Customer Reviews

Points and Lines

5 star:		(3)
4 star:		(2)
3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

A couple are found dead on a desolate beach in a remote town North of Tokyo. The local authorities assume it is a double suicide. But is it? One piece of evidence, at first glance trivial, leads to an excillerating adventure. Inspector Toragay doggedly investigates a case that grows in complexity as the leads point to corruption and deceit at the highest levels. A great murder mystery story.

I breezed through this enthralling crime novel. The mystery is complex, the detective work brilliant, and the revelations about Japanese culture are fascinating. For those unfamiliar with Matsumoto's work, one might say that it is closer to Colin Dexter than to Elmore Leonard. My one negative comment is that the prose sometimes seems clunky. I don't know whether this is attributable to the writing of the author or the translator (or both). Give it a try!

I just finished this book not 5 minutes ago, and it was absolutely spectacular! With a fine eye for detail, Matsumoto creates a stunning novel full of intrigue right up to the very last page. The novel is wrapped up very nicely with a superb, conclusive ending.

I definitely agree with the other reviews which sum up the power of the book. I myself was particularly impressed by the manner in which such an intricate and excellent tale was constructed. A delightful and thoroughly satisfying read! A great one for anyone who has read Inspector Imanishi or those interested in Japanese culture & mysteries.

I think the author is good at writing stories in both short story and the novel format. He was brilliant in Ichinenhan mattete (Wait for one and half years) and same can be seen in points and lines.

This book unlike other mystery books does not cheat you by keeping all the secrets to itself till the end. It is more like a gradual revealation. The feeling was of discovery with the author than by the author.

The book deals and magnifies minor nuances of Japanese life like hostess bars, tightly controlled train schedules, intricate politeness in formal situations. All these are brought together in this magnificient tale. It also makes this very locational as it can happen only in Japan. I sincerly thank the translator for bringing this masterpiece to life in English.

I was reading this book and missed my train stop, and things like this normally do not happen to me.

i was expecting a lot from this book when i bought it last month. people in the other reviews had said it was this great mystery and he was a great writer. don't get me wrong, his style is distinct and i enjoyed it, however this story was a bit on the shallow side. the story had an interesting twist and was extremely intricate, but perhaps a little too twisted. it was one of those reads where the author just suddenly comes up with the solution at the end. it didn't leave any room for the reader to actually figure out who did it and why and how. it just basically told you at the end how it all happened and you're supposed to say "Oh, I get it!" and laugh it off carelessly. when i read japanese detective novels, i look for more of a reader-oriented style, like "the tattoo murder case". it gave a sense of letting the reader actually see everything and try to figure it out themselves. i don't recommend this book to people who want to know all the facts. it's an easy read, and short, so, if you have some time, i wouldn't say don't read it.

Great mystery. Loved it. Fairly short, especially compared to Inpector Imanishi, but more realistic. Highly recommended.