The Aosawa Murders by Riku Onda – Book Review: A Strange and an Almost, Masterful ‘Whydunit’

SYNOPSIS:

On a stormy summer day, the Aosawa’s, owners of a prominent local hospital, host a large birthday party. The occasion turns into tragedy when 17 people die from cyanide poising – the only surviving family member is Hisako, the Aosawa’s blind daughter.

Several people suspect her of being the culprit but with no way to prove it and with news that the prime suspect has committed suicide after his action seem to seal his guilt; the truth is revealed through the skilful juggling of testimonies by different voices who are all in some way connected to the murder.

REVIEW:

POSITIVES: I don’t think i’ve ever read a book with a narrative structure like this one. Although most of the story is written in point of view chapters. The testimonials we get are from some of the most unlikeliest people you would think would have anything reasonable to say about they’re version of what they think happened on the day of the murders. Moreover, what makes it even more unique is that they are additionally, all, in an incredibly clever way connected to one other. The more you read the more these connections reveal themselves, to the point where you’ll find yourself constantly flicking back through pages to try and understand how and when you notice the stories beginning to overlap.

What I liked most about this book is that it’s not a straight forward whodunit – it’s more of a whydunit. You have to work just as hard as the characters to figure out both who committed the murders and more importantly, why. I also really liked the inclusion of so many perspectives – they’re all incredibly different and showcase just how an event like this can unwittingly effect or involve an assorted group of people from many different walks of life. Because the investigation takes place over several decades and the testimonials we receive from each character is not linear, it creates doubt. Therefore the validity of the information provided may not always be correct or can be somewhat biased.

NEGATIVES: This book doesn’t leave you with a lot of closure. It’s very much the antithesis to a classic whodunit, there is no real catharsis and I’m still unsure as to whether I like or dislike the ending of this story. There were also certain characters that i wish had more point of view chapters – there is a detective which I am certain if Riku Onda decided to write a traditional whodunit, would have been the, or one of the main protagonists – I guess this because i’m so used to and generally like the sort of flawed but incredibly smart detective archetype

OVERALL: I really enjoyed reading this book, I was a bit wary at first but I very quickly became engrossed with the story and the characters. It’s narrative style was also a novelty to me, it’s masterfully written, well thought out and so immensely detailed.
I highly recommend this book if you’re looking for something different to read; Whether you’re into crime novels or not, I think the narrative style of this book alone is enough to impress any avid reader!