Besides being a Japanese crime novel, and having been made into a hit movie in Japan - each a reason for me to buy this book right away in hardcover - I was excited to read this book from the cover alone.
Far from the usual grim, gory murder story I though it might be, Villain by Shuichi Yoshida is an interesting overview of modern Japanese society. More than a who-done-it, it explores the aftermath of the crime and all the people associated with it in chapters written from multiple character viewpoints.
A young girl, Yoshino, is found dead on a mountain highway pass with an eerie history. We gradually learn what brought her there, and see the events through her parents, co-workers, and even the killers eyes. Yoshino is the victim, but we learn she finds guys on dating websites and sleeps with them for money. She wants to be with Keigo, but he's a braggart who treats her with contempt.
And there is Yuichi, who is lonely and painfully shy, but really just wants to connect with someone. The two men are the suspects, but the story shifts around to their families and coworkers, who show another side of society; Yoshino's co-workers know who she was going to meet that night, the one who may be the killer, yet don't want to show her in a negative light as a fast girl, so they remain silent to the police.
Yuichi's grandmother was my favourite character. Unable to say no when asked to a community lecture, she ends up going, and further, gets involved with the lecturer who wants to sign her up to a health food scam. It's more than she can afford, but she is bullied into it, and then learns it's a recurring fee. I appreciated her struggle to stand up to these con men - showing another side of the society, the elders who hold traditional ways, and the young thugs who ignore them.
Villain winds off on these side stories, as we see how the characters ended up at this point, and where they are going with the stories and feelings they have to hide. Villain also explores the events leading up to the killing, what may have shaped the mind of a killer, and who had culpability in leading the killer to Yoshino's death. It's quite bleak, but if you like Noir thrillers as I do, it was entertaining.
2010 / Hardcover / 304 pages
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