Our Evenings by Alan Hollinghurst

David Win’s memoir is a powerful story about identity, resilience, and the relationships that shaped his life. Born to a half-Burmese and an unknown father, David grew up surrounded by the mystery of Burma, a topic his mother rarely spoke about. As a dressmaker, she earned very little, but David’s education was made possible by Mark Hadlow, a kind businessman and philanthropist who became a father figure to him. David’s friendship with Mark’s son, Giles, adds another layer to the story, creating moments of tension and reflection.

The memoir also reveals David’s discovery of his mother’s sexuality, which makes him question his ideas of family and identity even more. Themes of race and sexuality are central, showing how David faced discrimination and ridicule because of who he was. These experiences deeply shaped his ideas about love, freedom, and self-worth.

While some characters feel a bit predictable and the story seems written for a general audience, the memoir’s real strength is in its exploration of minority struggles. It challenges common storytelling styles and highlights the realities of living with multiple identities. Even though the plot is not very strong, the memoir’s emotional honesty and focus on important issues make it a meaningful and inspiring read.

Havoc by Christopher Bollen

Maggie Burkhardt, an 81-year-old woman, arrived at the Royal Karnak Palace Hotel three months ago. Her late husband left her in good financial shape, allowing her to travel and plan to stay there for good. Everything seemed fine at first. She is nice, sweet, thoughtful, and kind-hearted. However, she also tends to intervene in the lives of other hotel guests, claiming she simply wants to help people be happy and free. This is where I initially put a hold on the book. It's reminiscent of having a nosy neighbor who pries into everything. I thought it was just her nature to care too much, especially after losing her beloved husband and daughter. Perhaps her behavior was exacerbated by the global disaster during the pandemic, which made her overly involved in the personal lives of the hotel's guests. 😅

In the second half of the book, I began to see how reckless Maggie had become, particularly when a young mother, Tess Seeber, and her son, Otto, arrived at the hotel alone. Maggie notices the difficulties between them and the absent father. Despite her attempts to ignore it, Otto makes her uncomfortable, revealing himself to be a manipulative child who tries to blackmail her! This leads to an episode of behavioral changes, emotional instability, and struggles with decision-making for Maggie, resulting in chaos and unnecessary death. What a havoc!

The book explores themes of grief and unravels how even good intentions can lead to devastating consequences when taken too far. The writing style heightened my emotional engagement, transitioning from calm to spiraling recklessness at a slow-motion pace.

The Tokyo Zodiac Murders by Soji Shimada

Over forty years have passed since the murders. Several diligent amateur detectives have been trying to figure it out. The case of serial murders, which took place in 1936, is popularly known as the Tokyo Zodiac Murders and is one of the most peculiar and elusive mysteries in the history of crime. The case remains an utter mystery. A duo, Kazumi Ishioka and Kiyoshi Mitarai, are compelling characters; Kiyoshi's sardonic wit and sharp intellect contrast sharply with Kazumi's. Their dynamic adds depth to the process of solving the mystery of the Umezawa family genocide.

Heikichi Umezawa was such a maniac about his art. He was found dead in his studio behind a locked door. He happened to leave a "document" about his fascination with creating a perfect woman named Azoth. There was no evidence left at the scene, and his daughters and nieces, who did not have strong alibis, were brutally killed months later. They were buried in different places, and each body had been cut up in a different way, exactly as described in Heikichi's last cryptic notes.

A woman visited Kiyoshi to tell him about a shocking incident in which her father was used by some criminals involved in Heikichi's case. After her father passed away, he left behind a confession that enlightened Kiyoshi about the cold case.

TTZM belongs to the classic Japanese honkaku subgenre of murder mystery. It prioritizes fair-play puzzles where readers are encouraged to solve the crime alongside the detective based on the clues given. I rated it 4.5 ⭐️ for its masterful plotting and engaging mystery.