Trust in Makiko Ikeda (More Than You'll Ever Know by Katie Gutierrez)
More Than You'll Ever Know
When reading my favorite overseas mysteries and science fiction, I often come across certain translators.
When they become so familiar, I sometimes find myself doing a "translator-based read."
It's like, "I don't know this author at all, but since it's this translator, I'll give it a try!"
For me, Makiko Ikeda is one of those familiar translators.
It seems I'm not the only one who feels this way; a while ago, in an article by my note friend "Miton-san," a book-loving colleague appeared who said, "Makiko Ikeda is reliable."
Actually, I share that exact same opinion
Makiko Ikeda is reliable!
—that is.
Speaking of translator Makiko Ikeda, her work on Jeffery Deaver's books is famous.
Starting with the Lincoln Rhyme series, featuring a quadriplegic forensic scientist in books like "The Bone Collector," she has translated almost all of Deaver's subsequent works.
In particular, 2022 saw the release of four new Deaver translations (two short story collections, plus new entries in the Colter Shaw and Lincoln Rhyme series), so I was thinking, I've really been taken care of by Makiko Ikeda this year, when I found another one.
That book is
"More Than You'll Ever Know" by Katie Gutierrez
Katie Gutierrez was an author I hadn't heard of, but this is her debut novel as an American writer.
The original was released this June and it's already out in Japan by October—and with Makiko Ikeda as the translator, you can't help but have high expectations.
So, I read it, and to be honest,
it was even more interesting than I expected!
It might fall into the mystery or suspense category, but for me personally, it was a "book that makes you forget it's a mystery while you're reading it."
Books like "Where the Crawdads Sing" and "We Begin at the End" are the same; they are books I read more as human dramas than as mysteries.
For me, this book was one of those as well.
The publisher's "synopsis" goes something like this
In July 2017, Cassie, a struggling true-crime writer, caught sight of an article.
A local newspaper in southern Texas was investigating the background of a 1986 shooting of an Argentine man. Lore, a woman who had committed bigamy with two men, and the murder of one husband by the other.
Lore, the source of it all, had refused to be interviewed. What if the story could be written from her perspective?
Cassie approached Lore and secured the rights to her story on the condition that she wouldn't talk about the time of the incident. The confrontation between two women, both harboring secrets, would soon...
A bizarre and gripping true-crime suspense novel centered on a whodunit!
The protagonist is Cassie, a true-crime writer
and the central figure of the case that Cassie becomes interested in and begins to investigate is a woman named Lore (Dolores), who was committing bigamy with two men.
The story is structured by alternating between 'Cassie's chapters' in 2017 and 'Lore's chapters' in the past (1983–1986), which serves as the backdrop for the incident.
The investigation in 2017 and the past events are told in parallel as they head toward the climax, but the beginning moves quite slowly.
It's a substantial volume at 458 pages in a two-column format, so I thought it might be a struggle to read, but perhaps thanks to Makiko Ikeda's translation, it is very easy to read.
As I read on, I became curious about the truth of the past incident, but I also learned that the protagonist, Cassie, has various problems at home, so I became curious about that as well.
Moreover, as the investigation progressed, Cassie herself seemed to be influenced by Lore... I read on intently, worrying if it would turn into something like Sarah Waters' 'Affinity'!
Here, I will be honest once more.
In the final stages, various mysteries are revealed, but I personally felt, 'The truth doesn't even matter anymore!'
In that sense, you might wonder what kind of mystery it is, but when you read such a dense story, you really do feel that way. (Please try it for yourself and see if you feel the same!)
Personally, I was more curious about 'Why did Lore agree to Cassie's interview?' than the truth of the incident, but one of the facts revealed at the end gave me a sense of closure, so I was satisfied.
Now, what kind of book did Cassie write through her interviews... That is revealed in the epilogue, and considering that the original title is 'More Than You'll Ever Know', it was quite moving; it was truly a great read.
(If you are interested, please check this page!)
This book is published by none other than 'U-NEXT'.
I was a little surprised to find out they also publish overseas mysteries.
Well, it's not just because it's 'U-NEXT', but I thought this 'More Than You'll Ever Know' would be well-suited for a drama adaptation.
This is because the past segments depict Mexico from 1983 to 1986.
The 1985 Mexico City earthquake and the following year's World Cup also appear, so I feel it is meaningful to depict the scene of Mexico before the earthquake and the subsequent recovery.
I don't think a movie would have enough runtime, so I would love for it to be a drama! (Eagerly hoping)
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◎ Other works translated by Makiko Ikeda
Now, besides 'More Than You'll Ever Know' introduced here and the works of Jeffery Deaver, I have been indebted to Makiko Ikeda for many other books, so I will introduce some of her other translations!
'Trainspotting' by Irvine Welsh
'Fight Club' by Chuck Palahniuk
These are books translated by Makiko Ikeda that I read before encountering Deaver's works. I don't remember if the release was before or after the movies were released, but I read them after they were released.
Both were movies I loved, but the original books were also interesting.
(I might not be able to finish 'Fight Club' now, though... haha)
'Fifty Shades of Grey' by E. L. James
Oh, I thought it was a new mystery book and flipped through it... It's one I couldn't quite bring myself to buy.
It's a book that made me think, "Oh, she translates these kinds of books too."
'Ready Player One' by Ernest Cline
I read it thinking, "Wait, sci-fi translated by Makiko Ikeda?" but it's the work that Spielberg later adapted into the film Ready Player One.
If you've seen the movie, you'll know it's a "geeky" work where gadgets from 80s anime and tokusatsu frequently appear.
But reading this book, you realize Makiko Ikeda can handle that genre too, yes indeed.
'Aidan Waits' series by Joseph Knox
It's a trilogy consisting of Sirens, The Smiling Man, and Sleepwalker, and this is another series I picked up because it was translated by Makiko Ikeda.
It's a noir-style work featuring a corrupt detective as the protagonist, but the mystery elements also have a "classic" feel, making it extremely interesting.
I hope to be able to read new works translated by Ikeda-san again.
'Pachinko' by Min Jin Lee
Actually, this is a book I have sitting in my "to-read" pile, but it's one I want to read eventually.
So, I've listed these books, including ones I haven't read yet, and I think just from this, you can see that Makiko Ikeda translates "interesting books" regardless of category.
That is precisely why Makiko Ikeda is trustworthy.
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