easy solution to a murder. They follow their gut feelings to find the truth and the real story behind the mysterious stabbing death of a father on a lonely bridge.
The methods of inquiry, the follow up interviewing and persistence of the detectives makes this story very interesting throughout the novel. What they discover is equally fascinating and unexpected. -
This is Higashino’s third book translated into English in the Detective Kaga Series. It starts with a man being found stabbed on a famous bridge in the center of Tokyo. When a prime suspect is located, the Tokyo Police Department is hopeful for a simple open and shut case. However, with the suspect being in a coma, the case becomes more difficult.
This book was a definite page turner for me. If I had enough hours when I started reading, I’m sure I would have finished in one sitting. There were lots of surprises and unexpected events happening that kept my interest to the very end.
I’m a huge fan of Keigo Higashino mysteries with the Detective Kaga series being my favorite. In the last book, Newcomer, we started to get to know Kaga better. He’s a mild-mannered and respectful detective who is fun to follow through the case. And he never gives up until he knows the truth. -
Mình đọc cuốn sách này vì thanh tra Kaga – vị thanh tra của Ác Ý. Một cuốn sách thuần trinh thám của bác Keigo có một chiếc bìa xấu đau đớn thế này thì có hy vọng gì được không? Có nha.
Cánh kỳ lân kể về một cuộc án mạng kỳ lạ ở cây cầu Nihonbashi nổi tiếng, nạn nhân bị đâm bằng dao nhưng vẫn cố lết đến nơi có bức tượng kỳ lân trên cầu. Nghi phạm duy nhất là một thanh niên thất nghiệp, người giữ ví tiền và giấy tờ của nạn nhân thì lại bị xe tải đâm, bị thương nặng và đang hấp hối trong bệnh viện. Liệu anh ta có tỉnh lại và nhận tội? Hai người này vốn chẳng liên quan gì đến nhau, lí do dẫn đến giết người là gì? Mọi người đọc thử Cánh kỳ lân nhé.
Cánh kỳ lân có dung lượng vừa đủ, mình thấy khá thích cuốn sách này nhưng lại không phải vì nhân vật thanh tra Kaga (lí do mình bắt đầu đọc) mà là vì câu chuyện. Nếu bạn đã đọc nhiều sách của bác Keigo thì chắc cũng đã quen với việc vụ án sẽ không dừng lại ở sự thật trước mắt, mà càng đi sâu sẽ càng thấy lộ ra những bí ẩn lẩn khuất đằng sau. Cánh kỳ lân cũng vậy, tại sao lại là kỳ lân, tại sao bìa sách lại có những con hạc giấy bay ra từ cánh của nó. Tại sao bố của Yuto lại qua đời, liệu có phải vì vụ việc ở nhà máy? Cả những chi tiết về cặp đôi Fuyuki và Kaori cũng làm mình thích. Thanh tra Kaga thật ra cũng là một nhân vật có cá tính, chỉ là cá tính đó đã khá quen thuộc trong thể loại trinh thám rồi nên mình khó tránh khỏi thấy không ấn tượng (cho lắm). So với các nhân vật khác thì Kaga vẫn là một nhân vật đặc biệt (chỉ là không quá đặc biệt với mình thôi).
Cuốn sách này có một điểm làm mình không rate quá cao là do thể loại thuần trinh thám của nó. Gu sách của mình là trinh thám phải chèn thêm tâm lý xã hội vào thì mới đủ “ngon” ấy (kiểu mình bị hãm ấy) nên là mình không rate full điểm cho Cánh kỳ lân. Thêm nữa là cách cảnh sát khám phá ra sự thật cảm giác bị may mắn ấy, nếu không có buổi gặp mặt dở hơi dở hồn đó thì liệu Kaga có suy luận được ra những chi tiết quan trọng để phá án không? Chắc chắn là không rồi, đang bí ngòi mà tự dưng được gợi ý, một gợi ý quan trọng như vậy một cách rất random như thế thì mình không cam tâm lắm =)). Chưa kể vụ án này cũng có vài chi tiết hơi phi lý (ví dụ như chuyện bố Yuto làm thay việc cho cậu ấy, thái độ ban đầu của Yuto về bố, …)
Cá nhân mình đọc cuốn này khá nhanh, mạch truyện khá thu hút chứ không bị chậm quá như Cuộc diễu hành thầm lặng. 2/3 cuối cuốn sách là mình chỉ đọc trong một buổi tối thôi đó =)) khá giống Phương trình hạ chí trước đây nhỉ kakaka
Rate: 4/5, nói chung cuốn này mình khá recommend mọi người đọc thử nhen. Bỏ qua cái bìa xấu ẻ và đọc thử nếu bạn thích thanh tra Kaga hoặc motif truyện như mình nói ở trên nheeeee -
A DEATH IN TOKYO from Japanese author Keigo Higashino, translated by Giles Murray, is a brilliant mystery novel which helps to secure his status as a modern Master of International mystery. In this case, we are privileged to spend time once again with Higashino’s Tokyo Police Detective Kaga who is tasked with unraveling a case that makes little sense and has no known witnesses.
It begins when a police officer manning the famous Nihonbashi Bridge follows a man who has collapsed beneath the statue of the mythical beast known as kirin. It is then that the officer notices the knife imbedded in the man’s chest. Regrettably, the victim never regains consciousness and dies in the hospital. Detective Matsumiya is one of the first put on the case and to learn that the victim was a well-respected businessman named Takeaki Aoyagi.
The same night as Aoyagi’s homicide there was another accident in Tokyo involving a young man named Yashima who was now clinging to life and in a coma. The most ironic thing is that Takeaki Aoyagi’s wallet was found on Yashima at the time of the accident. Without there being anyone but Aoyagi’s family and Yashima’s girlfriend to talk with makes this a tricky and confusing case. This is the reason why the Tokyo P.D. made the decision to team Matsumiya with Detective Kyo Kaga, who also happened to be his cousin.
Kaga has a very intuitive and cerebral approach to the art of police detection and it is a pleasure to see him at work. Part of the case leads to Aoyagi’s company, Kaneseki Metals, to see if there was any connection between he and Yashima there. Again, they come up empty with this line of questioning. Kaga and Matsumiya then learn of the passing of Yashima who never regained consciousness. This sort of setback could kill a case in ordinary hands. Thankfully, the mind of Kaga continues to dig into the family of the victim where there are connections no one could have seen on the surface but which only someone of his caliber could make work.
A major clue that Kaga picks up on was the fact that Aoyagi had been paying respect at the shrine of various statues around the city known as the Seven Lucky Gods. In fact, the statue he was found under had a special connection to water. Without giving anything away, it is a brilliant feat of expert detection that leads Kaga to the eventual solution of this case and trust me when I say that you will not see it coming.
What raises A DEATH IN TOKYO above other mysteries is the writing of Higashino. Through the unique work of his protagonist Kaga, the reader is able to amaze at a Detective with a mental acuity that seems to rival great fictional detectives such as Sherlock Holmes and Hercule Poirot. This is the sort of mystery that fans of the genre need to read and savor. -
Một trong những điều mình thích truyện của Keigo Higashino là những câu chuyện thường ngày mà ai cũng có thể thành thủ phạm và nạn nhân chỉ trong 1 tích tắc bất cẩn, dễ dãi nào đó.
Câu chuyện này xảy đến với nhóm thiếu niên làm bạn cùng câu lạc bộ bơi bị chết đuối. Từ việc vô ý rồi dần trở thành cố tình che giấu, thậm chí phạm tội giết người thật sự. Motif này không mới nhưng là bài học không bao giờ cũ. Và tình thương của gia đình là nơi đủ lớn để xoá đi sự sợ hãi ám ảnh đó.
Dù vậy, bất cứ quyết định nào, cho dù là tình thương, cũng có cái giá phải trả, đôi khi quá muộn để kéo lại những mạng sống. Điều ta có thể làm chỉ có thể là cố gắng đừng để bản thân bị cuốn đi bởi sự đen tối của ganh tỵ và sân si, mà nếu phạm phải, nên chấp nhận sửa ngay lúc ấy; trước khi mọi việc đi quá xa đến mức ta không còn kiểm soát nổi.
Đôi chỗ hơi loãng không khí trong truyện vì tác giả muốn nối tiếp câu chuyện về nhân vật điều tra viên Kaga vốn đã xuất hiện ở quyển “Ác ý”. Và tính cách nhân vật này vẫn chưa hẳn nổi bật. Vì vậy, mình cho 3/5.
