Suspicion

A Novel

By: Seicho Matsumoto, Alafair Burke - introduction, Jesse Kirkwood - translator

Narrated by: Kenichiro Thomson

A taut psychological thriller about the hidden demons that guide our convictions, our biases, and our deepest desires, available in English for the first time from “Japan’s Agatha Christie.” (The Sunday Times)

In the middle of the night, a car drives off a pier. An elderly man drowns, but his young wife lives. The wife’s name is Kumako Onizuka, and with a past stained by yakuza entanglements and criminal activity, she is accused of orchestrating the accident for a large insurance payout. Onizuka’s guilt seems obvious to local journalist Moichi Akitani, and while he enjoys newfound success after writing a series of articles about the crime, his portrayal of her as a devious femme fatale turns the community against her.

Onizuka’s lawyers are hounded by the press, yet all the reporters can glean is her unwavering declaration of innocence. This amuses Akitani, who continues to bask in his journalistic renown. But when a surprisingly scrupulous public defender takes on her case, Akitani begins to doubt himself, and he fears what might happen if Onizuka ever gets wind of the contempt he spread.

Japanese Novella

This Japanese murder mystery/court case is soft edged and soothing in some ways. It features a soft narrator voice and slow speaking pace. It is actually more of a Novella, based on the short length. Not terrible, but not great - this story is a bit lackluster. Also, at the very end it feels like the audio cut off mid sentence, but it may have been on purpose. I preferred this same author's A Quiet Place.

Wow Factor

I’ve listen to several books by this author now and they are all amazing. The plots are so interesting and so much fun.