More books set in countries from across the world.
Books 21-25 are:
21. Murder at Mount Fuji – Shizuko Natsuki
This was touted as a classic mystery novel from Japan’s Queen of Crime – there are certainly parallels to Agatha Christie! It’s a whodunnit murder investigation, set in a large house in rural Japan. The isolated setting and slow unraveling of long-buried secrets give the story an atmospheric feel throughout.
When I initially picked this book up in Waterstones I thought it was a newly published novel. However, I was surprised to find it was first published in 1982. I’m guessing publishers are tapping into the boom in translated Japanese fiction, and are trawling the country for books they can republish.
Sense of place: 8.5/10.
Plot: 7.5/10.
Readability: 7.5/10
Characters: 7/10.
Overall: 7.5/10
22. Metropolis – Philip Kerr
A thriller set in Berlin between the First and Second World Wars. A newly seconded police detective investigates the deaths of prostitutes and crippled war veterans, against a background of unstable politics.
Berlin doesn’t fare well in this book! It’s full of seedy nightlife, corruption and violence. Society is beginning to fracture, and the frequent references to Jews and Nazis create foreboding and tension throughout the story. Overall, a good historical thriller, accompanied by a strong sense of unease.
Sense of place: 8.5/10.
Plot: 7/10.
Readability: 7/10
Characters: 7/10.
Overall: 8/10
23. Life ceremony – Sayaka Murata
I’m not generally a fan of short stories, but I loved this book. The stories, set in Japan, are not your run of the mill ones – they’re macabre and rather surreal. I’m in awe of a writer who can come up with such weird inventions.
Two stories stood out for me. The one where people are eaten at a life ceremony after they’ve died. And secondly, the story where dead people’s bones and teeth are used for furniture, jewellery and clothing. It’s a highly original book, not to everyone’s taste, but it’s quirkiness really appealed to me.
Sense of place: 8/10
Plot: 9/10
Readability: 8.5/10
Characters: 9/10
Overall: 9/10
24. Beneath a scarlet sky – Mark Sullivan
Very loosely based on the life of Pino Lella, an Italian teenager in WWII who first helped Jewish families escape to Switzerland and then became a driver for a Nazi general. This aspect of the book is interesting as it provides a fascinating insight into the experiences of Italians during the war.
The book was very easy to read but, given that it is supposedly based on a true story, I found it hard to believe in places. There are so many coincidences and improbable events that at times – I’d have preferred it to just be a book of outright fiction.
Sense of place: 8/10
Plot: 8/10
Readability: 8.5/10
Characters: 8/10
Overall: 8/10
25. Visible worlds – Margaret Bowering
A family saga covering different time periods and locations – set in Canada, Germany, Korea and the Arctic. The book was shortlisted for the Orange Book of Fiction back in 1999.
Although I love a family saga I actually got a bit lost in the different characters and locations when reading this. There are some fascinating stories and relationships in the books but the constant shifts in time and place made it difficult to keep track of everyone and I struggled to finish the book.
Sense of place: 8/10
Plot: 7/10
Readability: 6.5/10
Characters: 8/10
Overall: 7.5/10
Challenge partly completed
Pop over to read the full list of my 60 things to do before I’m 60.