A new mystery for the mystery lovers, if you are looking for a new flavor.
I don't know why Miyuki Miyabe's "The Devil's Whisper" caught my eye at the library, but I'm glad it did.
Miyabe is a best-seller in Japan, and I plan to look for his other two novels.
Unlike American mysteries, which I often find either too violent or too psyochopathic for my taste, "The Devil's Whisper" is more about atmosphere and innuendo, with the occasional trace of old-fashioned Japanese horror (I'm firmly convinced the Japanese do better horror than anyone.)
In this story, three young women have committed suicide in different parts of Tokyo - one leaps from a building, one throws herself in front of a train, another runs in front of a car. Only three people know that they were linked together, or how - or that there is a fourth girl, still alive - but for how long?
This was a suspense story with a strange effect - as I got closer to the end, I started putting it down and walking away, because I didn't want it to end. My instincts were good; the book as a whole is much better than its ending. But the ending isn't actually bad, especially if you think about it for a few minutes.
A fairly quick read, and the differences in manners and mores add a nice sauce to a pretty good story.
