Thank you to NetGalley for an ARC of A Death in Tokyo.

I'm a fan of the Detective Kaga series but this was my least favorite book in the series.

The mystery itself is not intriguing or compelling, nor are the characters interesting.

The chapters alternate between the investigation and the family of the victim.

I liked the police procedural aspects of the narrative, where Kaga and his cousin, a police detective, pound the pavement and interview witnesses and suspects, but the story dragged.

The characters are unmemorable and the lack of female characters, most of them portrayed as stereotypical Asian women; meek, mild, usually crying or simpering, was disappointing.

I wonder if a new person translated this story because the dialogue felt stilted and overly formal. I don't know how Japanese police talk but I doubt it's like this.

The reveal of the killer felt abrupt, out of nowhere and the ending was as unsatisfactory as the mystery itself.

I'm grateful for the opportunity to read this ARC and though it wasn't my favorite in the series, I look forward to the next book.

A businessman is stabbed on a public street and manages to get to a famous shrine before dying. A suspect is soon apprehended with the victim’s belongings in his possession. However, Tokyo Police Detective Kaga doesn’t accept the simple answer and keeps digging deeper into the reasons why the victim and suspect were both in that area of Tokyo. The investigation is complicated by the fact that the suspect can’t speak for himself.

This is a conventional police procedural (not at all “mind-bending” as the blurb states) in which Kaga and his fellow detective/cousin follow the clues. It is the third book in the series to be translated into English, but can be read as a standalone. There is an unnecessary side plot about Kaga arranging a memorial service for his late father. The author may have been trying to say something about father/son relationships, but I think the main plot covered that topic pretty well. I don’t find Kaga at all intriguing, but the investigation held my interest. The resolution sort of came out of left field.

I received a free copy of this book from the publisher.

This was a recommendation from MMD fall book preview. This was my first Keigo Higashino book and I enjoyed it. It is is translated from Japanese and I think the translator did a good job relaying the story in English. I was intrigued from the first few pages, but I felt my attention waning toward the middle of the book. I found it enjoyable and it kept me guessing until the very end. Great character development even though it is the 3rd book in a series.

Thank you Netgalley and the publisher of an advanced copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. A fun detective story. Enjoyable. It's exactly the type of story you would expect going in.

A middle-aged, dead family man is found stabbed on a bridge in Tokyo. The police note that the murdered man is near a statue of a mythical being, a kirin, and the reason the bridge is so well known in Tokyo.

Shortly after, a young woman receives a short phone call from her perennially struck by bad luck boyfriend, telling her he’s sorry for messing up again. When she manages to get through to him again, she finds out from the police that he’s been hit by a truck, and the injured man had the stab victim’s wallet on him.

As police begin investigating, it seems like a straightforward case: the boyfriend killed the older man for money. This seems even more likely after Detective Kaga and the team discover the boyfriend worked as a temp at a factory, and the family man was his boss.

Higashino takes us through the police investigation and also shows us how the investigation affects the police and the victims. The intense scrutiny brought by the police and media, and the resulting derision, disgust, curiosity and false sympathy from acquaintances deeply affects the girlfriend and the family; we see the strain, grief, anger and loneliness wear the victims all down.

The problem for Kaga is the evidence pointing to the younger man all seems too pat. The more police dig, they unearth the following:
-deteriorating relations between the family man and his son,
-news that the boyfriend was injured at the factory not long before he was let go,
-the factory’s management has a history of telling workers not to follow workplace safety practices as these will slow down the line, then, not to report workplace injuries, and
-the family man had been the boyfriend's manager.

Kaga must work through the information about corporate wrongdoing, the strained family situation, unusual behaviour by the family man prior to his death, and other details, as well as police superiors wanting a quick resolution to the case.

It’s a fast-moving and interesting case for the former high school teacher turned detective. Though not his first case, it’s my first Detective Kaga story, which I enjoyed a lot (I’ve read a few of this author’s Detective Galileo series, which are also good.). Now I just have to track down more Detective Kaga mysteries.

Thank you to Netgalley and to St. Martin's Press for this ARC in exchange for my review.

Tokyo Police Detective Kaga is faced with a very public murder that doesn't quite add up, a prime suspect unable to defend himself, and pressure from the highest levels for a quick solution. In the Nihonbashi district of Tokyo an unusual statue of a Japanese mythic beast - a kirin - stands guard over the district from the classic Nihonbashi bridge. In the evening, a man who appears to be very drunk staggers onto the bridge and collapses right under the statue of the winged beast. The patrolman who sees this scene unfold, goes to rouse the man, only to discover that the man was not passed out, he was dead; that he was not drunk, he was stabbed in the chest. However, where he died was not where the crime was committed - the key to solving the crime is to find out where he was attacked and why he made such a super human effort to carry himself to the Nihonbashi Bridge. That same night, a young man named Yashima is injured in a car accident while attempting to flee from the police. Found on him is the wallet of the murdered man. This is a stunningly well written police procedural that grabbed me from the first page and held me until the end. Nothing is as it seems and there were plenty of red herrings. I enjoy this writer a lot and his portrayal of life in Tokyo when you are a policeman. Thank you NetGalley for the advanced readers copy for review.

First published in Japan in 2011; published in translation by St. Martin’s/Minotaur Books on December 13, 2022

A police officer finds a man with a knife in his chest on the Nihonbashi Bridge, leaning against a parapet below two statues of kirin. The artist who created the statutes added wings to the mythical beasts. The man is rushed to a hospital where he dies without identifying his attacker.

The stabbing victim is Takeaki Aoyagi, an employee of Kaneseki Metals. As the police search a nearby park for suspicious persons, Fuyuki Yashima flees from an approaching officer. He is hit by a truck while running across the street. Yashima has Aoyagi’s wallet, making him the leading suspect in Aoyagi’s murder. Although Yashima’s wife isn’t particularly forthcoming with the police, the reader knows that he called her shortly before he died and said that he had done something awful.

American cops would have congratulated themselves for solving the case without exerting themselves. The Tokyo police are tempted to close the case with a finding that the killer is deceased. Fans of Keigo Higashino’s stories about police detective Kyoichiro Kaga will know that Kaga is never satisfied with circumstantial evidence. He wants everything to make sense and he’s not willing to close the case without discovering a sensible motive for the murder. He would also like to find a witness who saw Aoyagi and Fuyuki together before the murder occurred. To that end, Kaga and Shuhei Matsumiya repeatedly walk through the neighborhood where the crime occurred. The search brings them to a shrine in the Nihonbashi Seven Lucky Gods shrine group and the discovery that someone regularly left one hundred origami cranes (all the same color, but each set a different color) at the shrines. Kaga eventually realizes that the cranes are a clue.

A motive appears when Kaga learns that Yashima had been employed at Kaneseki Metals as a temp worker. Aoyagi was a supervisor who may have participated in unethical conduct that harmed Yashima. But why did Yashima suddenly decide to take revenge on Aoyagi? Did they arrange to meet? If their encounter was a coincidence, why did Yashima have a knife? Kaga refuses to declare the crime solved until he has all the answers. And if Yashima isn’t the killer, who did the deed?

The intricate plot involves several additional characters, including members of Aoyagi’s family and Yashima’s girlfriend. Some of the characters learn lessons about accepting responsibility for bad deeds and having faith in the people we love. Higashino constructs the plot like an origami crane, folding the facts this way and that until they reveal something previously unseen. Higashino leaves no loose ends in this police procedural as each clue eventually contributes to the mystery’s resolution. Even the kirin statues have significance.

In that sense, this is a classic detective story, the kind of thing that Agatha Christie and Rex Stout used to write. Mysteries have grown out of fashion in the US, having been supplanted by plots that feature tough guys who give more attention to guns than clues, but pure detective fiction remains popular in Japan. Hagashino is one of the genre’s contemporary masters.

Higashino’s descriptions of shrines, stores, restaurants, and the Nihonbashi Bridge give the story a strong sense of atmosphere. While he was writing for a Japanese audience, his explanations of Japanese traditions open a window into Japanese culture for foreign readers. Higashino devotes a subplot to a Japanese tradition of honoring the dead. Kaga did nothing on the first anniversary of his father’s death and must deal with family pressure to organize a memorial service for the second anniversary. Kaga doesn’t see the point of memorial services, but the brief skirmishes with family members give Higashino a chance to flesh out Kaga’s personality (or lack of personality when he isn’t doggedly solving crimes). Higashino gives more attention to characterization in his Detective Galileo series, but his Detective Kaga books are equally a must for mystery fans.

RECOMMENDED

law-enforcement, procedural, Japan, murder, murder-investigation, thriller, suspense, due-diligence, cultural-differences, cultural-exploration, cultural-heritage, relationship-issues, relationships, religious-practices, family, family-drama, family-dynamics, teenager, false-conclusions, unputdownable*****

What is best here--the investigation, the insight into Japanese life and customs, insight into religious practices? Maybe all of the above plus just how alike people (esp law enforcement) are regardless of all else.
The procedural is exceptional and detailed. The red herrings are more than unusual and the twists are beyond diabolical. Walk the streets of Tokyo with Kaga (Nihonbashi Precinct) and his cousin Matsumiya (Homicide Division) Tokyo Metropolitan Police detectives as the steadily and doggedly pursue the truth and the RIGHT murderer.
I requested and received an ebook copy from St. Martin's Press/Minotaur Books via NetGalley. Thank you! And many thanks to translator Giles Murray (Japanese to English).
Even so, I went ahead and paid for the audio so that I could hear the Japanese words correctly. Just like the last one! I feel that voice actor P.J. Ochlan is marvelous, gives surety with pronunciations, and is right about using a "cop voice" rather than a Japanese accent.

A stunning and intriguing mystery

A police officer watches a man stagger onto a bridge and collapse. At first the officer assumes the man is inebriated, but discovers upon approaching him that he has a knife in his chest and is in fact dead. As the police search for the original crime scene, where the victim was stabbed, they find a young man nearby who runs away from them and is hit by a car. This young man, Yashima, has the dead man’s wallet on his person, but is comatose by the time he arrives at the hospital. A seemingly open-and-shut case, but one with more questions than answers. Enter Tokyo police detective Kaga, known for his keen abilities in solving crimes although not beloved by his bosses. Since the suspect, the “who”, can not be questioned and no one can ascertain why the victim, an upstanding businessman, was in the area where the crime was committed, Kaga searches to find the answers to the questions to other questions. What was the motive for the killing? Why did the victim expend the effort to move himself onto the bridge? Working with his younger cousin, Kaga quietly and painstakingly pursues the truth.

This, the third in a series featuring Kaga, is not a story full of explosions or car chases, foul language or grandstanding. Here the detective is an intelligent observer of human nature, one who uses his knowledge of the area and its inhabitants to his advantage while always upholding the dignity of all who cross his path. It is brilliantly written and a compelling read, and it is not necessary to have read the earlier two books in the series (I hadn’t, though I plan to rectify that omission soon). I recommend it highly, and thank Minotaur Books and NetGalley for the advanced reader’s copy.

A solid, intriguing mystery set in my beloved Tokyo. I was thrilled with the abundance of local references and landmarks familiar to me after living in that complex, fascinating city. Keigo Higashino has crafted a layered, easy to read yet very captivating book about detectives solving a family mystery. Enjoyed this one!

Thanks to NetGalley and St. Martin’s Press for the opportunity to read this ARC.

A Death in Tokyo is the latest book from Higashino featuring Detective Kaga. This time the police are baffled by the very public murder of a man who is stabbed and then walks over a bridge to die in front of a statue of a Kirin- a Japanese mythical beast. Who stabbed this office manager and family man and what is the connection to the Kirin. Once again Higashino provides relevant POV from various characters in the story and includes some characters from his last Kaga novel The Newcomer. I enjoyed this book as much as I have enjoyed all the Kaga novels. The plot, the characters and the emotional hit at the end that stays with you is what I love about this whole series. Highly recommend. Thank you #NetGalley for my ARC. #adeathintokyo

This is the second book I’ve read by Keigo Higashino, and it did not disappoint.

A man stumbles down the road and into a bridge. A policeman sees him and thinks he’s drunk. When the man rests against one of the statues and doesn’t move, the officer decides to investigate, and finds the man unconscious with a knife stuck in his chest.

Later, another man is in a car accident, with the first man’s briefcase and wallet. It seems a straightforward open and shut case, but things don’t quite add up. What was the victim doing in that part of town in the first place? Did the men arrange to meet and later argue? Or was it all chance?

There’s something so clean and straightforward about Higashino’s writing. It’s not bogged down by details, which I found very refreshing. Some might find it not detailed enough, wanting further descriptions of the scenery or people they come across. For me, it was just the right amount to set the stage, but not detract from the case and unfolding mystery. Speaking of mystery, the story unfolds so precisely, giving you just enough information at each turn, twist, and seeming dead end.

A very enjoyable read, I look forward to trying more of Higashino’s books in the future.

4 stars.

This police procedural's plot was intricately woven. All questions were nicely tied into a bow at the end of the mystery. A DEATH IN TOKYO is a few steps darker than a cozy mystery. The book is part of a series (which I didn't realize when I requested it from NetGalley), however it can be read as a standalone.

A man is dying on a bridge in Tokyo after being stabbed. It's up to the police to unveil what exactly happened to him. There are a few nice red herrings to throw us off the whodunit scent.

The ending left me a bit more emotional than I had anticipated while reading first half of the book. I am new to Keigo Higashino's writings, but A DEATH IN TOKYO left me wanting to read more of his works.

Thank you NetGalley and St. Martin's Press for an e-copy of A DEATH IN TOKYO to review.

I rate A DEATH IN TOKYO four out of five stars.

This is the third book in the series and the first that I have read after seeing so various people discussing the previous ones.

I think it can be read as a standalone because we get a big list at the beginning of the story with all the characters’ names and it’s easy to familiarise yourself with them.

I must admit that I’m the worst person for names and I had to call each one of them in my head more for their initial than their actual given names .

A man is stabbed and tries to get close to a very important statue that has a big significance in Tokyo.

An investigation starts when he passes away a few hours later, and a suspect is considered. Nothing turns out to be as easy as the suspect gets run out by a truck and he ends up in a coma.

The pressure from the head office is high for closing this case, but experience, instinct and willingness to do right make S and K to follow their gut and discover the truth about this case.

My only down point with it was that I don’t think we get the full version of the story. There are a few unanswered questions for me, even if we get all the answers about why that happened.

It kinda left a door open for a continuation of the story.

But the writing is wonderful, and the descriptions were so vividly presented, the settings, the shops and houses and food, everything.

It’s slow in the beginning, but the pace gets better with each new chapter.

Twisted, suspenseful and addictive mystery story.

📖Very grateful to the publisher for my review copy through NetGalley

Appearances can be deceiving as Detective Inspector Kyoichiro Kaga knows in Keigo Higashino’s compelling new mystery #A Death In Tokyo. When the Production Manager of a manufacturing plant is found stabbed to death and a suspicious man is put into a coma while dodging police apprehension and is then found to be in possession of the victim’s wallet and briefcase, Tokyo Police just have to dot the i’s and cross the t’s to close out this case. When it turns out that the suspect was let go from his job after a covered up work injury and the victim was his boss the exclamation mark is added to the investigation . But there are many more pieces to this puzzle and by Kaga’s astute intuition and brilliant powers of deduction we’re the beneficiaries of an outstanding mystery. The translation of # A Death In Tokyo by Giles Murray allows the narrative to flow seemlessly and give’s Mr. Higashino’s mystery a brilliant gleam.. All in all, # A Death In Tokyo is a sensitive and satisfying read. that would put a smile on A.C. Doyle’s face.

I voluntarily read an advanced copy of A Death in Tokyo by Keigo Higashino. All thoughts and opinions are my own. Thanks to NetGalley and St. Martin's Press for this ARC

I loved this book. The way the plot builds upon itself, and you are never really about the reasons for the murder. The characters were engaging, and the author did multiple POVs perfectly. We got just enough glimpses into the victims' lives that kept it interesting but didn't take away from the investigator's story arc. I give A Death in Tokyo 5/5 stars and look forward to reading more by this author.

[Blurb goes here]

I think, though I'm not sure, that I've read every Keigo Higashino work translated to English. Im a big fan of his Detective Galileo, and Detective Kyoichiro Kaga series. So, when I was granted the opportunity to download an advanced copy of A Death in Tokyo, I was elated.

A staggering man collapses over the Nihonbashi bridge. When the police arrive to take what seemed a drunken person away, they discover a Knife on his chest. There's been a murder. Soon they find a suspicious person, he flees and gets run over. He ends up in a coma. There's no two ways about it, the wallet and briefcase of the victim are found on the young accident victim. He has to be the culprit.

Higashino weaves an intricate story, pulling threads here and there, giving you glimpses into the lives of the characters involved. It is through the perspicacity of Kaga that those threads take form.

It saddens me to say, that, while I loved the adventure's complexity, the outcome is underwhelming, and far apart from Higashino's other books, books where the culprit is found after a thorough investigation.

Thank you for the advanced copy!

Detective Kaga looks for the murderer of a man who died on a bridge in a part of town far away from his home and work.

I really love Higashino's novels. The pacing is beautifully slow. There aren't any shoot-outs or last minute chases. In fact, there are rarely guns or chases at all. The characters take center stage and the mystery is why you're there. This series has a kind of Sherlock/Watson feel to it. At it's core, this is a novel about what lies can create.

I will endlessly suggest people read anything by Higashiro. I have been hooked on his writing since The Devotion of Suspect X. A Death in Tokyo is as good as any of his work - meaning, Very good.

More than amazing book and kept me on edge the whole time. It started out with a prominent Business man who ran his own Business. That gives starting bringing all this stuff out. The question the wife of one of them who's hit by a truck leaving the scene after the murder. It had so many twisted turns in this book it was pretty amazing how they Detectives figured this out. I learned a A lot about the shrines in the circle. This would play the really important part in the book because the detectives had to figure this out because they also had the creams made out of paper. It had to be going so many different directions I don't know which way The dead man's son also played a very important part in this book as well. And you all thought the poor man from the province actually did the murder because he fell at work and he was fired because he didn't want to file a report. This is an amazing history book I recommend everybody to read because it has the craziest ending you would ever think and it's all about a swimming accident.