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Book Review: Six Four

Six Four

Title : Six Four Author : Hideo Yokoyama Pages : 640 Rating : ★★★★ Recommended : to everyone who wants to explore Japanese culture, read a crime fiction from a different point of view


Summary

After having read and being amazed by The devotion of Suspect X and Salvation of a Saint by Keigo Higashino, I have been a huge fan of Japanese crime fiction. Japanese authors have a special talent of writing good crime mysteries. This is to lay the background that I had huge expectations for Six Four.

The title itself being a number was mysterious in itself. But it turned out to be a big novel with around 640 pages (I think it goes after the name 64) and the beginning was a bit difficult to understand. Japanese character names are quite similar and difficult to grasp. But thanks to the author for laying out a character map in the beginning. Quite helpful. Book started slow with around 300 pages more about politics in police force rather than actual crime but it was then the book took pace and author fairly connected all the non-important looking points in the beginning and laid out an explosive end. Without the end, I think I would have given 3 stars but with the end I wanted to give 5 stars but then I was reminded of politics and slow start and thus ended up giving 4 stars.


5th Sept, 2017


And this Japanese book again sort of inspired me to write in this blog as I do need a character index to be able to understand and enjoy this thriller. And just after starting, I realized author has already provided a good index in the beginning covering all the major characters. A much required and most valuable part. Half a star goes for that

Yoshinobu Mikami is the protagonist, a former detective, who is now Press Director and works in Media relations. The story deals with the relationship between him and his wife, Minako, and the stress because of the fact that their teenage daughter, Ayumi, has ran away from house.


6th Sept, 2017


It does not adhere to many of the common expectations of crime fiction. Six Four is the code name for a fourteen year cold case in which a seven year old girl, Shoko, was kidnapped and never returned despite the ransom being paid. The case still remains open and concerns the politics around two departments: Criminal Investigations and Administrative Affairs regarding the visit of Commissioner to pay tribute to Shoko’s father and to reinforce the public belief that they will catch the kidnapper.


7th Sept, 2017


Mikami, Press Director, has to make sure Commissioner’s visit goes smooth when suddenly he realizes the conflict between two departments. Being a former detective, his loyalty is to Criminal Investigations but to search for Ayumi and remain with his wife Minako, he has to bend to Administrative Affairs wishes. This book deals with Mikami’s emotions as he is dealing with disappearance of his daughter, helping Shoko’s father to help him find her kidnapper and also to remain true to himself by saving Criminal Investigations.


8th and 9th Sept, 2017


Book picks up pace from this politics and author connects all the loose ends. Read the book for more details as more than this might reveal spoilers.

Till then, Happy Reading :)



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