The Final Curtain by Keigo Higashino

In this emotional and intertwined story, Detective Kaga and his cousin, Detective Mitsumiya once again worked together on an investigation of Michiko Oshitani who was found dead by strangled in an apartment. The tenant of the apartment was a man named Mutsua Koshikawa who had a previous identity as Sunichi Watabe. He had a long-term relationship with Kaga's mother. Several days before, there was a murder of a homeless man with the same method of killing before he was burned. They tried to establish a connection between the two crimes and look from different perspectives.

The perpetrator was a damaged character who chose to hurt people in retaliation yet so understandable.  While working on the hypothesis, Kaga was convinced that his mother's mysterious death sixteen years ago would put his mind at ease.

This is the fourth instalment of the Detective Saga series that can be read as standalone. For the most part, I finally get a picture of Kaga's private life. He has maintained the veracity of his past lives since childhood. He has had enough of life because he was just born that way, confronting his reticence. 5 ⭐️

Thanks to @definitelybooks #pansing for the review copy. My opinions are my own 💙

*Available at all major bookstores in Singapore and Malaysia and their online store

Brooklyn Crime Novel by Jonathan Lethem

Brooklyn is a borough of New York City. It is the home of iconic New York attractions like Coney Island, the Brooklyn Bridge and Prospect Park.

Brooklyn Crime Novel is a story about the dark side of Brooklyn that is synonymous with real-life crime. Petty theft, breaking and entering, drug use to name some of it. The narrative is well-presented ideas. Brief and funny in a way through small vignettes. After four decades, someone who used to live in the neighbourhood had written a novel about the time and place that they remember from their own coming-of-age.

It is a long read with a melancholy humour. Overall this was a fun, little slice-of-life story from a few quirky characters. Each vignette exists on its own, and there is no plot connecting them instead of creating a realistic depiction.

Thanks to @definitelybooks #pansing for the review copy. Opinions are my own 💙

*Available at all major bookstores in Singapore and Malaysia and their online store

The Apple in the Dark by Clarice Lispector

 

Martim had committed a crime. He believes he killed his wife and has been on the run since then. He takes refuge in Vila Baixa owned by a woman named Vitoria who lives with her cousin, Ermelinda.

His temporary stay seemed fascinating and established a relationship between them. Everything was a soft prolongation but he finally was free, quiet and stable. There was so little time left for him to cover and start in a new way though. Little by little Martim was caught on his feelings, perception, anxiety and act. He had been held prisoner within the structure of his past.

I enjoy reading about antiheroes because their brain is not confined by strict moral values. Even though the character is bad I get mixed with the passion and emotional turmoil of the story's flow.

Seeing how he justifies and explains even the most terrible actions is so 'different' to me. I always find that Martim's motivations are very complex and it’s impossible to predict.

At the end of the day, it’s hard to hate them (yes, three of them) when you have access to their most private thoughts and know all the events that led them to be the way they are. This novel is a modern classic that offers a slow-paced symbolism of realism and escapism and was originally published in 1961.

Thanks to @times.reads and @putrifariza for the review copy. Opinions are my own 💙 

*Available at all major bookstores in Singapore and Malaysia and their online stores