Tag: book 10

The Final Curtain (Kyoichiro Kaga: Book 10) by Keigo Higashino, Giles Murray (Translator)

Publisher: St. Martin’s Press, Minotaur Books

Date of publication: December 12th, 2023

Genre: Mystery, Japan, Fiction, Mystery Thriller, Thriller, Crime, Detective, Japanese Literature, Novels, Asian Literature

Series: Kyoichiro Kaga

Books 1-3 and books 6-7 do not have English translations.

Malice—Book 4

Newcomer—Book 5

A Death in Tokyo—Book 6

The Final Curtain—Book 7

Purchase Links: Kindle | Audible | B&N | AbeBooks | WorldCat

Goodreads Synopsis:

From the acclaimed author of Malice and Newcomer, a confounding murder in Tokyo is connected to the mystery of the disappearance and death of Detective Kaga’s own mother.

A decade ago, Tokyo Police Detective Kyoichiro Kaga went to collect the ashes of his recently deceased mother. Years before, she ran away from her husband and son without explanation or any further contact, only to die alone in an apartment far away, leaving her estranged son with many unanswered questions.

Now in Tokyo, Michiko Oshitani is found dead many miles from home. Strangled to death, left in the bare apartment rented under a false name by a man who has disappeared without a trace. Oshitani lived far away in Sendai, with no known connection to Tokyo – and neither her family or friends have any idea why she would have gone there.

Hers is the second strangulation death in that approximate area of Tokyo – the other was a homeless man, killed and his body burned in a tent by the river. As the police search through Oshitani’s past for any clue that might shed some light, one of the detectives reaches out to Detective Kaga for advice. As the case unfolds an unexpected connective emerges between the murder (or murders) now and the long ago case of the missing mother of Detective Kaga.

The Final Curtain, one of Keigo Higashino’s most acclaimed mysteries, brings the story of Detective Kaga to a surprising conclusion in a series of rich, surprising twists.

First Line:

Despite decades having passed, Yasuyo Miyamoto could still recall that day with absolute clarity.

The Final Curtain by Keigo Higashino

Important things you need to know about the book:

Pace:The pace of The Final Curtain was slow-paced.

POV: The Final Curtain is told from a 3rd person point of view. It is told from Kyoichiro Kaga, Shuhei Matsumiya, and Hiromi Kadokura (aka Hiromi Asai)’s POV.

Series: The Final Curtain is the 10th book in the Kyoichrio Kaga series. You can read this book as a standalone.

Trigger/Content Warning: The Final Curtain has trigger and content warnings. If any of these triggers you, I suggest not reading the book. They are:

  • Murder
  • Sexual Assault
  • Abandonment
  • Statutory Rape
  • Foster Care
  • Adult-minor relationship (a teacher has a years-long affair with a student, who is one of the main characters)
  • Depression
  • Abortion
  • Dead Bodies
  • Death of a parent
  • Grief & Loss Depiction
  • Strangulation

Sexual Content: There is sexual content in The Final Curtain.

Language: The Final Curtain has mild swearing in it. There is no offensive language.

Setting: The Final Curtain is set in and around Tokyo, Japan.

Age Range: I recommend The Final Curtain to anyone over 21.

Plot Synopsis (as spoiler-free as I can get):

Called to help with the investigation of a strangulation case, Kaga is surprised to discover the victim is an old schoolmate of his. While he is investigating that murder, another murder happens, and he is surprised to find the two are connected. But there are few clues, and the one person who could have answers is not talking. It is up to Kaga to wade through decades of lies and misdirections to find out the answer. And in doing so, Kaga might finally get an explanation about the death of the mother who abandoned him decades earlier.

Main Characters

Instead of listing the main characters and giving my opinion, I will share my overall view of them. The Final Curtain didn’t have a set main character. The book flowed from one character to another. If I had to pick out three characters that stood out the most, they would be:

  • Kyoichiro Kaga
  • Shuhei Matsumiya
  • Hiromi Kadokura (Hiromi Asai)

These characters (well, all of the characters) were well-written and multi-faceted. I was surprised by this, seeing that this is the final book in this series and the first time I have read any book by this author. It was a pleasant surprise and added to my enjoyment of the book.

My review:

I didn’t know what to expect when I started reading The Final Curtain. I was a little iffy about it because it was book 10 in the series, and I figured I would have difficulty getting into it. Not in this case. My only complaint was that it was slow in spots. But, in my eyes, that slowness added to the overall ambiance of the book. It also allowed the author to build up the storyline and tie everything together without looking rushed.

The author did something clever at the beginning of the book. He added a cast of characters. I was thrilled that he did that. I usually go through my Kindle to find names while writing my review. I didn’t have to do that in this book.

The main storyline in The Final Curtain is centered around the murder investigation of Michiko Oshitani and the homeless man. The storyline was well-written and well-fleshed out. A few red herrings were thrown out that had me thinking that Kaga would never solve the mystery (the bridges angle was fascinating). The twist at the end and how the author tied everything together were well done. I was left shaking my head at who the killer was and why that person did what they did.

The end of The Final Curtain was a little bittersweet. I liked how the author brought everything together and wrapped up the storylines. I also liked that there was a finality to the storylines. Seeing that this is the end of the storyline, the author ends the book in a way that clarifies that there will be no more after.

Many thanks to St. Martin’s Press, Minotaur Books, NetGalley, Keigo Higashino, and Giles Murray for allowing me to read and review this ARC of The Final Curtain. All opinions stated in this review are mine.

If you enjoy reading books similar to The Final Curtain, then you will enjoy these books:

Other books by Keigo Higashino

The Hollywood Spy (Maggie Hope: Book 10) by Susan Elia MacNeal

Book Cover

Publisher: Random House Publishing Group – Ballantine, Bantam

Date of publication: July 6th, 2021

Genre: Mystery, Historical Fiction, Thriller

Series: Maggie Hope

Mr. Churchill’s Secretary—Book 1

Princess Elizabeth’s Spy—Book 2

His Majesty’s Hope—Book 3

The Prime Minister’s Secret Agent—Book 4

Mrs. Roosevelt’s Confidante—Book 5

The Queen’s Accomplice—Book 6

The Paris Spy—Book 7

The Prisoner in the Castle—Book 8

The King’s Justice—Book 9

The Hollywood Spy—Book 10

Purchase Links—Amazon | Audible | B&N | WorldCat

Format Read: Unedited ARC

Received From: Publisher

Goodreads Synopsis:

Los Angeles, 1943. As the Allies beat back the Nazis in the Mediterranean and the United States military slowly closes in on Tokyo, Walt Disney cranks out wartime propaganda and the Cocoanut Grove is alive with jazz and swing each night. But behind this sunny façade lies a darker reality. Somewhere in the lush foothills of Hollywood, a woman floats, lifeless, in the pool of one of California’s trendiest hotels. When American-born secret agent and British spy Maggie Hope learns that this woman was engaged to her old flame, John Sterling, and that he suspects her death was no accident, intuition tells her he’s right. Leaving London under siege—not to mention flying thousands of miles—is a lot to ask. But John was once the love of Maggie’s life . . . and she won’t say no.

Maggie is shocked to find Los Angeles as divided as Europe itself—the Zoot Suit Riots loom large and the Ku Klux Klan casts a long shadow. As she marvels at the hatred in her home country, she can’t help but wonder what it will be like to see her lost love once again. But there is little time to dwell on memories once she starts digging into the case. As she traces a web of deception from the infamous Garden of Allah to the iconic Carthay Theater, she discovers things aren’t always the way things appear in the movies—and the political situation in America is more complicated, and dangerous, than the newsreels would have them all believe.

First Line:

It was 1943 and America was at war.

The Hollywood Spy by Susan Elia MacNeal

I have a fascination with World War II. And being fascinated with it, I have read a ton of books that have taken place in various countries during World War II. But, to my knowledge, I never have read a book set entirely in Los Angeles during World War II. When I read the blurb and saw where this book was set, this book caught my interest.

The Hollywood Spy is book 10 in the Maggie Hope series. Readers can read this book as a standalone, but I highly recommend that the other books be read first. There are people and events referenced that I had no clue about, and it drove me nuts.

There were two distinct plotlines in The Hollywood Spy. The first being the plotline where Maggie is investigating the death of John’s fiancee. The second involved the KKK and a plotline to cause as much mayhem as possible. I had zero problems keeping the plotlines separate.

The pacing and flow of The Hollywood Spy were good. It did take forever for the book to get going, but once it did, it kept up a steady pace until the end of the book. The same goes for the flow of the book. It flowed nicely between characters and plotlines, with little to no lag.

I liked Maggie and thought she was a relatable character. She dealt with everything that life threw at her with grace and a bit of humor. I also liked that she was super bright but had to be careful not to tread on people’s toes.

The mystery angle of The Hollywood Spy was interesting. There were so many twists and turns in the plotline that I didn’t know where it would take me. I wasn’t that surprised at who the killer ended up being or why that person did it. Considering the times and how close-minded people were (and still are), it made sense.

There was a massive twist in the plotline with John and Maggie. I did not see it coming, and it took me 100% by surprise when he dropped that bomb on her. It also saddened me because what I was hoping wasn’t going to happen.

I do want to add that racism and homophobia are very much a part of this book. Seeing that it is set in the 1940s, I wasn’t that surprised that it was portrayed. It was still heartbreaking to read (the scene with the nanny in the diner made me cry). It was even more painful because 80+ years later, there is still blatant racism. The author discussed this in her author’s note at the end of the book.

The end of The Hollywood Spy was well written. The author ends the storylines in the book but is left open enough for book 11.

The Hollywood Spy was a well-written mystery. I enjoyed reading it and was kept on edge with the different twists and turns that the plot took.

I would recommend The Hollywood Spy for anyone over the age of 21. There is violence and language. There are implied sexual situations.