It quickly becomes clear why this book was shortlisted for so many awards. Parry spent ten years researching the case, interviewing involved parties, attending trials, and talking with the police.
All this research made it possible for him to create an in-depth, thorough account of Lucie Blackman, a young British woman who went missing in Japan. She was working as a hostess in the Rappongi district; her job involved making conversation with Japanese men. When she went missing, many believed her disappearance must have somehow been connected to her job, to the fact that she was a beautiful foreigner-or, as a mysterious phone call claimed, because she had joined a religious cult.
This was a case I knew nothing about, but by the time I finished this gripping read, I felt completely informed and emotionally invested. The only time Parry went awry was in the very last chapter, when he abandoned his research to wax philosophically on life and death.
This is a book about a terrible crime, but it is also about family ties, culture, the role of women, the legal system, and how one act can have reverberations for generations to come.
4/5 stars
(Read for Readers Imbibing Peril)
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ReplyDeleteI don't read many true crime stories, but this one sounds interesting. It's not a crime I've heard of.
ReplyDeleteI hadn't heard of it either before this book. It's definitely a really interesting read.
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