Another great read for Women in Translation Month! This book from 1982 hooked me and I finished it super quickly. I really enjoyed it. It’s a classic murder mystery thriller featuring a lone house setup (beautiful lakeside villa near Mount Fuji) and an outsider narrator, Jane, (an American exchange student) who’s invited to celebrate the Japanese New Year with her friend Chiyo Wada and her wealthy and eccentric family.
Things start to unravel pretty quickly and the mystery and conspiracy kicks in. I especially loved the characterisation of the police officers investigating the death and the cat and mouse games they played with suspects.
There’s some great intrigue, and the whole story has a timeless feel, almost like something Agatha Christie might have written.
It’s a very tightly plotted murder mystery with some clever twists. Atmospheric too.
Jane is actually an addition to the English version – there is no American exchange student in the original. Interesting choice.
One word: neat.
Leave a Comment