Not the best mystery ever, but very fun and fast to read. The story has all the believability of a Law & Order: Criminal Intent episode, if you know what I mean. The murderer's modus operandi is especially a bit of a stretch, but I give Miyabe props for 1) a reveal I never saw coming and 2) keeping me invested enough that I didn't care about the shortcomings. The story is derailed a little side plots that could have been incorporated into the grander scheme, but overall this is by a good book if you have time to kill. ( )

For me, this book was a quick, enjoyable read. Certain plot points seemed to be a bit of a stretch, but this was not too difficult for me to overlook. I'm definitely looking forward to reading more by Miyabe. ( )

Miyabe has a knack for making the unbelievable believable, at least for short periods of time. Rather than identity thieves or pyrokinetics, this new novel deals with the concept of forced suicide and the methods that make it possible. Also dealt with are the ideas of family honor and shame, and the notion of "the sins of the father are the sins of the son."

Interesting concepts, interesting ending. The author has dozens of novels under her belt in her native Japanese, though only five have been translated into English so far. I'm looking forward to more. ( )

A somewhat convoluted mystery with lots of misdirection, but many clues about the right direction. The Japanese value of family honor is a central theme. The end is too pat. ( )