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Kyoichiro Kaga #8
Newcomer
Detective Kyoichiro Kaga of the Tokyo Police Department has just been transferred to a new precinct in the Nihonbashi area of Tokyo. Newly arrived, but with a great deal of experience, Kaga is promptly assigned to the team investigating the murder of a woman. But the more he investigates, the greater number of potential suspects emerges. It isn’t long before it seems nearly all the people living and working in the business district of Nihonbashi have a motive for murder. To prevent the murderer from eluding justice, Kaga must unravel all the secrets surrounding a complicated life. Buried somewhere in the woman’s past, in her family history, and the last few days of her life is the clue that will lead to the murderer.
From the international bestseller Keigo Higashino, author of The Devotion of Suspect X, comes one of his finest works of crime fiction yet.
From the international bestseller Keigo Higashino, author of The Devotion of Suspect X, comes one of his finest works of crime fiction yet.
352 pages, Hardcover
First published September 1, 2009
1162 people are currently reading
7816 people want to read
About the author
Keigo Higashino
195 books7,995 followersAssociated Names:
* Keigo Higashino
* 東野 圭吾 (Japanese)
* 東野圭吾 (Traditional Chinese)
* ฮิงาชิโนะ เคโงะ (Thai)
Keigo Higashino (東野 圭吾) is one of the most popular and biggest selling fiction authors in Japan—as well known as James Patterson, Dean Koontz or Tom Clancy are in the USA.
Born in Osaka, he started writing novels while still working as an engineer at Nippon Denso Co. (presently DENSO). He won the Edogawa Rampo Prize, which is awarded annually to the finest mystery work, in 1985 for the novel Hōkago (After School) at age 27. Subsequently, he quit his job and started a career as a writer in Tokyo.
In 1999, he won the Mystery Writers of Japan Inc award for the novel Himitsu (The Secret), which was translated into English by Kerim Yasar and published by Vertical under the title of Naoko in 2004. In 2006, he won the 134th Naoki Prize for Yōgisha X no Kenshin. His novels had been nominated five times before winning with this novel.
The Devotion of Suspect X was the second highest selling book in all of Japan— fiction or nonfiction—the year it was published, with over 800,000 copies sold. It won the prestigious Naoki Prize for Best Novel— the Japanese equivalent of the National Book Award and the Man Booker Prize. Made into a motion picture in Japan, The Devotion of Suspect X spent 4 weeks at the top of the box office and was the third highest‐grossing film of the year.
Higashino’s novels have more movie and TV series adaptations than Tom Clancy or Robert Ludlum, and as many as Michael Crichton.
* Keigo Higashino
* 東野 圭吾 (Japanese)
* 東野圭吾 (Traditional Chinese)
* ฮิงาชิโนะ เคโงะ (Thai)
Keigo Higashino (東野 圭吾) is one of the most popular and biggest selling fiction authors in Japan—as well known as James Patterson, Dean Koontz or Tom Clancy are in the USA.
Born in Osaka, he started writing novels while still working as an engineer at Nippon Denso Co. (presently DENSO). He won the Edogawa Rampo Prize, which is awarded annually to the finest mystery work, in 1985 for the novel Hōkago (After School) at age 27. Subsequently, he quit his job and started a career as a writer in Tokyo.
In 1999, he won the Mystery Writers of Japan Inc award for the novel Himitsu (The Secret), which was translated into English by Kerim Yasar and published by Vertical under the title of Naoko in 2004. In 2006, he won the 134th Naoki Prize for Yōgisha X no Kenshin. His novels had been nominated five times before winning with this novel.
The Devotion of Suspect X was the second highest selling book in all of Japan— fiction or nonfiction—the year it was published, with over 800,000 copies sold. It won the prestigious Naoki Prize for Best Novel— the Japanese equivalent of the National Book Award and the Man Booker Prize. Made into a motion picture in Japan, The Devotion of Suspect X spent 4 weeks at the top of the box office and was the third highest‐grossing film of the year.
Higashino’s novels have more movie and TV series adaptations than Tom Clancy or Robert Ludlum, and as many as Michael Crichton.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 2,666 reviews
December 23, 2018
Newcomer by Keigo Higashino, Giles Murray (Translator) is a 2018 Minotaur publication.
A pleasant surprise!
Fans of cozy mysteries or old school detective stories will love this one!!
Detective Kyoichiro Kaga has recently been transferred to the Nihonbashi precinct. He is immediately assigned to solve the murder of a divorced woman with ties to the Nihonbashi business district. To solve the mystery, he must interview people working in the neighborhood, all of whom have secrets, which may be a motive to commit murder.
I get book recommendations from so many sources, I often forget where I discover new books, but I do remember this author and this book series being advertised and promoted by Book Riot.
However, I had a devil of a time locating the first books in the series. Some are translated, some are not. A few are available in the library, but not from this series. So, I finally gave up and took a chance on this one, even though it is the eighth book in the series.
Turns out, this book can easily be read as a stand- alone. Doing a little research, I discovered this series and this author, are wildly popular in Japan. However, I still didn’t quite know what to expect.
Each segment is like a vignette, featuring a specific business owner or workers in Nihonbashi. Each has a connection with the murdered woman, and Kyoichiro Kaga methodically employs the process of elimination until he finally gets to the truth. Each story is compelling in its own way, and the characters all seem to discover a little something about themselves, or others, that gives them a fresh perspective.
I had to adjust to the format just a little, but soon caught on the method the author was using and found myself drawn deeper into the mystery as the story progressed.
Kyoichiro Kaga is very clever, with incredible powers of observation and the ability to draw people out and get them to confide in him. He is a bit like old school detectives, in that way. He’s charming, in a way, but his personality was a little bland. He didn’t have the fussiness of a Hercule Poirot or a dark side like Sherlock Holmes, for example. He needs a little more pizazz, but is otherwise a likeable character.
This clever mystery is centered more around the characterizations and is not in any way graphic or otherwise explicit. This format may appeal to cozy mystery fans as well, although I hate to label it as such due to the image most of us have of contemporary cozies.
All the same, if you like a good mystery solved without lurid details by a detective that uses his powers of deduction, over lab results and modern technologies, you will appreciate this little gem.
I doubt this series has what it takes to make the same impact here in the States as it has in Japan. It might even underwhelm those who balk at mysteries that aren’t action packed or loaded with grit, autopsy reports, and forensic details.
But I really enjoyed this book and found it to be quite interesting and a wonderful change of pace. I enjoyed it enough to add more of these stories into my TBR pile, if and when I can find them. I am especially interested in “The Devotion of Suspect X", a book written by this author, but from a different series. That book was nominated for an Edgar award and the movie version was the third highest grossing film in Japan in 2008.
I think I may have discovered a new author to follow!!
This one gets 4 stars.
A pleasant surprise!
Fans of cozy mysteries or old school detective stories will love this one!!
Detective Kyoichiro Kaga has recently been transferred to the Nihonbashi precinct. He is immediately assigned to solve the murder of a divorced woman with ties to the Nihonbashi business district. To solve the mystery, he must interview people working in the neighborhood, all of whom have secrets, which may be a motive to commit murder.
I get book recommendations from so many sources, I often forget where I discover new books, but I do remember this author and this book series being advertised and promoted by Book Riot.
However, I had a devil of a time locating the first books in the series. Some are translated, some are not. A few are available in the library, but not from this series. So, I finally gave up and took a chance on this one, even though it is the eighth book in the series.
Turns out, this book can easily be read as a stand- alone. Doing a little research, I discovered this series and this author, are wildly popular in Japan. However, I still didn’t quite know what to expect.
Each segment is like a vignette, featuring a specific business owner or workers in Nihonbashi. Each has a connection with the murdered woman, and Kyoichiro Kaga methodically employs the process of elimination until he finally gets to the truth. Each story is compelling in its own way, and the characters all seem to discover a little something about themselves, or others, that gives them a fresh perspective.
I had to adjust to the format just a little, but soon caught on the method the author was using and found myself drawn deeper into the mystery as the story progressed.
Kyoichiro Kaga is very clever, with incredible powers of observation and the ability to draw people out and get them to confide in him. He is a bit like old school detectives, in that way. He’s charming, in a way, but his personality was a little bland. He didn’t have the fussiness of a Hercule Poirot or a dark side like Sherlock Holmes, for example. He needs a little more pizazz, but is otherwise a likeable character.
This clever mystery is centered more around the characterizations and is not in any way graphic or otherwise explicit. This format may appeal to cozy mystery fans as well, although I hate to label it as such due to the image most of us have of contemporary cozies.
All the same, if you like a good mystery solved without lurid details by a detective that uses his powers of deduction, over lab results and modern technologies, you will appreciate this little gem.
I doubt this series has what it takes to make the same impact here in the States as it has in Japan. It might even underwhelm those who balk at mysteries that aren’t action packed or loaded with grit, autopsy reports, and forensic details.
But I really enjoyed this book and found it to be quite interesting and a wonderful change of pace. I enjoyed it enough to add more of these stories into my TBR pile, if and when I can find them. I am especially interested in “The Devotion of Suspect X", a book written by this author, but from a different series. That book was nominated for an Edgar award and the movie version was the third highest grossing film in Japan in 2008.
I think I may have discovered a new author to follow!!
This one gets 4 stars.
July 31, 2023
This time the protagonist is Detective Kyochiro Kaga.
A murder case involved a woman in Tokyo.
During the investigation of this case, a lot of twists and turns, and I am kept guessing until the very end.
The author's writing of this novel is clear and engaging.
Part of the family love was poignant and touching.
I will read his other books soon.
A murder case involved a woman in Tokyo.
During the investigation of this case, a lot of twists and turns, and I am kept guessing until the very end.
The author's writing of this novel is clear and engaging.
Part of the family love was poignant and touching.
I will read his other books soon.
November 20, 2018
Newcomer is a translated Japanese murder mystery. It is the 8th in the series, but doesn’t matter if you start here as the main character, Sergeant Kyochiro Kaga, is new to the Tokyo police force. Kaga is assigned a murder case about a 45 year old divorced woman. His style is like that of Colombo - kind and a bit bumbling while interviewing the many suspects and coming back on numerous occasions to ask additional questions.
This book is a whodunnit. A character driven, cozy mystery more like Agatha Christie. If you prefer a murder mystery that is fast paced and dark, like I do, this book isn’t for you.
3 out of 5 stars
Many thanks to NetGalley and St. Martin’s Press for the opportunity to give an honest review for the ARC.
Publication date - November 20, 2018
This book is a whodunnit. A character driven, cozy mystery more like Agatha Christie. If you prefer a murder mystery that is fast paced and dark, like I do, this book isn’t for you.
3 out of 5 stars
Many thanks to NetGalley and St. Martin’s Press for the opportunity to give an honest review for the ARC.
Publication date - November 20, 2018
August 18, 2023
In each Higashino Sgt. Kaga mystery I've read, he's done something quite unique, and in Newcomer, he surprised me again with his unusual approach to the mystery of a strangled woman. One of the conceits of the story is that Sgt. Kaga is new to the Nihonbashi district, which apparently resembles "old" Tokyo; as he goes into different shops and houses, the reader gets the feel for a distinct place and time. Much like Miss Marple going to visit Dottie Bantry for tea and stopping to talk with Bert the gardener on the way, this is as much a slice-of-life as it is mystery.
The book is broken up into a series of nine chapters, eight of them focused on a cluster of interviewees related by household or shop, such as 'The Girl at the Rice Cracker Shop,' 'The Apprentice at the Japanese Restaurant,' and 'The Daughter-in-Law of the China Shop." The stores are quiet businesses, family-run, often with the family living in back or upstairs of the shops.
There's a cast of dramatic personae at the beginning, which was much appreciated by the end. There's a wide group of people involved, and it is interesting to see their reactions to the police investigation, wondering what is going on, and how their information will be used. It's also interesting as a reader to be playing detective and wondering where people are being inaccurate or fudging the truth. However, after the third chapter or so, it's clear that the author has something other than just slight-of-hand in mind. I won't spoil the approach he took, except to say that I especially appreciated it in context of a particularly brutal and anti-heroic time in literature.
If you are looking for something outside the normal noir or humorous mystery, perhaps something along the lines of a Japanese Miss Marple in modern-retro Japan, Lt. Kaga is the way to go.
Three-and-a-half cups of tea, rounding up for the feels.
The book is broken up into a series of nine chapters, eight of them focused on a cluster of interviewees related by household or shop, such as 'The Girl at the Rice Cracker Shop,' 'The Apprentice at the Japanese Restaurant,' and 'The Daughter-in-Law of the China Shop." The stores are quiet businesses, family-run, often with the family living in back or upstairs of the shops.
There's a cast of dramatic personae at the beginning, which was much appreciated by the end. There's a wide group of people involved, and it is interesting to see their reactions to the police investigation, wondering what is going on, and how their information will be used. It's also interesting as a reader to be playing detective and wondering where people are being inaccurate or fudging the truth. However, after the third chapter or so, it's clear that the author has something other than just slight-of-hand in mind. I won't spoil the approach he took, except to say that I especially appreciated it in context of a particularly brutal and anti-heroic time in literature.
If you are looking for something outside the normal noir or humorous mystery, perhaps something along the lines of a Japanese Miss Marple in modern-retro Japan, Lt. Kaga is the way to go.
Three-and-a-half cups of tea, rounding up for the feels.
November 3, 2018
This is beautifully written, character driven translated Japanese crime fiction by Keigo Higashino featuring the razor sharp Sergeant Kyochiro Kaga, the eponymous Newcomer, recent arrival to Tokyo as a precinct detective. This is the 8th in the series, but it worked just fine as a standalone for me. In the district of Kodenmacho, a 45 year old divorced woman, Mineko Mitsui, has been discovered murdered in her apartment, strangled to death. No-one knows why she moved to the area, but she has been working as a translator with her friend, who found her body. If you are looking for a fast paced read, full of tension and suspense, then this is not for you. However, if you enjoy smart and intelligent crime fiction that is more cerebral, then this will definitely appeal.
The gentle, compassionate yet determined and steely Kaga works his way through a host of suspects in the business district of Nihonbashi. There is the insurance salesman, the odd instance of a wasabi spiked snack cake, a missing cell phone, the purchase of new kitchen scissors and chopsticks, a clock shop, a pastry shop and a china store. There are the rumours of a private secretary serving as a mistress and employed by Naohuso, Mineko's ex-husband, and the couple's estranged son, Koki, aiming to be a actor. As Kaga delves into the life of the murder victim, he unearths a case of mistaken identity and encounters the riddle of the strings of a spinning top. Kaga is a detective that impresses, understanding peoples foibles and the need to deceive in certain situations, and his astuteness does not go unnoticed by those he comes into contact with, although it takes a while for Detective Uesugi to cotton on just how deep Kaga's investigations go.
This is crime fiction with plenty of charm and intrigue, as well as providing insights into Japanese culture and the city of Tokyo. For me, I loved the way the author made the host of diverse and wide ranging characters come alive as distinct personalities with their own dramas. Sergeant Kaga makes an appealing central character, a tremendous judge of character, a man who insists on getting to the truth of the matter, even when it comes to identifying the true motives of the killer rather than accepting at face value what is said. The only flaw is that we get to know so little about Kaga himself, who he is, his background and his personal life. If you fancy some offbeat crime fiction that is entertaining and gripping, then this is for you. Many thanks to Little, Brown for an ARC.
The gentle, compassionate yet determined and steely Kaga works his way through a host of suspects in the business district of Nihonbashi. There is the insurance salesman, the odd instance of a wasabi spiked snack cake, a missing cell phone, the purchase of new kitchen scissors and chopsticks, a clock shop, a pastry shop and a china store. There are the rumours of a private secretary serving as a mistress and employed by Naohuso, Mineko's ex-husband, and the couple's estranged son, Koki, aiming to be a actor. As Kaga delves into the life of the murder victim, he unearths a case of mistaken identity and encounters the riddle of the strings of a spinning top. Kaga is a detective that impresses, understanding peoples foibles and the need to deceive in certain situations, and his astuteness does not go unnoticed by those he comes into contact with, although it takes a while for Detective Uesugi to cotton on just how deep Kaga's investigations go.
This is crime fiction with plenty of charm and intrigue, as well as providing insights into Japanese culture and the city of Tokyo. For me, I loved the way the author made the host of diverse and wide ranging characters come alive as distinct personalities with their own dramas. Sergeant Kaga makes an appealing central character, a tremendous judge of character, a man who insists on getting to the truth of the matter, even when it comes to identifying the true motives of the killer rather than accepting at face value what is said. The only flaw is that we get to know so little about Kaga himself, who he is, his background and his personal life. If you fancy some offbeat crime fiction that is entertaining and gripping, then this is for you. Many thanks to Little, Brown for an ARC.
December 24, 2018
Newcomer is the seventh Higashino novel I've read and it was the perfect book at the perfect moment. Note that Higashino's novels are being translated into English in a seemingly haphazard fashion, so mystery readers compelled to read series in order must take a shot of their favorite beverage (or take any other action that works to calm one's nerves) and get over that compulsion. Yes, Newcomer is book 8 in the Detective Kaga series, but it's truly a standalone in every way.
Things you won't find and won't miss: Kaga has no back-story or even current-story. We know nothing about him other than the conclusions we draw from what he says to various characters and colleagues. No tension with a know-it-all supervisor. No unhappy divorce or custody battle. No substance abuse problem. No decades-old buddy-ship with a partner. He just does his job - solves the mystery of who killed the victim - and that's all folks. Pure bliss if you read a lot of contemporary mystery novels and, on occasion, roll your eyes at the amount of space occupied by all of the foregoing and tap your fingers impatiently waiting for the author to return to the main event - the mystery.
Higashino introduces us to a couple of dozen characters, unrelated to one another and in different neighborhoods, and developing them sufficiently with a minimum of context. (Thank goodness for the character list at the beginning.) He solved for the problem of having the detective spend half of the book traveling from one place and one witness to another. Kaga was simply in the next place - not magically, but efficiently. In other words, if you like your mysteries without any extra words or unrelated distractions, you'll be delighted.
One minor disappointment, however. This is the first Higashino novel I've read which takes the form of a traditional whodunnit. Part of what remains fresh and original about The Devotion of Suspect X, Salvation of a Saint, Journey Under the Midnight Sun et al. is that the reader knows who killed the victim/s, but is compelled to solve the puzzle of how he/she pulled off both the crime/s and the lack of evidence revealing the criminal to the authorities. Newcomer, on the other hand, represents a very good execution of the same plot as a ton of other mystery novels out there, a whodunnit, although Higashino's approach is several cuts above the majority of others.
For most mystery readers, there's nothing disappointing about a well-done murder mystery and I recommend Newcomer highly. For Higashino fans, Newcomer is unlikely to be your favorite, but it's decidedly a must-read and a solid entrant.
Thanks to NetGalley and St. Martin's Press for providing a free e-copy.
Things you won't find and won't miss: Kaga has no back-story or even current-story. We know nothing about him other than the conclusions we draw from what he says to various characters and colleagues. No tension with a know-it-all supervisor. No unhappy divorce or custody battle. No substance abuse problem. No decades-old buddy-ship with a partner. He just does his job - solves the mystery of who killed the victim - and that's all folks. Pure bliss if you read a lot of contemporary mystery novels and, on occasion, roll your eyes at the amount of space occupied by all of the foregoing and tap your fingers impatiently waiting for the author to return to the main event - the mystery.
Higashino introduces us to a couple of dozen characters, unrelated to one another and in different neighborhoods, and developing them sufficiently with a minimum of context. (Thank goodness for the character list at the beginning.) He solved for the problem of having the detective spend half of the book traveling from one place and one witness to another. Kaga was simply in the next place - not magically, but efficiently. In other words, if you like your mysteries without any extra words or unrelated distractions, you'll be delighted.
One minor disappointment, however. This is the first Higashino novel I've read which takes the form of a traditional whodunnit. Part of what remains fresh and original about The Devotion of Suspect X, Salvation of a Saint, Journey Under the Midnight Sun et al. is that the reader knows who killed the victim/s, but is compelled to solve the puzzle of how he/she pulled off both the crime/s and the lack of evidence revealing the criminal to the authorities. Newcomer, on the other hand, represents a very good execution of the same plot as a ton of other mystery novels out there, a whodunnit, although Higashino's approach is several cuts above the majority of others.
For most mystery readers, there's nothing disappointing about a well-done murder mystery and I recommend Newcomer highly. For Higashino fans, Newcomer is unlikely to be your favorite, but it's decidedly a must-read and a solid entrant.
Thanks to NetGalley and St. Martin's Press for providing a free e-copy.
October 15, 2018
3.5 rounded up. Newcomer refers to the detective who is new in town and trying to solve the case of the murder of a forty-five-year-old divorced woman. If you like traditional, non-gory mysteries, you’ll like this story. In many detective novels, the cops have a grim, gritty disposition and possibly a drinking problem. Sergeant Kaga is downright friendly as he goes from shop to shop looking for small clues.
It turns out I’m not a huge fan of traditional, non-gory mysteries with affable detectives collecting evidence, but what made this novel not amazingly awesome to me was how many clichés there were. I’m sure it’s a function of translating from Japanese—I suspect that language also has clichés, but my guess is that they are different than those we English speakers sometimes use, and this translation abounds with them.
However, if you can ignore the clichés and like sweet (for a murder mystery) novels, you’ll enjoy Newcomer, which RELEASES NOVEMBER 20, 2018. Thanks so much to NetGalley and St. Martin’s Press for the opportunity to review this novel.
For more reviews, please visit: http://www.theresaalan.net/blog
It turns out I’m not a huge fan of traditional, non-gory mysteries with affable detectives collecting evidence, but what made this novel not amazingly awesome to me was how many clichés there were. I’m sure it’s a function of translating from Japanese—I suspect that language also has clichés, but my guess is that they are different than those we English speakers sometimes use, and this translation abounds with them.
However, if you can ignore the clichés and like sweet (for a murder mystery) novels, you’ll enjoy Newcomer, which RELEASES NOVEMBER 20, 2018. Thanks so much to NetGalley and St. Martin’s Press for the opportunity to review this novel.
For more reviews, please visit: http://www.theresaalan.net/blog
May 21, 2021
I went into this blind but I really enjoyed this😁
June 13, 2023
Liked the storytelling. Small stories to omit out the suspects one by one. Everyone got their happy endings. And by the time final story arrived it was so sudden to believe.
I loved how the detective worked on each and every person, and I as a reader found myself immersed in each of them.
I loved how the detective worked on each and every person, and I as a reader found myself immersed in each of them.
October 29, 2024
Somebody call that bitch Anthony Horowitz and show him how this, this is how you write an unconventional mystery. In Newcomer, we catch up with Detective Kaga since the mystery of Malice. A lovely little mystery set in 90s Japan. However, it lacked a certain je ne sais quoi that I really missed. Like food without enough salt. In this book, it's like Higashino-san looked into my thoughts and said, "Bet."
Newcomer is written in a series of vignettes where the main mystery is fully realised through the accounts of different people who live in the periphery of the victim. Detective Kaga has just been transferred to the Tokyo Municipal Police and this has rubbed some of his colleagues the wrong way. They're complacent, borderline lazy, eager to follow direct instructions and look no further into anything.
Hayatake Torakichi, The Met
In book 1 (for the English translations), Kaga was nondescript, a note in the margins. Here he's chock full of personality. A delightful, affable man whose age changes depending on who is perceiving him. I love him. However, in book 1, his final reveal comes after traitorous and chicanerous short-hand notes. I was denied the dance of the canvassing. Mysteries have this delightful way of bringing out the most colourful characters to create a spectrum that sheds light on the perpetrator. When Malice denied me that, I damn near cried. When it happened in Magpie Murders by the aforementioned bitch, I wanted to do murder. (Ps. I call him a bitch because he said that Idris Elba is too "street" to play James Bond. And we all know what "street" stands for, don't we ladies and the rest of you.) But Newcomer scratches that itch bringing me to literary satisfaction I haven't felt since Christie's magnum opus. Opuses. Opi?
In Newcomer, Kaga retraces the steps of his new coworkers, following up on the most minuscule detail and helping perform restorative justice for broken families, overlooked hotel workers, an unheard daughter-in-law. We meet all kinds of interesting characters from rice cake shop owners to insurance adjusters to individuals who sell old-fashioned Japanese toys. There's a certain care in the details, as though this book is a love letter to Nihonbashi, Tokyo.
At its core, this book isn't just a crime detective novel. It's about family and the roles we play in protecting those we have loved or wronged. It's about the wrong ways we show love. This book doesn't shy away from showing the uglier side of kindness. Where the wrong kind of generosity has fatal consequences. I thought I knew who the murderer was but Higashino-san pulled a blinder on me and I have never been more delighted to be wrong.
Find my review for Book 1 here
Audio narration: 5 stars
Newcomer is written in a series of vignettes where the main mystery is fully realised through the accounts of different people who live in the periphery of the victim. Detective Kaga has just been transferred to the Tokyo Municipal Police and this has rubbed some of his colleagues the wrong way. They're complacent, borderline lazy, eager to follow direct instructions and look no further into anything.
Hayatake Torakichi, The Met
In book 1 (for the English translations), Kaga was nondescript, a note in the margins. Here he's chock full of personality. A delightful, affable man whose age changes depending on who is perceiving him. I love him. However, in book 1, his final reveal comes after traitorous and chicanerous short-hand notes. I was denied the dance of the canvassing. Mysteries have this delightful way of bringing out the most colourful characters to create a spectrum that sheds light on the perpetrator. When Malice denied me that, I damn near cried. When it happened in Magpie Murders by the aforementioned bitch, I wanted to do murder. (Ps. I call him a bitch because he said that Idris Elba is too "street" to play James Bond. And we all know what "street" stands for, don't we ladies and the rest of you.) But Newcomer scratches that itch bringing me to literary satisfaction I haven't felt since Christie's magnum opus. Opuses. Opi?
In Newcomer, Kaga retraces the steps of his new coworkers, following up on the most minuscule detail and helping perform restorative justice for broken families, overlooked hotel workers, an unheard daughter-in-law. We meet all kinds of interesting characters from rice cake shop owners to insurance adjusters to individuals who sell old-fashioned Japanese toys. There's a certain care in the details, as though this book is a love letter to Nihonbashi, Tokyo.
At its core, this book isn't just a crime detective novel. It's about family and the roles we play in protecting those we have loved or wronged. It's about the wrong ways we show love. This book doesn't shy away from showing the uglier side of kindness. Where the wrong kind of generosity has fatal consequences. I thought I knew who the murderer was but Higashino-san pulled a blinder on me and I have never been more delighted to be wrong.
Find my review for Book 1 here
Audio narration: 5 stars
December 17, 2023
3.5 stars
In this 2nd book (that's been translated into English) in the 'Detective Kaga' series, the Tokyo homicide cop investigates the murder of a woman. The book can be read as a standalone.
*****
When a middle-aged woman named Mineko Mitsui is murdered in her apartment in the Kodenmacho district of Tokyo, homicide detective Kyoichiro Kaga - a newcomer to the local precinct - uses his Sherlockian skills to track down the killer.
Rather than zero in directly on the victim, Kaga starts by investigating oddities surrounding the case. These issues are connected to people who knew Mitsui, and specialty shops in the nearby Nihonbashi neighborhood. Thus Kaga interviews people and visits stores, day after day, to look into the following:
- The movements of Mitsui's insurance agent, Mr. Takura, who visited her on the day of the murder. Mr. Takura stopped at a rice cracker shop on his way to Kodenmacho, but the timeline of his movements doesn't add up, and Kaga has to figure out why.
- Ten snack cakes were found in Mitsui's apartment, seven with sweet bean paste filling and three without. One of the cakes had been doctored, and Kaga has to find out where the cakes were bought, who tampered with them, and why.
- Mitsui had recently purchased an expensive new pair of kitchen scissors from a cutlery shop, though she already had a serviceable pair of kitchen shears. Kaga needs to solve the puzzle of the second scissors.
- The owner of a clock repair shop, called Mr. Terada, would take his dog for a walk at 5:30 every afternoon. Mitsui often went out at the same time, and the two pedestrians would pass one another and nod hello. Mr. Terada seems to be mistaken about exactly where he saw Mitsui on the day of the murder, and Kaga needs to find out why.
- Mitsui would stop by a pastry shop every evening, where she would purchase cream puffs, her favorite sweets. Mitsui usually exchanged a few pleasantries with the bakery clerk, and even gave the girl a small 'good luck' gift. Kaga visits the pastry shop to speak to the girl.
- Mitsui was estranged from her twenty-year-old son Koki - an aspiring actor, and divorced from Koki's father Naohiro - a businessman. Though mother and son hadn't spoken in years, Mitsui moved to Koki's Kodenmacho neighborhood without informing her offspring - perhaps hoping to make amends.
Mitsui was also seeking to redraft her divorce settlement with Naohiro, in an effort to get more money.
Kaga looks into these matters.
- Mitsui had recently become reacquainted with an old college friend named Tamiko Yoshioka, who worked as a translator.
In college, Mitsui had also hoped to become a translator, and Tamiko promised to help Mitsui get translation work and get on her feet financially. Then Tamiko's situation changed, and she was planning to move away.....causing friction between the women. Kaga investigates this.
- Kaga visits the home of a young married couple, Reiko and Katsuya Kishida, who have a very lavish lifestyle.
The couple's little boy was recently gifted with a wooden top by his grandfather - who happens to be the business accountant for Mitsui's ex-husband. The wooden top doesn't work properly, and Kaga visits shops that sell these toys.
In the course of his investigation, Kaga gathers information and meets a wide variety of people - including store owners, shop employees, husbands, wives, in-laws, mothers, fathers, grandmothers, granddaughters, and so on. Many of these characters have secrets - some big, some small - that come to light along the way.....and some of them are very surprising.
The author artfully connects what, at first, seems to be a series of disparate events into a unified whole.....from which the murderer emerges.
I enjoyed the book and recommend it to fans of unusual mysteries.
You can follow my reviews at https://reviewsbybarbsaffer.blogspot....
April 6, 2023
হিগাশিনোর গল্পগুলোর মধ্যে আমার সবচেয়ে পছন্দের বিষয় হচ্ছে বৈচিত্রতা। এমনকি গল্প বলার ঢং এবং প্লটেও বিস্তর ফারাক। তাদের মধ্যে সবচেয়ে অন্যরকম হচ্ছে নিউকামার। প্রতিটা অধ্যায়ই যেন আলাদা আলাদা একটা ছোটগল্প, আবার প্রতিটা অধ্যায়েই রয়েছে ছোট ছোট রহস্যের সমাধান। প্রথমে মনে হতে পারে এসবের সাথে মূল রহস্যের হয়তো কোন সম্পর্ক নেই। কিন্তু শেষ অধ্যায়ে আবারো নিজের জাত চেনালেন হিগাশিনো। নিহনবাশির নবাগত ডিটেকটিভ কিয়োচিরো কাগাকে কেন মডার্ন ডে পোয়ারো বলা হয়, সেই প্রমাণ আবারো পেলাম।
May 22, 2023
"নিউকামার" একটা ক্রাইম থ্রিলার নভেল হলেও, বইয়ের একেকটা অধ্যায় একেকটা আলাদা ছোট গল্পের স্বাদ দেয়। সেই আলাদা গল্পগুলোতে যেমন রয়েছে স্বতন্ত্র রহস্যের সমাধান, তেমনই উপস্থিত মানবিক আখ্যান। হিগাশিনোর অন্য বইগুলোর মতোই নিউকামারে টানটান উত্তেজনা নেই, ধুমধাড়াক্কা একশন/এডভেঞ্চার নেই। তবুও এক প্রচ্ছন্ন রহস্যের আবেশে পৃষ্ঠা উল্টে যেতে হয় দ্রুতবেগে। শেষে এসে আবারও থমকাতে হয়, ভাবতে হয় নতুন করে।
সালমান হক এবং ইশরাক অর্ণবের চমৎকার অনুবাদে বই পড়ার আনন্দ বেড়েছে বহুগুণ।
তবে কেইগো হিগাশিনো পড়ে পড়েই সম্ভবত অন্যান্য "গতানুগতিক" মার্ডার মিস্ট্রি পানসে লাগতে শুরু করেছে ইদানীং!
সালমান হক এবং ইশরাক অর্ণবের চমৎকার অনুবাদে বই পড়ার আনন্দ বেড়েছে বহুগুণ।
তবে কেইগো হিগাশিনো পড়ে পড়েই সম্ভবত অন্যান্য "গতানুগতিক" মার্ডার মিস্ট্রি পানসে লাগতে শুরু করেছে ইদানীং!
July 8, 2023
4.5
Thanh tra Kaga bắt đầu điều tra vụ sát hại một người phụ nữ tại Nihonbashi, nạn nhân là một người đã ly hôn và vừa mới chuyển đến sống tại Nihonbashi.
Ban đầu với mình thì nhịp truyện khá chậm, và có lẽ sẽ chán-với-một-vài-người. Nhưng sau khi dần quen với cách điều tra thì mình bắt đầu có hứng thú hơn cũng như ý nghĩa của nó. Qua từng trang sách là quá trình điều tra về cuộc sống xung quanh nạn nhân - những thói quen sinh hoạt hằng ngày. Không chỉ vậy, từng chương sách là những câu chuyện khác nhau của những gia đình ở Nihonbashi, mình được thấy những vấn đề khác nhau trong mỗi gia đình đó - sau khi hoàn thành từng chương chúng đều khiến mình cảm thấy ấm áp.
Sau khi dần bóc tách các mối quan hệ xung quanh nạn nhân, cũng như động cơ và bằng chứng ngoại phạm của những người có liên quan thì hung thủ cũng lộ diện. Và ở phần cuối, câu chuyện của hung thủ cùng một nhân vật khác được kết nối khiến mình chạnh lòng.
Một Kaga thú vị và tuyệt vời, với cách điều tra mang đến cảm giác nhẹ nhàng và gần gũi. Và đặc biệt là mình được biết thêm về "chuyện tình" của Kaga dù nó không được đề cập chi tiết, có lẽ đã kết thúc chăng? (ಠ_ಠ) 沉睡的森林
Thanh tra Kaga bắt đầu điều tra vụ sát hại một người phụ nữ tại Nihonbashi, nạn nhân là một người đã ly hôn và vừa mới chuyển đến sống tại Nihonbashi.
Ban đầu với mình thì nhịp truyện khá chậm, và có lẽ sẽ chán-với-một-vài-người. Nhưng sau khi dần quen với cách điều tra thì mình bắt đầu có hứng thú hơn cũng như ý nghĩa của nó. Qua từng trang sách là quá trình điều tra về cuộc sống xung quanh nạn nhân - những thói quen sinh hoạt hằng ngày. Không chỉ vậy, từng chương sách là những câu chuyện khác nhau của những gia đình ở Nihonbashi, mình được thấy những vấn đề khác nhau trong mỗi gia đình đó - sau khi hoàn thành từng chương chúng đều khiến mình cảm thấy ấm áp.
Sau khi dần bóc tách các mối quan hệ xung quanh nạn nhân, cũng như động cơ và bằng chứng ngoại phạm của những người có liên quan thì hung thủ cũng lộ diện. Và ở phần cuối, câu chuyện của hung thủ cùng một nhân vật khác được kết nối khiến mình chạnh lòng.
Một Kaga thú vị và tuyệt vời, với cách điều tra mang đến cảm giác nhẹ nhàng và gần gũi. Và đặc biệt là mình được biết thêm về "chuyện tình" của Kaga dù nó không được đề cập chi tiết, có lẽ đã kết thúc chăng? (ಠ_ಠ) 沉睡的森林
March 13, 2019
‘Newcomer’ revolves around the murder of a middle-aged woman living in Nihonbashi area of Tokyo. The newly arrived detective, Kyochiro Kaga, is assigned to the case. The detective soon discovers that there are many people all over the town who, in one way or another, are linked to the victim or the incident. So, he goes on interviewing the suspects to figure out their role in the murder mystery.
This is a traditional whodunnit thriller. There are a lot of characters involved and I’m glad there’s a list of cast given in the beginning, otherwise recalling the names would’ve been painful! This was more of a laid back, comfortable mystery as it’s mostly focused on the lives of the suspects than the actual murder. Kaga goes on to learn more about the murder but discovers harmless skeletons in their closet and helps them solves their problems.
“People who’ve been traumatized by a crime are victims, too. Finding ways to comfort them is also part of my job.”
I loved the sweet and quirky personality of Kaga and I had fun delving into the domestic mysteries of the people’s lives and how they were connected to the murder. The book wasn’t much suspenseful and I wasn’t blown away by the ending, but I enjoyed reading the story. It’s always entertaining to read the mystery unravel due to the detective’s sharp observational skills and power of deduction.
If you don’t mind a cozy mystery, then go for it!
Read On Blog
This is a traditional whodunnit thriller. There are a lot of characters involved and I’m glad there’s a list of cast given in the beginning, otherwise recalling the names would’ve been painful! This was more of a laid back, comfortable mystery as it’s mostly focused on the lives of the suspects than the actual murder. Kaga goes on to learn more about the murder but discovers harmless skeletons in their closet and helps them solves their problems.
“People who’ve been traumatized by a crime are victims, too. Finding ways to comfort them is also part of my job.”
I loved the sweet and quirky personality of Kaga and I had fun delving into the domestic mysteries of the people’s lives and how they were connected to the murder. The book wasn’t much suspenseful and I wasn’t blown away by the ending, but I enjoyed reading the story. It’s always entertaining to read the mystery unravel due to the detective’s sharp observational skills and power of deduction.
If you don’t mind a cozy mystery, then go for it!
Read On Blog
Read
March 16, 2021Enjoyable, unusually structured detective story in which we see the investigation from the perspectives of a series of witnesses and bystanders, each of whom inadvertently supplies pieces of the puzzle. Meanwhile the reader is piecing together what the police are actually investigating. Clever and intriguing, with a lovely old-Tokyo setting and an endearing detective. Translation is a bit clunky but I'm liking this author a lot.
December 4, 2018
Detective Kaga is newly assigned to the Nihonbashi Precinct. His first case is investigating the strangulation of a 45 year old divorced woman. There was an ever-widening group of suspects and witnesses to question. So many that the author had to include a cast of characters at the beginning of the book. Kaga is kindly and unobtrusive, but also deceptively shrewd and perceptive. He’s sort of a cross between Colombo and Miss Marple. From the description of the book I wasn’t expecting a cosy mystery, but that’s what this book is. Kaga not only solves the murder but ferrets out all of the secrets of the suspects and tweets their lives, leaving everyone except the murderer in a better place. Cosy mysteries are not my favorite genre, but this one held my interest and I would read more by this author. This book is part of a series but works as a standalone.
I received a free copy of this book from the publisher.
I received a free copy of this book from the publisher.
December 7, 2023
এ এক অন্য হিগাশিনো!
প্রায় প্রতিটা অধ্যায়ে নতুন একটা গল্প আবার সবগুলো গল্প মিলে কাগা সমাধান করছে এক খুনের রহস্যের। লেখকের চিরাচরিত মাথা ঘুরিয়ে দেওয়া টুইস্ট গল্পে নেই। আছে প্রায় অদৃশ্য সব সূত্র খুঁজে বের করে, বিভিন্ন সূত্রের মধ্যে যোগসূত্র স্থাপন করে কাগার বুদ্ধিদীপ্ত সমাধান (যা চমকে দেয় না কিন্তু সমীহ জাগায়।) সেইসাথে "নিউকামার" মানবিক আখ্যান। মুখে হাসি ফুটিয়ে তোলার মতো বেশকিছু মুহূর্ত আছে বইতে। সব মিলিয়ে, "নিউকামার" এর কথা বহুদিন মনে থাকবে।
প্রায় প্রতিটা অধ্যায়ে নতুন একটা গল্প আবার সবগুলো গল্প মিলে কাগা সমাধান করছে এক খুনের রহস্যের। লেখকের চিরাচরিত মাথা ঘুরিয়ে দেওয়া টুইস্ট গল্পে নেই। আছে প্রায় অদৃশ্য সব সূত্র খুঁজে বের করে, বিভিন্ন সূত্রের মধ্যে যোগসূত্র স্থাপন করে কাগার বুদ্ধিদীপ্ত সমাধান (যা চমকে দেয় না কিন্তু সমীহ জাগায়।) সেইসাথে "নিউকামার" মানবিক আখ্যান। মুখে হাসি ফুটিয়ে তোলার মতো বেশকিছু মুহূর্ত আছে বইতে। সব মিলিয়ে, "নিউকামার" এর কথা বহুদিন মনে থাকবে।
July 8, 2023
I've never read a mystery novel like this one. I've never read about such a detective like detective Kaga is. But I know is that I would definitely like to read more about him.
November 6, 2018
I wonder if Keigo Higashino walks all over the Tokyo brooding about random people, fitting in six W's and police terms, alibis, motives, timelines and everything. I guess he has written it all, whodunits, howdunits, whydunits, whendunits, wheredunits, did-he-dun-its. Newcomer falls under typical whodunit. For a mystery book, keeping the reader actually giving a crap for the characters is more important than plot and suspense and all that. Newcomer does keep the reader guessing and anticipating, but it just lacks the essence of his previous books and fails to meet those standards he'd set. I've basically read all his translated works in English except Naoko and if I've to rank, this one would take the last place after the name of the game is kidnapping. Nevertheless, I'd rate it four stars. Not a single word is wasted, as always. Kaga series has ten books so far, but unfortunately only two of them have been translated, the other one from the series translated to English being Malice.
I got into reading books because of Higashino, DOSX was only the second book which I ever read and then I went on a Higashino marathon. So if I ever learn Japanese, I'll probably read all of his works even though cozy mysteries aren't my thing (I don't even dig Agatha Christie's books).
As of plot, the book starts with the murder of a widowed woman followed by a series of chapters of random people— neutral third person writing— which all makes sense at the end, concluding the book. The book has character list in the beginning, so I'm not whining about the confusion with Japanese names.
I got into reading books because of Higashino, DOSX was only the second book which I ever read and then I went on a Higashino marathon. So if I ever learn Japanese, I'll probably read all of his works even though cozy mysteries aren't my thing (I don't even dig Agatha Christie's books).
As of plot, the book starts with the murder of a widowed woman followed by a series of chapters of random people— neutral third person writing— which all makes sense at the end, concluding the book. The book has character list in the beginning, so I'm not whining about the confusion with Japanese names.
May 29, 2025
কাগার মতো এমন সামাজিক এবং পরোপকারী গোয়েন্দা পশ্চিমা সাহিত্যে বিরল। তবে বাংলাসাহিত্যে খুব একটা বিরল বলা যাচ্ছে না। মনে পড়ছে হুমায়ূন আহমেদের গল্প উপন্যাসের কিছু পুলিশ অফিসারের কথা। এমনকি আমার নিজের প্রথম উপন্যাসেও একটি পুলিশ চরিত্র ছিল, সে লোকটির কিছু ট্রেইট কাগার ভদ্রতা ও মানবিকতার সাথে মিলে যায়। নিজের লেখা সত্ত্বেও তদন্ত অফিসার এত নম্র ভদ্র মানবিক এ বিষয়টা আমাকে পীড়া দিত, বাস্তব মনে হতো না। হিগাশিনোর নিউকামার ও কাগা আমার জন্য কিছুটা স্বস্তির উপায় করে দিল।
আর দশটা রগরগে বা জমজমাট পুলিশ প্রসিডিওরাল নয়, একে বলা যায় ডোমেস্টিক মিনিমালিস্ট ধাঁচের রহস্য উপন্যাস। বইটা আমার ভালো লেগেছে।
আর দশটা রগরগে বা জমজমাট পুলিশ প্রসিডিওরাল নয়, একে বলা যায় ডোমেস্টিক মিনিমালিস্ট ধাঁচের রহস্য উপন্যাস। বইটা আমার ভালো লেগেছে।
July 26, 2021
رمان خوبی نیست و متاسفانه برای یک داستان معمایی تنها چیزی که نداره معما است.بیشتر شبیهه یک مینی سریال سفارشی برای پر کردن وقت میمونه ، یا اولین اثر یک نویسنده " تازه وارد " در دنیای ادبیات پلیسی.
از هیگاشینو ناامید شدم؟ به هیچ وجه.
اما یک خطر بزرگ برای کسانی داره که ممکن است این اولین اثری باشه که از هیگاشینو میخونن و بالطبع با اثر دندان گیری مواجه نمیشن.پس یک توصیه به آنها میکنم و اینکه هیگاشینو نابغه است و بقیه آثارش درخشان .
از هیگاشینو ناامید شدم؟ به هیچ وجه.
اما یک خطر بزرگ برای کسانی داره که ممکن است این اولین اثری باشه که از هیگاشینو میخونن و بالطبع با اثر دندان گیری مواجه نمیشن.پس یک توصیه به آنها میکنم و اینکه هیگاشینو نابغه است و بقیه آثارش درخشان .
April 29, 2025
3.5 ⭐️
یه مقدار امتیاز دادن به این کتاب برام سخته چون خودِ پرونده پیچیدگیهای خوب و ارضاکنندهای داشت و مثل همیشه هیگاشینو خیلی اصولی و منطقی به قتل پرداخته بود ولی شیوهی روایت رو نپسندیدم. یعنی انگار پرونده رو از آخر به اول شرح میداد که باعث میشد گیج بشم و متوجه نشم دقیقا کرکترها چه هدف و ارتباطی با هم دارند؛ برای همین نمیتونستم همراه با کاراگاه کاگا پیش برم و پرده از این راز بردارم و همین باعث میشد هیجان اصلی ماجرا رو چندان احساس نکنم.
یه مقدار هم انگیزهی قتل برام قابل توجیه نبود. یعنی خب آره، قاتل میتونه حتی بیدلیل آدم بکشه ولی انتظارم از نویسنده بیشتر بود و دوست داشتم یه دلیل پنهان و پیچیدهتر داشته باشه که شگفتزدهم کنه.
در کل که به عنوان یه کتاب جنایی، خوب بود ولی در مقایسه با کتابهای دیگهی نویسنده اونقدر چنگی به دل نمیزد.
یه مقدار امتیاز دادن به این کتاب برام سخته چون خودِ پرونده پیچیدگیهای خوب و ارضاکنندهای داشت و مثل همیشه هیگاشینو خیلی اصولی و منطقی به قتل پرداخته بود ولی شیوهی روایت رو نپسندیدم. یعنی انگار پرونده رو از آخر به اول شرح میداد که باعث میشد گیج بشم و متوجه نشم دقیقا کرکترها چه هدف و ارتباطی با هم دارند؛ برای همین نمیتونستم همراه با کاراگاه کاگا پیش برم و پرده از این راز بردارم و همین باعث میشد هیجان اصلی ماجرا رو چندان احساس نکنم.
یه مقدار هم انگیزهی قتل برام قابل توجیه نبود. یعنی خب آره، قاتل میتونه حتی بیدلیل آدم بکشه ولی انتظارم از نویسنده بیشتر بود و دوست داشتم یه دلیل پنهان و پیچیدهتر داشته باشه که شگفتزدهم کنه.
در کل که به عنوان یه کتاب جنایی، خوب بود ولی در مقایسه با کتابهای دیگهی نویسنده اونقدر چنگی به دل نمیزد.
April 25, 2024
“Oh, I am investigating the murder; of course I am. But my job as a detective should go beyond that.
People who’ve been traumatized by a crime are victims, too. Finding ways to comfort them is also part of my job.”
This was just lovely (while not being exactly a cozy or trivializing a murder) and so fresh and original. A kind of vignette piece murder mystery, small sections centered about those marginal, the red herrings or witnesses providing clues to a murder in a traditional neighbourhood in Tokyo, all clicking together towards a deeper understanding.
My 4th Higashino novel, and they have all been (3 mysteries and a kind of magic realism story) all different! And all so neatly tied plot wise. I am definitely going to keep reading his books.
This could work very well as a standalone. It says Detective Kaga #2 right there on the title and it is, for english translations, but there are more stories of his not translated, and it's not very important to know his back story.
A warning, or complaint, or recommendation - this gave me tremendous wanderlust, for Tokyo and Japan in general. Like all of Higashino novels I have read, it's very Japanese, full of place and culture and a different cultural way of thinking (which is always relatable and understandable), but this is extra at making you want to go there and eat at those places, eat that food, look at those stores (one day...).
And like his other novels, he is very good at portraying at how a society can be extra hard for the women in it, but also show women having agency, and being happy and his women feel real (an issue I have had with some other japanese popular fiction in translation... cough cough, like time travelling cafés..)
Translation - ah, I have read worse, I have read more fluid ones also. Will do.
Rating - as usual not sure. There are maybe a few too many characters, but it's such an interesting, original idea, story, so full of place and the characters so alive, upping to a 5 (but as always mileage varies, just my own cup of tea).
People who’ve been traumatized by a crime are victims, too. Finding ways to comfort them is also part of my job.”
This was just lovely (while not being exactly a cozy or trivializing a murder) and so fresh and original. A kind of vignette piece murder mystery, small sections centered about those marginal, the red herrings or witnesses providing clues to a murder in a traditional neighbourhood in Tokyo, all clicking together towards a deeper understanding.
My 4th Higashino novel, and they have all been (3 mysteries and a kind of magic realism story) all different! And all so neatly tied plot wise. I am definitely going to keep reading his books.
This could work very well as a standalone. It says Detective Kaga #2 right there on the title and it is, for english translations, but there are more stories of his not translated, and it's not very important to know his back story.
A warning, or complaint, or recommendation - this gave me tremendous wanderlust, for Tokyo and Japan in general. Like all of Higashino novels I have read, it's very Japanese, full of place and culture and a different cultural way of thinking (which is always relatable and understandable), but this is extra at making you want to go there and eat at those places, eat that food, look at those stores (one day...).
And like his other novels, he is very good at portraying at how a society can be extra hard for the women in it, but also show women having agency, and being happy and his women feel real (an issue I have had with some other japanese popular fiction in translation... cough cough, like time travelling cafés..)
Translation - ah, I have read worse, I have read more fluid ones also. Will do.
Rating - as usual not sure. There are maybe a few too many characters, but it's such an interesting, original idea, story, so full of place and the characters so alive, upping to a 5 (but as always mileage varies, just my own cup of tea).
April 7, 2023
যতই দিন যাচ্ছে মডার্ন ডে পোয়ারো কিয়োচিরো কাগার ভক্ত হয়ে যাচ্ছি। ডিটেকটিভ গ্যালিলিও মানাবু ইউকাওয়ার মত পদার্থ বা গণিত নয়, কাগার মূলমন্ত্র খড়কুটো আঁকড়ে ধরে কেসের সমাধান খোঁজ। নিউকামার বইটা সম্পূর্ণই আলাদা ধাঁচের। এই বইয়ের নয়টা অধ্যায়, নয়টা ভিন্ন গল্প তবে নয়টা অধ্যায়ের সব চরিত্রর-ই সমান সম্ভাবনা আছে খুনি হওয়ার। আর প্রত্যেকটি অধ্যায়ের শেষেই একটা একটা করে রহস্য সমাধান করেছে কাগা। যেগুলো শেষে সম্মিলিতভাবে সাহায্য করেছে পুরো কেসটা সুরাহা করতে। ম্যালিসের মত এবার অবশ্য শুরুতেই খুনি কে বুঝতে পারবেন না, শেষ পর্যন্ত অপেক্ষা করতে হবে। অবশ্য খুনি কে জানার পর অবাক না হলেও খুনের কারণ, মোটিভ, ধরন দেখে অবাক হবেন। সবথেকে অবাক হতে হয় কাগা যেভাবে খড়কুটো আঁকড়ে খুনি পর্যন্ত পৌঁছায় সেটা দেখে। নিঃসন্দেহে বাংলাদেশের হিগাশিনো ভক্তদের জন্য আরেকটা ট্রিট হতে যাচ্ছে নিউকামার।
May 22, 2023
কেইগো হিগাশিনোর লেখা এই প্রথম কোনো বই পড়লাম। মানতেই হচ্ছে মানুষ এতো কেনো আগ্রহী হয়ে থাকে হিগাশিনোর নাম শুনলে। দারুণ দক্ষতার সাথে দুর্দান্ত চরিত্রায়নের সাথে প্লট করা হয়েছে। আপনি জানেন না যে খুনি কে সামনে আছে। হিগাশিনো পাঠকের সাথে একটার পর একটা চরিত্র সামনে নিয়ে আসছেন সন্দেহজনক খেলা খেলছিলেন কিন্তু হঠাৎ খেলায় গতির পরিবর্তন করেন ।
কাগা ৪৫ বছর বয়সী বিবাহ বিচ্ছেদের হত্যাকাণ্ডের মধ্যে দিয়ে তার তদন্ত শুরু করে। প্রারম্ভিক অধ্যায় গুলি প্রায় ছোট স্বয়ংসম্পূর্ণ ছোট গল্পের মতো মনে হয়, প্রতিটি হত্যাকাণ্ডের একটি ক্লু (বা একটি অ-ক্লু) দ্বারা পরিচালিত হয় যা কাগাকে অবশ্যই তদন্ত করতে হবে। তাই আমরা আশেপাশের দোকানে কাজ করা লোকজন এবং খুন হওয়া মহিলার সাথে তাদের সম্ভাব্য সংযোগ সম্পর্কে সামান্য গল্প পাই।
প্রতিটি দোকানে কাগার উপস্থিতি হত্যার সাথে কিছু সংযোগ রয়েছে, যদিও কোনটি লাল হেরিং এবং কোনটি বৈধ সূত্র যা আপনাকে আবিষ্কার করতে হবে। এই ক্ষেত্রে, হিগাশিনো সত্যিই আশ্চর্যজনক গভীরতায় প্লট-গঠন করে। তাছাড়া প্রতিটি অধ্যায়ে সমকালীন জনরার একটা ছাপ পেয়েছি আমি। ৩য় অধ্যায়ের পরিণতিটা আমার কাছে অনেক ভালো লেগেছে।
এখন পর্যন্ত যতো মার্ডার মিস্ট্রি পড়েছি তার মধ্যে সবচেয়ে ভিন্ন ছিলো এই বইটা। যতোটা বই পড়েছি সেগুলো সব ছিলো পুলিশ, ডিটেক্টিভ কেন্দ্রিক। সে ক্রাইম সিনে আসবে, পর্যবেক্ষণ করবে, অন্যদের জিজ্ঞাসাবাদ করবে কিন্তু এই বই তা একদম ভিন্ন। এখানে খুন যে এলাকায় হয়েছে তার আশেপাশের সব দোকানগুলোর চরিত্রদের প্রাধান্য দেওয়া হয়েছে। প্রতিটা চরিত্রকে সুন্দর ভাবে ফুটিয়ে তুলেছেন। শুধু তদন্তের কাজে কিরোচিয়ো কাগা কে সাহায্য করা ছাড়াও তাদের নিত্যদিনের জীবন নিয়েও জানতে পেরেছি। একটা খুন হবার পর আশেপাশের মানুষের মাঝে কেমন প্রভাব ফেলে তা অত্যন্ত প্রশংসনীয় ভাবে ফুটিয়ে তুলেছেন হিগাশিনো। শেষের দিকে প্রেডিক্টেবল হলেও সমাপ্তিটা সুন্দর।
হিগাশিনোর বই পড়ার জন্য আরো আগ্রহবোধ করছি।
অনুবাদ নিয়ে নতুন কিছু বলার নেই। সালমান হক ও ইশরাক অর্ণব এই দুই দারুণ অনুবাদকের হাত ধরে বইটা এসেছে। আমি আলাদা করতে পারিনি কে কোন জায়গা অনুবাদ করেছে। দারুণ সাবলীল আর দ্রত গতির ছিলো বইটা। সামনে এই যুগলবন্দীর আরো অনুবাদ চাই।
বইয়ের ফন্ট অন্যান্য বই থেকে ভিন্ন ছিলো আর প্রডাকশন ও ভালো ছিলো। ডাস্ট জ্যাকেট দ্য ক্রসিং বইয়ের যেমন ছিলো তেমন করা হয়েছে। শক্ত কার্ডের মতো। কয়েক জায়গায় বানান ভুল আছে যা আশা করি সামনের এডিশনে ঠিক করা হবে।
কাগা ৪৫ বছর বয়সী বিবাহ বিচ্ছেদের হত্যাকাণ্ডের মধ্যে দিয়ে তার তদন্ত শুরু করে। প্রারম্ভিক অধ্যায় গুলি প্রায় ছোট স্বয়ংসম্পূর্ণ ছোট গল্পের মতো মনে হয়, প্রতিটি হত্যাকাণ্ডের একটি ক্লু (বা একটি অ-ক্লু) দ্বারা পরিচালিত হয় যা কাগাকে অবশ্যই তদন্ত করতে হবে। তাই আমরা আশেপাশের দোকানে কাজ করা লোকজন এবং খুন হওয়া মহিলার সাথে তাদের সম্ভাব্য সংযোগ সম্পর্কে সামান্য গল্প পাই।
প্রতিটি দোকানে কাগার উপস্থিতি হত্যার সাথে কিছু সংযোগ রয়েছে, যদিও কোনটি লাল হেরিং এবং কোনটি বৈধ সূত্র যা আপনাকে আবিষ্কার করতে হবে। এই ক্ষেত্রে, হিগাশিনো সত্যিই আশ্চর্যজনক গভীরতায় প্লট-গঠন করে। তাছাড়া প্রতিটি অধ্যায়ে সমকালীন জনরার একটা ছাপ পেয়েছি আমি। ৩য় অধ্যায়ের পরিণতিটা আমার কাছে অনেক ভালো লেগেছে।
এখন পর্যন্ত যতো মার্ডার মিস্ট্রি পড়েছি তার মধ্যে সবচেয়ে ভিন্ন ছিলো এই বইটা। যতোটা বই পড়েছি সেগুলো সব ছিলো পুলিশ, ডিটেক্টিভ কেন্দ্রিক। সে ক্রাইম সিনে আসবে, পর্যবেক্ষণ করবে, অন্যদের জিজ্ঞাসাবাদ করবে কিন্তু এই বই তা একদম ভিন্ন। এখানে খুন যে এলাকায় হয়েছে তার আশেপাশের সব দোকানগুলোর চরিত্রদের প্রাধান্য দেওয়া হয়েছে। প্রতিটা চরিত্রকে সুন্দর ভাবে ফুটিয়ে তুলেছেন। শুধু তদন্তের কাজে কিরোচিয়ো কাগা কে সাহায্য করা ছাড়াও তাদের নিত্যদিনের জীবন নিয়েও জানতে পেরেছি। একটা খুন হবার পর আশেপাশের মানুষের মাঝে কেমন প্রভাব ফেলে তা অত্যন্ত প্রশংসনীয় ভাবে ফুটিয়ে তুলেছেন হিগাশিনো। শেষের দিকে প্রেডিক্টেবল হলেও সমাপ্তিটা সুন্দর।
হিগাশিনোর বই পড়ার জন্য আরো আগ্রহবোধ করছি।
অনুবাদ নিয়ে নতুন কিছু বলার নেই। সালমান হক ও ইশরাক অর্ণব এই দুই দারুণ অনুবাদকের হাত ধরে বইটা এসেছে। আমি আলাদা করতে পারিনি কে কোন জায়গা অনুবাদ করেছে। দারুণ সাবলীল আর দ্রত গতির ছিলো বইটা। সামনে এই যুগলবন্দীর আরো অনুবাদ চাই।
বইয়ের ফন্ট অন্যান্য বই থেকে ভিন্ন ছিলো আর প্রডাকশন ও ভালো ছিলো। ডাস্ট জ্যাকেট দ্য ক্রসিং বইয়ের যেমন ছিলো তেমন করা হয়েছে। শক্ত কার্ডের মতো। কয়েক জায়গায় বানান ভুল আছে যা আশা করি সামনের এডিশনে ঠিক করা হবে।
July 15, 2021
In diesem Buch begleiten wir Kommissar Kaga bei der Auflösung eines mysteriösen Mordfalls in Kadomachi, einem traditionellen Stadtviertel in Tokio, wohin Kaga gerade versetzt wurde. Bei den Ermittlungen entdecken wir nicht nur viele verschiedene japanische Süssigkeiten- und Spielwarengeschäfte, sondern auch das Beziehungsgeflecht dieser Läden mit dem Mordfall und den Angehörigen der Ermordeten. Spannend von der ersten bis zur letzten Seite.
PLUS: Auf japanisch ist eine ganze Reihe von Krimis mit Kommissar Kaga erschienen. Wenn diese nach und nach übersetzt werden, erhält man auch immer tiefere Einblicke in die Psyche des charismatischen Kommissaren. :)
Mehr zum Buch und der Verfilmung der Kaga-Reihe in meinem Video:
https://youtu.be/rBf7afcjDWo
PLUS: Auf japanisch ist eine ganze Reihe von Krimis mit Kommissar Kaga erschienen. Wenn diese nach und nach übersetzt werden, erhält man auch immer tiefere Einblicke in die Psyche des charismatischen Kommissaren. :)
Mehr zum Buch und der Verfilmung der Kaga-Reihe in meinem Video:
https://youtu.be/rBf7afcjDWo
May 15, 2019
I love me a good puzzle mystery/classic whodunits and Keigo Higashino does it so well
October 30, 2023
প্লটের দিক থেকে চিন্তা করলে নি:সন্দেহে এই বইটা একদম অন্যরকম! কাহিনি ভালো, অনুবাদ ভালো.. সবকিছুই ঠিকঠাক.. তাও পড়তে আমার এতো সময় লাগল ক্যান? :/
নিউকামার ডিটেকটিভ কাগাকে এইখানে খুব জোস লাগসে! ❤️
নিউকামার ডিটেকটিভ কাগাকে এইখানে খুব জোস লাগসে! ❤️
May 20, 2023
নাহ, এবার ক্রাশ লিস্টে শার্লক হোমস আর এরকুল পোয়ারোর পাশাপাশি ডিটেকটিভ কাগার নাম যুক্ত না করলেই নয়। I've fallen in love with him. 😁😁
নিহনবাশি থানায় সদ্য বদলি হয়ে এসেছে ডিটেকটিভ কাগা। জায়গাটা জাপানিজ ঐতিহ্যবাহী পণ্যের দোকানে ভরপুর। এর মধ্যেই খুন হয়ে গেলো মিনেকো মিতসুই নামের এক নারী। মৃতা মহিলা যে খুব পরিচিত মহিলা ছিলেন, তা বলা যাবে না। কোন সূত্রও নেই হাতে। সুতরাং হাতের কাছের রাইস ক্র্যাকার, কাটলারিজ, রেস্তোরাঁ, ক্রোকারিজের দোকান, খেলনার দোকান সবজায়গায় খুঁটতে থাকলেন কাগা। প্রত্যেকটি দোকানই আলাদা, এসব দোকানের মালিক ও কর্মচারীর জীবনের গল্পও আলাদা। কাগা কি পারবে এইসব খুঁটিনাটি তথ্য থেকে মিনেকোর হত্যারহস্য বের করতে?
গতানুগতিক Who done it, why done it সূত্র মেনে উপন্যাস আগালেও এটা একদম এক নম্বরী স্লো বার্নিং মার্ডার মিস্ট্রি। বিশেষ করে মোটিভটার কথা মাথাতেও আসার কথা না। অবশ্য ডিটেকটিভ কাগার মস্তিষ্ক বলে কথা 😎😎
নতুন প্রকাশনা হিসাবে 'শিরোনাম' বেশ ভালো কাজ দেখিয়েছে। প্রচ্ছদ, কাগজ দুইটাই মানসম্মত। সেইসাথে সালমান হক আর ইশরাক অর্ণবের ঝরঝরে অনুবাদ উপন্যাসকে প্রাণ দিয়েছে। বেশ ভালো লেগেছে শহরে নতুন গোয়েন্দার আগমনের 'নিউকামার'।
নিহনবাশি থানায় সদ্য বদলি হয়ে এসেছে ডিটেকটিভ কাগা। জায়গাটা জাপানিজ ঐতিহ্যবাহী পণ্যের দোকানে ভরপুর। এর মধ্যেই খুন হয়ে গেলো মিনেকো মিতসুই নামের এক নারী। মৃতা মহিলা যে খুব পরিচিত মহিলা ছিলেন, তা বলা যাবে না। কোন সূত্রও নেই হাতে। সুতরাং হাতের কাছের রাইস ক্র্যাকার, কাটলারিজ, রেস্তোরাঁ, ক্রোকারিজের দোকান, খেলনার দোকান সবজায়গায় খুঁটতে থাকলেন কাগা। প্রত্যেকটি দোকানই আলাদা, এসব দোকানের মালিক ও কর্মচারীর জীবনের গল্পও আলাদা। কাগা কি পারবে এইসব খুঁটিনাটি তথ্য থেকে মিনেকোর হত্যারহস্য বের করতে?
গতানুগতিক Who done it, why done it সূত্র মেনে উপন্যাস আগালেও এটা একদম এক নম্বরী স্লো বার্নিং মার্ডার মিস্ট্রি। বিশেষ করে মোটিভটার কথা মাথাতেও আসার কথা না। অবশ্য ডিটেকটিভ কাগার মস্তিষ্ক বলে কথা 😎😎
নতুন প্রকাশনা হিসাবে 'শিরোনাম' বেশ ভালো কাজ দেখিয়েছে। প্রচ্ছদ, কাগজ দুইটাই মানসম্মত। সেইসাথে সালমান হক আর ইশরাক অর্ণবের ঝরঝরে অনুবাদ উপন্যাসকে প্রাণ দিয়েছে। বেশ ভালো লেগেছে শহরে নতুন গোয়েন্দার আগমনের 'নিউকামার'।
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