Customer Reviews

Shadow Family

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

 

 

In her native Japan, Miyuki Miyabe is as much a household name as John Grisham or Stephen King. While not the avante guard genius of Haruki Murakami, she is a respected and popular author of crime fiction, with quite a few books to her credit, and some movie adaptations as well. "Shadow Family" (original Japanese title "R.P.G." ) is her second book to be translated into English, following the excellent "All She was Worth."

"Shadow Family" covers the murders of middle-aged husband and father Ryosuke Tokoroda and his college-age lover Naoko Imai. Through the course of the investigation, it is uncovered that Tokoroda had an online "family," where he role-played the loving father to a make-believe wife, daughter and son. In real life he was a cold and selfish philanderer, but online he became the loving, supportive father that every child dreams of.

Aside from a few expositionary chapters, it is a "single-room" mystery, not unlike "12 Angry Men," where all the tension takes place in a police interrogation chamber. The investigators and the suspects engage in a battle of wills, each trying to get the other to slip up and make a mistake, in a fencing match of "Who knows what." One by one Tokoroda's online "family" is called in, while his real-life daughter Kazumi watches from behind the 2-way mirror, peeling away the layers of mystery that were her father.

"Shadow Family" is not as strong a book as "All She was Worth," but is still an engrossing read and a real page-turner. The opening expositionary chapters are slow, and it takes awhile to get into the pace of the book. Once all the players are assembled in the interrogation room, however, the story takes off and the psychological fencing begins.

It is no real challenge to identify the killer, and the "Whodunnit?" joy of the book comes about 2/3 of the way in. From there, it is a pleasure to watch the pieces of the well-laid trap fall into place. Some of the characters are very interesting sketches, and I would love to see them explored in another book, where they are allowed more depth to develop. Unfortunately, at under 200 pages, "Shadow Family" does not allow for deep characters, but is more an exercise of an interesting trap.

Very enjoyable over all, and I will definitely be keeping up with future Miyabe books as they are translated.

I am of the opinion that if you entered this book's world with certain expectations (such as from the synopsis, or from having read All She Was Worth/Kasha), then you might leave this book with a perplexed "wtf?" at the end. If you enter with no such expectation, then I can guarantee that you'll not only enjoy this novel, but also marvel at the unconventional way she went at revealing the story.

Having never read her other books before, I came at Shadow Family with no real expectation (so yay for me). What I realized, is that even though Takegami and Chikako were named in the synopsis as "main characters", they are ANYTHING but! The detectives in the story are nothing more than props, and they are MEANT to be that way. They are the instigator of the revelation of the "drama" that occurred, and are mere watchers of what it might reveal. And as such, the viewers are ALSO a watcher, nothing more. This is precisely why I believe the so called "main characters" were never fleshed out. Because this story has nothing to do with Takegami and Chikako, and has everything to do with the "Shadow Family" and the ups and downs of a Japanese family that went head first into the ditch.

In any case, the majority of the real story occurs in a Police interrogation room. There is no real "action" of the traditional sense - you're not getting Takegami or Chikako running around trying to capture the villain. All the characters are already collected in that Interrogation room; everything is already in place. All that's left is the "revelation." in a more typical western mystery or thriller novel, this "revelation" come at the very end of the book, usually lasts no more than, what, 2 pages? Because at the end after the main character figures out what's going on, all that's left is for the culprit to admit it to close the story. In this case, the "revelation" IS the story, with the action taking place over the table of the Interrogation room.

Yes the book is short, yes some of the characters are (intentionally) flat, yes there are a lot of hints early book to show who the killer is, but this is not a book where the end justifies the means. You're not reading to find out who did it, but rather the path that took for the killer to come to light. And there are just enough twists and turns in the book, in particular at the end, that still makes the ending well worth the effort.

As a side note, I understand that chances are a lot were lost in translation, but I was talking to a friend who read her work in original Japanese (she's fluent), and she made the same comment as me, that Miyabe's writing is "concise and bareboned," so I'm assuming the number of pages and the writing style is relatively true to the original. Of course, maybe she was mistaken, but just a side note.

First, I'd like to correct a previous viewer. Ms. Miyabi did not write "OUT". This was written by an equally amazing author Natsuo Kirino. Funny story: I made the same mistake in purchasing Miyabi's book "All She was Worth" thinking it was by Kirino; and was pleasantly rewarding with a new favorite.

Anyway, "Shadow Family" was a great read. Equally as rewarding as her other two novels. The characters were people I could easily sympathize with, and paced to a degree that I looked forward to every page turned. While it's true, that the book could have been just as long as "Crossfire" and "All She Was Worth", as some of the characters had a history with each other that was never fully fleshed out, the roller coaster ride that was the interrogation made up for it.

Also, while it's true that the identity of the killer was revealed quite early on, I don't think that it was the point of the story. It was the revelations surrounding the online family that became slowly fleshed out....and the "super-surprise" revelation about this family at the end (I won't give it away) that was the real kicker.

All in all, I got my money's worth, and look forward to many more translations from Miyabi. They're really taking their sweet time aren't they?

"Shadow Family" was first published in Japan as "RPG" in 2001, and is the second of Miyuki Miyabe's novels to be translated into English.

Ryosuke Tokoroda's body was found by police in late April, following reports of a disturbance in a building site. Initially, the investigation into his murder was being handled by FCID's Third Squad - a team that included Fusao Nakamoto, the city's longest serving desk chief. Nakamoto's position is a senior one - one that largely involves shuffling papers and writing reports rather than actively investigating cases. He had, however, confided to a colleague - Etsuro Takegami, another long-serving desk sergeant - that he was keen to return to a more active role. Takegami was initially working on a separate case - the murder of Naoko Mai, a college student found strangled in a karaoke club. When the two cases are linked by certain strands of evidence, however, the two friends realise they are going to be working a little more closely. There are suspicions the Tokoroda and Mai were killed by the same person, and it soon becomes apparent the pair had known each other for several years. As it turns out, the pair had been lovers for a time - Tokoroda, despite being married with a teenage daughter, wasn't an entirely devoted husband.

Although the relationship between the pair had foundered, they had continued to spend some time together. The chief suspect for their murders came from Naoko's ongoing love life - "Miss A", the suspect in question, had been dropped by her boyfriend after he met Naoko. However, despite having plenty of motive and no alibi, there was no actual evidence tying her to either murder - and Nakamoto was one of several who wanted to look for other suspects in Tokoroda's background. As it happens, it's his rather unorthodox strategy the investigation is now following - although, with Nakamoto suffering from ill- health, it's Takegami who takes the lead. Tokoroda had been spending quite a bit of time on the internet, where he'd created a virtual family. Naturally, he'd played the father, but this 'shadow family' had also featured a mother, a son and a daughter - all of them real people, but each playing a role.

Meanwhile, Tokoroda's 'real-life' wife and daughter, Kazue, are due into the station - while the mother will be collecting some of her husband's personal effects, the team have different plans for the daughter. Kazue's testimony has, to date, being rather fluid : she claimed to have been harassed by prank phone calls and that she'd been followed on her way home from school. The family were immediately been put under very close police protection...and, when the calls and stalkers disappeared, Kazue dropped the claims. However, she also claimed to have seen her father in the company of some people she didn't know - quite possibly her father's 'shadow family'...

Where Takegami plays one key role in the book, the other is played by one of his former partners - Chikako Ishizu. They had worked together in the arson department, although - before this case - they hadn't seen each other in fifteen years. Chikako's career hasn't gone quite as well as Takegami's - she had disobeyed an order on an arson case four years previously and subsequently demoted. Takegami trusts her completely - though he expects that she'll be made the scapegoat should anything go wrong.

A very enjoyable and easy read - it's one of those books that gradually gives you bits and pieces, allowing you to build your own theories and puzzle as to who's really doing what. Certainly recommended, I'll be keeping as eye out for more of Miyabe's books.

Miyuki Miyabe's "shadow Family" is an ingeniously clever police procedural. Unlike "All She was Worth" another mystery by Miyabe which I thoroughly enjoyed, the novel was less Japanese and more universal. I liked both the concept given the enormous increase in computer chat sites and the manner in which the characters were developed. It was a difficult book to put down and I rhought that the ending was satisfying.

Shadow Family is a compelling murder mystery focusing on the murky world of Internet chat room populated by people from all walks of life attracted by the possibility of being whoever they want to be.
Police investigating the double murder of a middle-aged salary man and his college-aged girlfriend discover email correspondence linking the victim with members of an online fantasy family, in which he plays the part of "Dad." Meanwhile, his real-life teenage daughter is assigned police protection after complaining of being stalked. The investigation focuses increasingly on the Shadow family, as there is evidence that the member emerged from the chat room and started meeting up offline.

Veteran Desk Sergeant Takegami finds himself unexpectedly in center stage of the investigation after his colleague is hospitalized. Adding to his surprise, he is partnered with his old friend Detective Chikako Ishizu after a break of fifteen years. Working on a hunch, they collaborate to unravel the fine line between fantasy and the harsh reality of Murder.

Shadow Family is excellent detective fiction that keeps you guessing until the end. Within a skillful web of intrigue, Miyabe sensitively explores the meaning of family and relationships, and the devastating effect of betrayal.

I will read this book again if I can. Email me at rc97h@aol.com for clues to page 68...

The book's description -- about the themes of false identity, fact/fantasy, rekindled partnership -- does make the book seem exciting. Unfortunately, the actual story is a disappointment -- inert, suspenseless, and easy to figure out.

The first warning sign is that this book is less than 200 pages. How can it explore all that it purports to do under 200 pages? Answer: it resorts to expository. The bulk of the book consists of police interrogation. Everything preceding this is exposition. Thus we are just told that police discovered that the victim had extramarital affairs and that he established a shadow family via chat rooms. One of the reviews above wrote, "Takegami [the detective] learns that Tokoroda [the victim] participated in Internet chat rooms and established a cyber 'family' where he played the 'Dad.'" This is quite misleading! One would think it means the reader participating in the discovery with the detective. Not at all! The reader is just told in a paragraph that the police discovered this.

The characters are also flat. The detective is partnered with an old female friend after 15 years. What does this matter? It matters not at all. Their relationship does not contribute the story in any meaningful way. It is simply a prop to keep the characters from being cardboard.

Finally, the mystery is easy to figure out. As I wrote above, the bulk of the story consists of police interrogation -- of the shadow family. Any careful reader will know the true killer and what the police are really after. It was telegraphed so early in the book that I cannot say that the relevation of the killer constitutes a twist.

I came to this book after reading Miyabe's first book, "All She Was Worth." That book I recommend. In that book, we walk alongside the detective. The characters show their humanity. It is touching. This book is completely the opposite. Characters are flat, the story uninvolving, and the mystery unsurprising.

I am a big fan of Miyuki Miyabe, but this novel was disappointing. If you are interested in a good mystery or Japanese mystery, I highly recommend her other books "Out" and "All She Was Worth", to a lesser extent "Crossfire" instead.

The characters in the novel were really what kept me reading, especially the main character, a middle-aged female police officer. For me, she was the perfect Japanese female police officer or professional for that matter. Content with what she has achieved, knowing that some of her achievements were due to "gender" issues (i.e. promoting females in the force), but others her own doing. Understanding the gender issues in the workplace and working within the confines of it, instead of being brash or frustrated - she turns them to her advantage instead. The essence of working in Japan as a female. If you are interested in characters, especially about Japanese characters, this novel will not disappoint you. Because of this, I rate the book 3 stars and not lower.

I completely understand what Miyabe was trying to do with this novel. Bring to light what effects the internet is having on social relationships and family. She wants the reader to be shocked and appalled, but I'm afraid that most of us are already jaded by the goings on on the internet and there is little shock value left in her storyline. Miyabe said it best herself in a recent interview "it is getting harder and harder for writers to shock readers or invent shocking storylines, as reality is becoming more shocking each day than fiction."

While the setting of the story is interesting, the basic premise of the book is stupid. There are too many characters in the books and because it is a translation, whatever possible charm or interest in could have had in the original Japanese has been lost. It was so horrible and confusing, I found it implausible and impossible to read to the end.