Part mystery, part SF, part social commentary

books:


	• The Devil's Whisper Miyuki Miyabe Kodansha International, 2007 - 256 pages average customer review:based on 2 reviews view larger image
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An Emotionally Engaging Thriller

I've so far read all but one of Miyabe's books (the brave story), and have not been disappointed yet. Her first person narrative is almost as amazing as Natsuo Kirino (nobody's perfect), as you find yourself completely absorbed in the protagonists' struggle to find (or hide) the truth. There are no bad guys here; only people in pain, trying to find their way out. The killer gets alot of sympathy here, and the victims are not as innocent as the fictional newspapers have you believe (not a spoiler. It's explained early on). Every clue to the many mysteries undertaken in this book pulls you in, and you find yourself racing against time with the characters to solve the case before it's too late.

By the way, there are quite a few plot twists that lead to a breath-taking climax.

It's not just a story about a murder, but a web of intrigue surrounding a murder, a missing father, and the honor of a cab-driving family man.

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Part mystery, part SF, part social commentary

The Devil's Whisper is one of the earliest published works of Miyabe's, and arguably her first popular hit in Japan. In many ways this is a fairly representative work of hers--it has the classic Miyabe formula of a scattered collection of mysterious clues faithfully collected, assembled, and slowly solved by the main character. Miyabe is skilled at creating full-fledged and interesting characters, and this novel's "boy sleuth" Mamoru is no exception. Indeed, Miyabe is often at her best with young but complex protagonists like Mamoru in this book.

Miyabe has a fascination with the paranormal, and this appears in many of her early works, including this one. For people expecting a genre-typical mystery or detective story in the vein of "All She Was Worth", this book might stretch the limits of the reader's ability to suspend belief just a little. In Japanese fiction all the way from the Tale of Genji to the works of Haruki Murakami, the line between the ordinary and the extraordinary tends to be blurred more than in Western works, so this is not necessarily a unique aspect from that perspective. Still, the reliance on the paranormal in this book may not appeal to all readers, so be warned that this is a slightly genre-bending work. As is often the case in Miyabe's works, the journey tends to be a little better than the destination, although this book's climax is a unique one that extends beyond the formal "solution" to the mystery. As is also common with Miyabe, this book delves a little into social commentary, as becomes apparent as the book's mysteries unravel. I will reveal no more so as to not give anything away!

Miyabe's works are always fun and engaging, and The Devil's Whisper is no exception. Not Miyabe's best, but still an entertaining read despite being a little rough around the edges. If you like Miyabe's other works, this book should not disappoint. If you are new to Miyabe, you might start with another book such as All She Was Worth which is arguably her best-known (and highest quality) work translated into English.

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Sixteen-year-old Mamoru Kusaka has recently moved to Tokyo to live with his aunt and uncle after the death of his mother. Just as he is beginning to adjust to his new life, his uncle is involved in a late-night accident while driving his taxicab. A young coed is dead and Uncle Taiko is charged with manslaughter, even though the circumstances seem suspect.
Struggling to help his uncle, Mamoru discovers that the victim had been involved in a cruel scam with three other young women. Two of the four have also recently died in similarly violent incidents.
Several days after the accident, a powerful businessman comes forward as a witness. But instead of making things clearer, the mans testimony only adds more confusing lies and deceptions to an already puzzling case, as Mamoru races to save the last of the four women targeted by the real killer.

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