May 17, 2020

Sunday Salon: A Man by Keiichiro Hirano

Finished reading:

A Man

A Man by Keiichiro Hirano, June 1, 2020, Amazon Crossing  

Genre: psychological thriller, family drama, legal thriller 

Setting: Japan 

Source: Kindle Unlimited

Loved this thoughtful and philosophical mystery novel. Akira Kido, a lawyer, is asked by his client, Rie, to find out who her recently deceased husband Daisuke really was. His family don't recognize his photo as their family member, whom they have been estranged from for many long years.

Kido determines that the husband had switched his legal information and identity to become Daisuke. A hunt ensues to unentangle the threads to identify the real name of the husband for Rie, his befuddled widow. While doing this, the lawyer tries to make sense of his own marriage which he sees as failing.

I didn't want the book to end. There were literary references to mythology and criticism, psychology, and philosophy. This made the book more than an ordinary mystery novel and fascinating to read.

The novel won Japan's Yomiuri Prize for Literature and is the first of the author's novels to be translated into English. 
The Divided Child

The Divided Child by Ekaterine Nikas,  March 2013, Little Fox

 Genre: romantic mystery . Setting : Corfu,  Greece.  Source: Amazon Unlimited ebook 

British tourist Christine Stewart, on vacation in Corfu, gets herself invited to a luxurious villa on the Greek island after rescuing a young boy from falling masonry. 

Since the accident seems suspicious, Christine wants to keep a watchful eye on young Michael, who lives in the villa with his young stepmother. Michael's father had died in a car accident recently and the stepmother and Michael's uncle are in a fight for custody of the boy. 

Reminiscent of the romantic mysteries of Mary Stewart, who also set some of her books in Greece, The Divided Child held my interest because of the well described setting as well as the  compelling mystery and romance plots.  Five stars. 


The Dilemma

The Dilemma by B.A. Paris,  January 1, 2020, HQ 

Genre: family drama, contemporary fiction  

Family drama of couples and their grown children. The dilemma both parents of Mandie have are different but both are reluctant to reveal the situations to each other. The consequences of their withholding important information from each other about their daughter are startling. Four stars. 


Currently reading


Can You See Her?


Can You See Her by S.E. Lynes,  April 22, 2020, Bookouture 

Genre: psychological thriller  Rachel feels invisible, as if no one ever sees her. But did she feel so invisible that she could commit murder?

What are you reading this week?

Memes: The Sunday Post hosted by The Caffeinated Bookreviewer. Also,  It's Monday: What Are You Readingand Sunday Salon

3 comments:

  1. Hmm, A Man sounds interesting.

    Wishing you a great reading week

    ReplyDelete
  2. A Man sounds really interesting! It sounds like a bit of a mystery, which I would love to read.

    ReplyDelete
  3. A Man sounds like a mystery I'd enjoy. I don't like mysteries that are too predictable, but A Man sounds like it breaks apart the limitations of the genre.

    ReplyDelete

I appreciate your comments and thoughts...

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