'Detective Galileo' is actually not a part of any police force. Instead, he is a physics professor with an incredibly quick mind. His deductive powers could be compared to Poirot's. His good friend, DCI Kusanagi with the Homicide Division of the Tokyo police has drawn on Professor Yukawa's skill set before.
Two young girls have been murdered decades apart. What they have in common is the suspect - and the investigator. DCI Kusangi worked the historical case and is determined to solve this latest.
There are many players in Silent Parade and I was appreciative of the list of characters at the beginning of the book. I liked the enigmatic style of Professor Yukawa and the dogged determination of DCI Kusanagi. The family of the missing girl were very well drawn. The supporting cast is detailed enough to make each of them a suspect.
Higashino's plotting is detailed, intricate and downright devious. Just when I thought had things figured out, he upended all my suppositions and the investigation headed in a different direction. This happened more than once - and I loved it! Higasino is a clever, clever writer.
I enjoyed learning more about everyday life, social mores and celebrations in and of the Japanese culture, as well as the legal system. Giles Murray was the translator and did a fantastic job. The prose never felt wooden or awkward at all. I enjoyed the pacing of the book as well - a slow burner that lets you become immersed in the tale.
I would absolutely read the next book from Higashino. See for yourself - read an excerpt of Silent Parade.
4 comments:
This sounds very interesting Luanne. Always enjoy a clever plot. Hehheh
You mentioned that this could be read as a standalone, is this one better than the prior books or should I start with the first?
Cheers!
Hi Icewineanne
I think starting at the beginning would give you a better picture of the Professor Galileo character. He's won awards in both the US and Japan and a few more.
I have a quirk - I can't go backwards in a series if I jump in midway, so I wait for the next one instead of reading older titles. Now, there are exceptions of course....
Luanne, I’m feel exactly the same way! If I start a series in the middle, I’ll just plow ahead without going back.
But it looks like the publisher isn’t translating these books in order. The first two haven’t been translated yet, so #3 The Devotion of Suspect X is our first book, then we skip a book & #5 is our second. A little frustrating when publishers do this.
Well, I'm glad I'm not the only one who can't read backlists! Thanks for the info on translations - I agree a bit frustrating. The Devotion of Suspect X was nominated for the 2012 Edgar Award, so I can see why it was translated ahead of others perhaps.
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