Amazon uk review

By RachelWalker "RachelW" (England)


I have said that the best crime fiction is not coming from Britain or America but from Europe. While the basic truth of that sentence remains, I might have to change it: the best crime fiction is not coming from Britain or America but from almost anywhere else.
Natuso Kirino's "Out" won prizes in its native Japan, and was also shortlisted for America's prestigious Edgar Award, making her the first Japanese author ever to up for the award. She didn't win (Ian Rankin's Resurrection Men did), but she easily could have. This is a super book; a harrowing and cloying read that has a whiff of Ruth Rendell about it (it's odd and yet telling how the best crime fiction from anywhere in the world is compared to Rendell's considerable yardstick). It's the story of four women who work the Night Shift at a boxed-lunch factory in Tokyo. Eventually, under pressure from an overbearing and abuse husband, one snaps and kills him. She turns to her co-workers for help disposing of the body. Thus they're drawn into a dark work of death and violence. The police come to suspect a wealthy local businessman, and that suspicion ruins him. From that point on, he wants revenge on the real killers, and becomes increasingly convinced he knows just who they are...

This is probably set to be one of the crime novels of the year. It's superbly written, and, to use that old comparison again, the psychological insight Kirino shows toward her characters is distinctly of the Rendell quality. It's probably not an easy book to read, but it's certainly a rewarding and very tense one. In the best traditions of Eastern art (film, books, etc) it is originally and ever-so-slightly twisted. Despite it's length - which makes it a meaty read - it's paced quickly as the plot moves so effectively, shifts along smoothly. It's a deceptively clever book, too, as well as serving as a great window onto a certain section of Japanese society. It could almost be classed as feminist in its progressive portrayal of women in a society that generally views them with eyes very different to those of the Western world.

To people who like cheap thrills, this may not satisfy, as it's rather too full of detail, fascinating though it is. But to people who like complex, challenging and dark crime fiction (a la Mo Hayder, possibly), Out receives a hearty recommendation from me.

I think this might be a bit too dark for me so am sending it on to renecrosspatch as part of the TBR relay - I hope you enjoy it and look forward to seeing what you think of it.

I don't believe it! How could I have not journaled this book. I am so sorry, Juliako. I am now about to read it and then pass it on to Tanamo.

Read and enjoyed. Reserved for Tanamo.

Releasing at a mini-meet.

Received from Cross-patch via the UK Wishlist tag game. Thanks a lot.

A very dark tale which I enjoyed for the most part though I did flag a bit half way through. I think the book could have benefitted from being a little shorter. However, it was well written and the ending was superb. Leading such boring, repetitive lives and treated like slaves by their families, It's a wonder all the women didn't snap.

Reserved for releasing

Left on top of post box.

If you've found this book and you're new to this, welcome to bookcrossing! I hope you enjoy looking around the bookcrossing site. If you decide to join bookcrossing (it's free, so no reason not to if you're interested!) please feel free to list me (Tanamo) as the member who referred you. Even if you don't join I'd appreciate it if you'd leave a quick journal note so I can see where the book ended up - you can do it anonymously if you wish.