* A New York Times Editor’s Choice * “Part Sherlock Holmes, part Harry Bosch, Higashino’s hero is a quietly majestic force to be reckoned with.” –Kirkus Reviews (starred) International bestseller Keigo Higashino returns with his latest mindbender–Newcomer–as newly transferred Tokyo Police Detective Kyochiro Kaga is assigned to a baffling murder. Detective Kyochiro Kaga of the Tokyo Police … Kyochiro Kaga is assigned to a baffling murder.
Detective Kyochiro 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.
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I’ve never read a mystery like this. The structure is unique, like a series of short stories, each making up a portion of how Detective Kaga solves a murder. In each one, he solves small but meaningful mysteries in the lives of people on the periphery of the victim’s life as well those central to it. Though the structure seems nonlinear, once I realized how Kaga works, I could see the emerging pattern of the main mystery. It’s revealed without the author ever using Kaga’s point of view. Everything is seen through the eyes of the people he interviews or collaborates with. Nonviolent, thoughtful, deeply engaged, the book explores the lives and work of a wide range of people in Tokyo—the staff of small businesses, an actor, an accountant, a translator, and another detective working on the case. The charming and observant Kaga is as good as Poirot but far more likeable. Highly recommended to mystery readers for an inventive take on the genre.
“Newcomer” by Keigo Higashino, with translation by Giles Murray, is number eight in the Kyoichiro Kaga series, but the book reads as a “stand alone,” and new readers can get up to speed immediately.
A woman’s body was found in a Kodenmacho apartment. The person who discovered it was a friend who had dropped by for a visit. Based on the state of the body, death was estimated to have occurred within the previous two hours. Newly transferred Detective Kyoichiro Kaga is assigned to the team investigating the murder.
“Newcomer” is a police procedure with a unique and captivating perspective; the complex story is told from the point of view of the multiple suspects and witnesses as the police investigate, and not from the view of the investigators themselves. The plot is conversation driven, and focuses on the typical lives of the characters in their neighborhood and businesses. Readers get to know these characters well through their conversations, observations, concerns, actions, and reactions, when the police question them about the murder. A cast of characters is included for easy reference to help readers keep track of names and jobs, and the titles of chapters highlight the witnesses and the location of each enquiry. The investigation progresses at a deliberate but steady pace as more people encounter the police investigative team and ponder what is happening.
“On the evening of June the tenth, a murder was committed. We haven’t yet identified the perpetrator. We are currently checking the alibis of everyone associated with the case.”
“So why’s the detective all over me?”
“Search me. Maybe cops just get off on hassling innocent people.”
“Let’s not get melodramatic. It’s important for the investigation that we keep tabs on everybody.”
The focus of “Newcomer” is the “persons of interest” to the crime, and this gives readers a glimpse into to the Japanese culture. The lives of everyday people provide cultural references and distinctive settings that make this story unique. This is not a book that could take place somewhere else with just a few name changes.
The pieces of the story gradually fall into place, and the last chapter is told from the point of view of the detective team, the more traditional setting for a police procedure story. Things finally come together with some surprising additions.
I highly recommend “Newcomer.” I was captivated by the characters at the start, and by the end, I was frantically turning pages. I was given a copy of “Newcomer” by Keigo Higashino, St Martin’s Press, Minotaur Books, and NetGalley, and I greatly enjoyed it.
This is the first Detective Kaga book I have read, and I couldn’t put it down. Higashino has a gift for describing people and locations and making you feel like you are there. The characters are slowly revealed until the final resolution of the book. Very entertaining. A good read. Will buy other Kaga mysteries.
Loved it! Japan’s answer to Colombo!
Great mystery. I loved the thought process the detective goes through. Very original
So much more than I expected. A murder mystery with all the requisite mysterious ingredients, but also including heart and beauty and kindness.
“Newcomer is an interesting murder mystery set in Tokyo. It’s told from multiple points of view, with the police detective as the central character. Excellent book for readers who like to sift through clues–mostly what other characters tell the detective and how they behave. If you are looking for action or gunplay, this isn’t for you.
Love the main character. Higashino’s insight with people is great