[Book Selection] I gave my all to sharing tips on choosing books with a friend who said, 'There are too many mysteries, I don't feel like I can choose one that suits me' <Night 8> - Heart-shaking 'Socially Conscious' Mysteries -

~Know your own preferences for the sake of 'I'm glad I read this'~
~I want to share it! The unfathomable charm of mysteries~
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<Night 7> 'Everyday mysteries where no one dies' can be found here ↓↓↓

*Hereafter, author names are written without honorifics. Book data is listed at the end.

*I am speaking strictly from books I have read and titles I like. Regarding mystery book selection, everything is just the personal opinion of a book lover.

*I will mention recommended works, but the theme is strictly about tips and ways of thinking for book selection.

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(1) The charm of social mysteries is feeling 'this might be about me' and 'it's a continuation of everyday life'

Eimi Then let's get right into today's topic, 'Socially Conscious Mysteries'.

Miki It's been a while, hasn't it?
Eimi Sorry. I was a bit busy with summer vacation and such...

Miki Yes, as a summary so far, for people like me who aren't used to reading, first'what kind of mystery makes me excited'know your own preferences, and furthermore'if you find an author you're interested in, look up their style and work list even a little', 'choose books that match your current reading skills and preferences'was the topic, right?

Eimi Also,for those who don't like murder cases or heavy atmospheres, I want you to try the 'Everyday Mystery' genreand'remember that being conscious of the authors and genres that suit you will be your entrance into the world of reading'. Now, getting back to the topic, Miki, what impression do you have of'Socially Conscious Mysteries'?

Miki Uh, before that, today Miki-san has a wonderful announcement.

Eimi Huh? Did you win a 2000 yen book card at a neighborhood association event?

Miki No, that would be wonderful too, but... that's not it. Actually, right now, I'm readingMizuki Tsujimura's 'Arrogance and Kindness' which you recommended to me on the first night.

Eimi Really? How is it? How far have you read? Let me hear your thoughts!

Miki: You're too close... Look, it's incredibly interesting. It's rare for me, but I've been breezing through it and I'm about halfway done, but I really want to know why she disappeared and the emotional journey of the man searching for her, and the points that many people struggle with in marriage hunting are so realistic that I can empathize, since I had a period where I was marriage hunting too. It feels more like a 'romance novel leaning towards mystery' than a puzzle-solving one, but it's easy to read precisely because there's a mystery involved.

Eimi Oh...
Miki You're moved that you heard a sensible impression from me, aren't you?
Eimi Yeah. I feel like I've made some progress (laughs).

Miki Searching for a missing person is a staple of mystery, and it's easy to read because the focus of interest is clear is what you said before, Eimi, and I thought that was definitely true. Maybe after this, I can even read Miyuki Miyabe's 'All She Was Worth' that you told me about on the third night. Maybe I'm not bad at reading text, I just hadn't encountered a story that could draw me in with just text alone.

Eimi That's great! So Miki, getting back to today's topic, what would you think if I said 'Arrogance and Innocence' also has an aspect of a socially conscious mystery?

Miki Is that so? I have a strong image of 'socially conscious' as being about social issues or crimes featured in documentary programs, or detectives and journalists diligently investigating to expose social evils...

Eimi That's true, but it's not just about so-called social issues that make it onto the front page or the social section of a newspaper; I think novels that deal with problems and events that are actually happening in society right now... in other words, things happening realistically in the society we live in can also be called socially conscious.

Miki It's a direct continuation of our daily lives, then. When you put it that way, marriage hunting is also a realistic theme of the society we live in, isn't it? Because it's an era where we can live freely, I suppose we worry about whether to get married and what kind of encounters to seek. If it were a slightly earlier era, there wouldn't be matching apps, and the act of everyone sharing the pain of marriage hunting saying 'I know, I know!' might not have happened at all.

Eimi In addition to that, I think 'Arrogance and Innocence' writes about a very modern theme: that while we want to be innocent, people cannot abandon the arrogance of wanting to be acknowledged.

Miki That's why you said it has a socially conscious aspect.

Eimi Yes. We're having a rather serious conversation today, aren't we?

Miki That's thanks to an interesting novel!

(2) If you're lost, start with a 'highly socially relevant book' by an author you're curious about

Miki But... can I share a more honest feeling regarding socially conscious mysteries?

Amy Yeah, I'd love to hear it.

Miki 'Arrogance and Kindness' and 'All She Was Worth' were fine because you recommended them knowing my tastes, but I just have this image that socially conscious mysteries are difficult and stiff novels overall. It's really hard to smoothly understand and keep reading through the outline of the case told by the detective, the technical terms of trials and law, and the social background... Honestly, I've given up on them a few times. Sorry about that.

Amy No, no, you don't have to apologize. It's true that socially conscious mysteries focus more on the background and human drama of 'why this incident happened' rather than the puzzle-solving or foreshadowing of 'who is the culprit and what is the surprising trick?', so I understand your image of them. I understand, but that's not all there is to them. That's exactly why I think you should look for an 'entry point' that's unique to you.

Miki When you say entry point, do you mean starting with a favorite author or something? ...Come to think of it, in the fourth night we talked about researching the style of an author you're interested in, and in the sixth night we talked about drawing out your preferences from a group of popular authors.

Amy Yeah. It's also good to choose a 'more socially conscious mystery' from the works of an author whose style you like. For example, Miyuki Miyabe, whom I—no, whom you probably like too—has written many socially conscious mysteries, but if it were me, I'd think, 'There's no way Miyuki Miyabe would just end it with exposing a great evil in society'. She's sure to give us a moving human drama about the people caught in the middle of the incident.

Miki Hearing that, I thought, book lovers really do trust their authors, don't they? Is this a basic thing?

Amy I think that's true for people who have favorite authors. There's a sense of 'if it's this person's work,' and having a base author makes it easier to create stability in your reading habits. For me, Keigo Higashino, whom we talked about on the fifth and sixth nights, is like that. No matter how heavy the theme is, there's an entertainment value that makes it impossible to stop once you start reading, so I get fired up, thinking, 'I want to know what happens next! It's 800 pages, but I'm going to read it!' (laughs).

Miki 800 pages...

Amy Also, it's not that socially conscious mysteries are about writing difficult things, but that they deal with themes that are definitely connected to our daily lives. If it's Miyuki Miyabe, not only her masterpieces 'All She Was Worth' and the Naoki Prize-winning 'The Reason,' but also 'Somebody' and 'Nameless Poison' from the Saburo Sugimura series that you were interested in after watching the drama, Keigo Higashino's 'The Letter' that we talked about before, and most of the Kyoichiro Kaga series are also classified as socially conscious mysteries. Oh, Keiichiro Hirano's 'A Man' that we talked about on the fourth night is also one, right?

Miki Oh, is that so? Then we've been talking about socially conscious mysteries the whole time...

Amy The more I hear about your preferences, the more I think you like 'socially conscious mysteries where you can enjoy moving human drama.' Also, let's see, 'police novels' are an established genre within socially conscious mysteries, and there are many authors and works, so I think you should include them as options. However, since the core content is about human relationships within the police and criminal investigations, I think tastes will vary... By the way, one author who writes police novels that I especially like is Hideo Yokoyama, and he has many short story collections, so I recommend him.

Miki Police procedurals, huh? I'm not uninterested, but I think I'd like to read a story where I can really feel like 'Oh, this is happening right near me'.

Eimi Then maybe it's best to pick a book that catches your eye from an author you feel you can connect with.

Miki First, I'll finish reading 'Arrogance and Virtue,' and then I'll move on to 'All She Was Worth'!

Eimi 'All She Was Worth' is about things like card loans and bankruptcy, so it might make you think about how you use money. Also, there's another way to start, which is to look for 'books that cover themes you were already interested in.' This is important!

Miki Themes I was already interested in?

(3) 'Themes you wanted to know about' are a gateway to deep reading

Eimi This might be a bit heavy, but in my case, I wanted to know about the Glico-Morinaga case that happened in 1984, so I read 'The Voice of Sin' and became a fan of the author Takeshi Shiota, and I wanted to know about the 1985 Japan Airlines Flight 123 crash, so I read 'Climber's High' and became a fan of the author Hideo Yokoyama. You should read them understanding how much is fiction and how much is non-fiction, though.

Miki I was just a child, but I'm from the generation that has real memories of both...

Eimi 'Climber's High' feels more like a human drama or a workplace novel about newspaper reporters than a mystery, but it was my gateway to the author Hideo Yokoyama.

Miki Certainly, if you have an interest in the subject matter first, you can choose books like 'socially conscious mysteries themed around XX.' In my case, I feel like I could read socially conscious mysteries themed around things like child-rearing or the difficulties women face in life. Though I'll probably get emotionally involved and feel miserable right away.

Eimi It might be painful, but that kind of empathy can also be healing or encouraging. You might resonate with the circumstances or feelings of the characters and have your heart shaken by thinking, 'This is me.' You might shed tears thinking, 'Maybe such a life really exists,' or you might touch the depths of social issues you only knew from the news and change your perspective just a little. Socially conscious mysteries have that kind of hidden power.

Miki Are there any works like that for you, Eimi?

Eimi There are! Today, I brought a few books because I wanted to introduce Miki to some socially conscious mysteries that deal with more realistic themes.

(4) 'The Voice of Sin' depicts the people who became the most unfortunate in the shadow of a major incident

*Note: I will not include spoilers, but I will touch upon the content of "The Voice of Sin" to some extent. Please be careful if you are concerned.

Eimi This is a personal story, but for the 10 years since around 2010, due to raising children and caring for my family, I was almost unable to read novels at all. However, in the last three years, I finally resumed reading, and the social mystery that has shaken my heart the most since then is the 2016 publication "The Voice of Sin". In the story, it's called the "Gin-Man Incident," but it is modeled after the Glico-Morinaga incident.

Miki I also remember from my childhood memories that I couldn't easily buy snacks at the neighborhood store, and my parents were on edge watching the news...

Eimi We might be the generation that barely has real memories of it. Although the case reached its statute of limitations without being solved, the author mentions that in "The Voice of Sin," they reproduced the actual date and time, location, the content of the criminal group's threats and challenge letters, and the reporting of the incident as historically accurately as possible.

Miki Now that you mention it, I only remember the sketch of the fox-eyed man, and I don't really know what the criminal's purpose was in the end.

Eimi I was the same. So, I got interested and read "The Voice of Sin," and as a result, more than the outline of the incident, I was devastated by the fictional part of "who was the most unfortunate in the shadow of the great incident that shook society".

Miki The most unfortunate person? Not the people at the snack company who were threatened and victimized?

Eimi Of course, those people were victims too, but it's a story about whether there were hidden, weak existences. Even though it's fiction, it's realistic that this is what happens when adults act selfishly, and it was so sad that I couldn't stop crying. Do you remember that a child's voice was used in the threats to the companies in the actual incident? This was an incident that involved children, you know.

Miki I'm starting to feel uneasy... I think I might be able to read it with interest if it's a story themed around children, even if it's a bit difficult.

Eimi There is a glimmer of light at the end of the novel and you are saved a little, but if such things are happening in the corners of society... it really cut deep.

Miki After all, what we usually see and hear on the news is probably superficial. Also, on a personal note, for me, non-fiction and documentaries are matter-of-fact, so I'm not good at reading or watching them, but I thought if it's a story, it might be easier to empathize and read.

Eimi That is probably the great appeal of social mysteries as novels. Most authors write after carefully researching and investigating, so even though it's fiction, many are very realistic, and I think the real thrill is that while being drawn into the mystery-solving part, you can experience the state of society you didn't know before along with the characters.

Miki However, in my case, I might need to be able to read chunks of text with difficult explanations without being intimidated...

(5) "Wanting to know" transcends reading ability

Eimi Actually, when I read 'The Voice of Sin' (Tsumi no Koe), it had been over a decade, and it felt like my ability to read text had declined. I almost gave up halfway through the first part, which covered the overview of the case and the reporter's investigation. My daily reading time was short, my kids were running around beside me (laughs), and I couldn't concentrate, which made it tough.

Miki Oh, really? Even someone who loves books goes through that?

Eimi It happens! In this case, the taste was right, but my reading skills and environment weren't keeping up. However, when the story turned into a 'search for a person' in the second half, my desire to know where that person was and to understand the essence of the case became stronger, and ultimately, my 'desire to know' surpassed my reading skill. When I finished reading it, I thought while crying, 'What kind of place have you brought me to, this book...?'

Miki So 'The Voice of Sin' is also about searching for a person in the end. Searching for a person is searching for the truth... I see.

Eimi Hey, you took me mountain climbing a few years ago, right? You said, 'Even Eimi can climb this if she tries.'

Miki That's sudden (laughs). Yeah, we definitely climbed it. Even if it was a beginner's course.

Eimi I think reading is an experience similar to mountain climbing. Especially the sense of accomplishment when you finish reading a substantial book feels similar.

Miki Reading is mountain climbing? What's the meaning behind that?

Eimi Even if you can't quite find your pace at first, if you climb step by step, a view that makes you go 'Wow!' spreads out at the summit, right? It might not be the view you expected, but you feel something with your body. When 'The Voice of Sin,' which I read with such effort, showed me an unexpected view at the end, my heart was truly shaken. Since then, I've been able to find time to read again.

Miki So that's why you often say that if I have even a little interest in reading, I should eventually try a long novel...

Eimi Because the sense of accomplishment is huge. I think that as you gain experience in mountain climbing, your skills improve and you can climb more difficult mountains, and with reading, as you repeat reading several books, you develop an intuition that 'once I get past this point, the rest will be smooth sailing,' and the number of books you can finish increases.

Miki As of now, I'm not good at stories where the writer's perspective keeps switching or that have complex structures, but does that mean I'll be able to read them eventually?

Eimi Reading is all about getting used to it.

Miki Then maybe I'll try reading a heavy social-issue mystery like 'The Voice of Sin' someday.

Eimi Yeah, it's fine to go at your own pace. Also, I recently finished reading 'Subete no Sonzai o' (All of Existence), which was nominated for the 2024 Japan Booksellers' Award by the same author, and this also showed me a wonderful view. I've become a complete fan of Takeshi Shiota.

(6) Every author has a different aspect of society they want to capture

Miki 'All of Existence' is such a mysterious title. It feels intriguing, but I can't imagine what kind of story it is.

Eimi I'll save the details for another time, but the protagonist is a newspaper reporter, and investigating what happened in the past is a common thread with 'The Voice of Sin.' Reading this, I felt the author's desire to 'write about human beings' come across even more strongly. It's not just about the superficial facts of incidents or events, but this author is someone who writes about... what the people there were thinking, how they acted, what their circumstances were, and what pained their hearts. I thought, 'Oh, I like this writing style.'

Miki I'm really sorry, and I know it's late to ask, but I don't have the confidence to clearly articulate 'I like this writing style.' In that case, what should I base my choice of authors on?

Eimi I think it's fine to just read it and think, 'It's kind of good, I kind of like it.'

Miki Oh, really?

Eimi I think you are in that 'It's kind of good, I kind of like it.' In our second night's talk, when you watched the drama based on Miyuki Miyabe's work and thought 'I kind of like it,' wasn't it because you were drawn to the emotional movements of the people caught in the middle of the incident? That's why you went to the bookstore thinking, 'I want to read Miyuki Miyabe.' I think that's wonderful. I believe that continuing to read makes it easier to find what you are seeking deep down in your heart. I think.

Miki Now that you mention it, I might have a desire to know about social systems and absurdities, while at the same time wanting to encounter human kindness.

Eimi There might come a time when that feeling transcends reading skills! Also, there are many authors who write socially conscious mysteries, but what they want to capture about society differs from person to person, so if you find an author or work whose pillars or framework align with yours, it will lead to a highly satisfying reading experience.

Miki You're right. First, I'll commit to finishing the book in front of me. So, tell me about other recommended works.

Eimi Sure. Next, I'll introduce Hideo Shioba's 'Galapagos', a socially conscious mystery where realistic themes and interesting puzzle-solving coexist.

(7) The darkness of the Japanese economy starting from the death of a young man... Hideo Shioba's 'Galapagos'

*Note: I will not include spoilers below, but I will touch upon the content of 'Galapagos' to some extent. Please be careful if you are concerned about that.

Miki Galapagos... is that a story about a murder case happening on the islands?

Eimi Yeah, I feel like that's not quite right, but not entirely wrong either (laughs). This title actually means that the main industries of Japan are actually being left behind by international competition and have undergone their own unique evolution, like the Galapagos Islands. It was published in 2016.

Miki That suddenly got into a difficult topic. When you say Japan's main industries, do you mean cars or electronics?

Eimi Exactly! The theme of this novel is specifically the issue of automobile manufacturers and non-regular employment, and reading this really helps you understand what kind of hardships people working in harsh environments are exposed to every day
, and what methods large corporations use to cut labor costs.
Miki
Wait, but a murder case happens, right?
Eimi Yeah... oh, genre-wise, this is the police procedural I mentioned earlier. The protagonist, Detective Tagawa, investigates a deceased person whose identity had been unknown for two years within the police force, and that death becomes deeply intertwined with the issue of large corporations firing temporary workers
. The person who passed away was a young man, and he was a very kind-hearted person. When I found out why he ended up losing his life, my heart truly ached...
Miki
I'm a bit shocked, but can I assume that the things written about the Japanese economy and those temporary worker firing issues are true?
Eimi Since it's a novel, it's ultimately fiction in its format. But as I said before, authors do their research, and since the author, Hideo Shoba, is also a journalist, his strong belief in wanting to convey the absurdities happening in this society really came through. It's so realistic that it makes you wonder if it's okay to write this much. By the way, the appeal of it as a mystery is 'Why did he have to die?' and 'Where does the real evil lie?'
.
Miki Now that I'm this age, I think there are things that are better to know than not to know
... Do you think I could read 'Galapagos'?
Eimi It's quite a substantial read, but I recommend reading it with the intention of chasing the case alongside Detective Tagawa
. Detective Tagawa is so cool, always saying he'll definitely uncover the truth! I just happened to pick up this work, but I'm thinking of reading other books in the series. By the way, it has also been adapted into a TV drama.
Miki
I'm curious about the drama too. You brought other books, right?
Eimi
I did, but it's gotten late today, so I'll stop here.Miki 'Today' as well, right? (laughs)

Eimi By the way, next time I'd like to talk about Shichiri Nakayama's 'Those Who Were Not Protected', Aki Hachimoku's 'Lost Care', and also about the great master of socially conscious mysteries, Seicho Matsumoto.

Miki I'm getting curious about a lot of things now. No one asked, but can I share today's lesson? First!


'Things happening under this sky are never completely unrelated to you' Second!

'If you encounter an episode while reading that stirs your heart, that might be where you find what you truly seek'

Eimi Where did that come from? (laughs). Also, as for concrete examples of socially conscious mysteries, they are truly diverse, dealing with things like families getting caught up in crimes or juvenile delinquency, so if you're interested, try looking into various ones. Also, what I'm reading right now is Masaki Maruyama's 'Deaf Voice', which is a mystery featuring a sign language interpreter as the protagonist, and it's making me painfully aware of how little I know about deaf people and sign language. This is also a book selection I entered into because I 'wanted to know' after watching a TV drama.

Miki That's a world I know nothing about either... Let me know what you think when you finish it.

Eimi The talk about socially conscious mysteries continues!

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[Reading skills and tips for today... to avoid choosing books that don't suit your tastes]

・If you consider that novels dealing with problems and events actually happening in today's society are also socially conscious, not just those that expose social issues or great evils, your range of book selection will expand

・If there is an author you are curious about or like, try choosing 'works with higher social relevance' from among them

・It is also recommended to look for works written about events or themes you originally wanted to know about

・Even if you are about to give up due to heavy backgrounds or difficult explanatory text, the 'desire to know' can become the power to turn the page

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[Night 9 Preview]
Heart-stirring 'Socially Conscious'... also has amazing mystery solving

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The beginning of everything... <Night 1> is here ↓↓↓

What kind of mystery makes you excited? <Night 2> is here ↓↓↓

<Night 3> talks about book selections by popular author Miyuki Miyabe ↓↓↓

<Night 4> talks about 'Iyami' (unpleasant mysteries) and 'writing style' ↓↓↓

In <Night 5>, I talk about Keigo Higashino's Galileo & Kyoichiro Kaga series↓↓↓

In <Night 6>, I talk about how popular authors are great allies for improving your book selection skills↓↓↓

I also write about live-action adaptations of mystery novels and love for the original work... regarding the movie 'The Voice of Sin'↓↓↓

This is my self-introduction↓↓↓