The Aosawa Murders

A terrible crime struck the Aosawa family in the 1970s when a killer poisoned a drink at a family celebration killing everyone except for young Hisako, who has been blind for years. Shortly afterwards, a young man commits suicide leaving a note that he is the one who killed all those people. The case is considered closed until an author who is unable to let the investigation go starts to interview people connected to the case, including the author of a bestselling book who wrote it as a way to send a message to the true killer, not the young man who committed suicide.

This is different from many mystery books people in the United States will read. It is slow-moving, slowly revealing itself in bunches, with the final reveal not totally at the end. It encompasses 1970s Japanese culture, including the cult of the powerful family and one person’s quest to truly find themselves in the madness, ultimately leading to their demise. Some people might find it confusing and too unfamiliar, while others will see similarities to other famous murder mysteries by Truman Capote.