If you’re looking for a great modern Japanese piece of mystery/crime noir, check out Miyabe’s Shadow Family. I had read her other book, All She Was Worth awhile back and wasn’t overly happy with how the story ended. That wasn’t the case this time around. Shadow Family is a fabulous novel whose action revolves around a small cast of characters. Most of the action takes place inside a police interrogation room, although what is going on isn’t what you’d expect. This relatively short novel (~ 190 pages) only covers a few hours in the police station, but effective flashback techniques fill in the missing pieces. The characters are well-developed and the emotions run high. The action involves a former desk jockey who stands in to help investigate two murders, which originally seemed unrelated but become connected through an the internet. Four unrelated characters, including one of the murder victims, formed a cyber-family on the internet. The interactions of these family members online and off drives the novel.

I’ve really been caught up in Japanese mystery and crime fiction lately. I’d been looking for something new to read and picked up Kirino’s book. Now, I’m hooked. For those interested, Kirino has her own website.