This was a mystery, but also gave insight into Tokyo's street scene. I enjoyed it and found myself wondering what would happen next as I read.

Like Columbo, Newcomer is a new approach to a police procedural. Eight stories each tell an investigative tale. By the last chapter, the detective has solved the crime.

Precinct Detective Sergeant Kaga is a new transfer to Tokyo’s police department investigating a murder. He is a self-effacing bumbler on the surface but in reality is as smart as a whip. Each of the eight individual stories are interesting for their captivating character studies. They show both the similarities and differences between life in Japan and in America. However, they also provide clues to the overall mystery, the murder of a recently divorced woman. For example, Kaga verifies a suspect’s alibi by whether the suspect was wearing his suit coat when he went to the rice cracker shop. In other stories, Kaga tracks down the sweet buns and kitchen scissors found at the scene of the murder. In all the stories, the people Kaga is interviewing, and the reader, do not know what or why he is investigating seemingly unrelated items.

I adored this delightful Japanese take on a police procedural! The character studies were interesting enough on their own to read the book. There were definitely clues to the murderer’s identity for the observant reader, which unfortunately was not me. However, I liked the challenge. Newcomer has my highest recommendation for anyone looking for something completely different that most mystery books. 5 stars!

Thanks to Minotaur Books and NetGalley for an advance copy in exchange for an honest review.

There's something really satisfying about a well-written mystery where the solution lies in the people, not technology or genius-level tricks. Higashino's Detective Kaga excels in this, and the characterization of all the people he spoke to, from the victims, perpetrators, and neighborhood personalities made a lovely novel that was hard to put down.

Newcomer is a translated Japanese murder mystery. It is the 8th in the series, but it doesn’t matter if you start here as the main character, Sergeant Kyochiro Kaga, is new to the Tokyo police force. Kaga is assigned a murder case about a 45 year old divorced woman. His style is like that of Colombo - kind and a bit bumbling while interviewing the many suspects and coming back on numerous occasions to ask additional questions.

This book is a whodunnit. A character driven, cozy mystery more like Agatha Christie. If you prefer a murder mystery that is fast paced and dark, like I do, this book isn’t for you.

3 out of 5 stars

Many thanks to NetGalley and St. Martin’s Press for the opportunity to give an honest review for the ARC.

Publication date - November 20, 2018
Posted to Goodreads on November 20, 2018

Thanks to NetGalley for a Kindle ARC of Newcomer.

Detective Kaga is back, the Columbo-type detective is a newcomer recently assigned to a new district and helping the local detectives investigate the shocking murder of a quiet, divorced 45 year old woman.

The author has opted for a different writing style in this follow-up, introducing readers to the witnesses and potential suspects Kaga and his partner are interviewing, offering insight into Kaga's keen and shrewd mind as he pieces seemingly irrelevant clues about eyewitnesses and suspects and assisting them with personal and professional troubles at the same time.

Kaga is his usual unassuming but sharp and witty self, ingratiating himself with the pool of suspects and grieving relatives and friends as he traces everyone's steps on that fateful day.

The detective is not the main character; the locals are. Since Kaga is a recent transplant to the town, his investigation allows him to pound the pavement, get a sense of his new surroundings and meet new people.

Each person with a link to the murder, however small, has a story to tell; a personal trauma or drama to deal with, and Kaga's interactions with each person, however brief, makes a lasting impact on every individual.

I enjoyed the writing style, the tone of the narrative and how Kaga was not the focus of the story; rather, the locals and neighbors involved in his case, the stories they each had to tell and their connection to the victim and how they all played a role in the murdered woman's life in some way, was a refreshing way of solving a mystery.

I also liked the title; how it refers to both Kaga and the murder victim and the irony that Kaga, new to town, is tasked with solving the case, but accepts his new challenge with his usual aplomb and humility.

Keigo Higashino is a new author for me. This episode of the Kyoichiro Kaga mystery series is a complete enchanting delight. Higashino tells the story of Kaga’s investigation into a woman’s murder in the form of small vignettes describing life in one Tokyo neighborhood. Each of the small stories makes some aspect of modern Japanese life come to life in a fresh and fascinating way. Young adults and their relationships with their parents, marriage and divorce, pregnancy and infidelity… each of these stories tells a piece of the larger story of the murder.

I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

My Review
I always look forward to reading Keigo Higashino’s books and this time too I did not lose even a single second to request his latest book Newcomer once I came to know that the book was available on NetGalley. And, you know what; the book was on my kindle the next day as the publishers approved my request. Thank you so much, St. Martin’s Press for approving my request. You really made me happy. I got so excited after getting my hands on this book that I left all the other books that I was reading midway and started reading Newcomer. I couldn’t hold my excitement of reading a new book by Keigo. This, in a way, reflects my love for Keigo Higashino.

The plot of the book under review is a simple one. A woman gets murdered in her apartment and our beloved Detective Kyoichiro Kaga gets the charge to investigate this murder. A number of suspects who could have killed the woman gradually emerge and Kaga works his way through these suspects. His investigation forms rest of the story. After reading this, you will feel that it looks like a routine murder mystery and there is nothing new in it. But, here you are wrong. Yes, it is a routine murder mystery but the way it has been presented is really brilliant. The book does not give you a linear storyline or a linear plot. On the other hand, it gives you a number of smaller plots or a number of small investigations that merges to form one large central plot. Read the book and you will understand clearly what I am trying to say.

There is a common saying that too many cooks spoil the broth. Likewise, too many characters in a book can spoil the story. This is what we generally think. Isn’t it? However, this is not the case in the present book. There are a large number of characters in addition to Detective Kaga. But these characters do not create a confusing environment in your mind. On the other hand, you cherish almost each and every character. And, most importantly, each character has its own importance, and together all these characters help the story to move ahead.

The story is not fast-paced but you will love the steady pace of the plot. In fact, your reading will flow with such an ease that you won’t even realise it. Book covers of Higashino books always disappoint me and the same can be said for the cover of this book too. It could have been much better.

Higashino is a brilliant storyteller. He knows how to weave a complicated but brilliant mystery, and, most importantly, he always tries to do something different in each of his books. He does not believe in writing the murder mysteries in so-called traditional ways. He generates new methods to entertain his readers. The ways by which he writes his plots are not only innovative but also excellent. This is one of the reasons people love reading his books. And, this time too, the author does not disappoint you. This book is as good as his previous books read by me so far. While I won’t rate it as a ‘five-star’ book, this book definitely deserves the rest of the stars.

This is a very entertaining procedural with, for once, a detective who is not a troubled man. Detective Kaga is charged with finding the murderer of Mineko Mitsui. The structure of this mystery is unique in that each chapter represents his interview of a shopkeeper in the neighborhood. You'll learn a little about a lot of suspects but even more, I think, about small business in Tokyo. Mitsui had her secrets as did the people Kaga interviews. I did not guess how this would turn out, which is a plus, and I enjoyed the journey. Thanks to net galley for the ARC. This is well written and translated and it's a treat to read Higashino, who is justifiably popular in Japan.

This is more a linked set of stories than a novel. Detective Kaga solves the murder of a woman by visiting the shops in her neighborhood. He is a newcomer to the area and uses his time to solve a series of small problems concerning the local merchants. It takes quite awhile for him to get around to the murder, but it is a charming excursion.

Like every other Higashino novel, this one’s different from traditional crime fiction. The premise is simple. A woman is dead and our favorite detective Kaga starts investigating. The business district near the woman’s apartment is filled with shops whose owners are in some way linked to her murder. How Kaga finally unmasks the killer forms the rest of the story.

The Higashino touch in this novel is that we don’t see Kaga’s POV until the very end. Instead, each chapter is dedicated to one of the shops of the business district of Nihonbashi. You get introduced to at least 3 new characters every chapter, but it doesn’t get confusing at all. And therein lies the beauty of a Higashino book.

We get the shop owners’ perspectives when they’re being investigated by Kaga and the other detectives of his precinct. At the end of each chapter, we also get to hear Kaga’s reasoning behind suspecting the people he did in that chapter. This was my only problem with the book. I don’t think a detective would reveal any information about an ongoing investigation to a person, despite them not being a suspect anymore.

But it’s very easy to look past this minor issue as the story is very plot-driven and fast-paced. If you’re craving crime fiction right now, this–or any other Higashino–should be your go-to!

Great detective story where we meet again detective Kaga, whom I love much more than detective Galileo from the same author. bering new to the precinct, he starts to investigate all the shops the victim used to go before being killed and so the writer builds up the story for us also, only trough the eyes of shops assistants and neighbors. Cool story, great krimi.

Bel giallo dove reincontriamo il detective Kaga, che mi piace molto di piú del Detective Galileo, sempre dello stesso autore. Nuovo nel quartiere, Kaga comincia ad investigare tutti i movimenti della vittima attraverso le visite ai negozi che soleva fare e quindi la storia ci si dipana davanti agli occhi attraverso i racconti di commesse e negozianti. Bella storia, grande investigazione.

THANKS TO NETGALLEY FOR THE PREVIEW!

I have never come across this style of book before and I found it so refreshing. Each chapter is based around a different shop or establishment in a street in Tokyo. These individual tales contain their own little mysteries and a clue towards the case actually being investigated. They are delightful little slices of Japanese life, whether happy, sad or hopeful and I thoroughly enjoyed them. These little threads are pulled together into a big knot at the end. The main character, Kaga, is unlike any detective I have come across and is one I want to read about again.

I was really prepared to like this book. I love all things Tokyo and Detective Kaga reminded me of the old show, Colombo with the bumbling detective whose last questions always elicited the answers he needed. And in the first 50% of the novel, I was invested and enjoying it with all the suspects being interviewed and the red herrings in the way. But at around that time...I just got bored with the story as there were SO many suspects and I was anxious to know the killer. I think those that have loved Higashino's other books will appreciate this one as well; it just didn't keep my attention all the way through.

This book really does read much like a Japanese version of Sherlock Holmes, giving the reader not only the thrill of a murder but also an educational journey into Tokyo's street life. Very authentic and enjoyable.

Thank you NetGalley for the copy in exchange for my honest review.

Newcomer is another masterpiece by Higashino. He continues the preeminent author of Japanese crime novels.

I have been an avid fan of Higashino's Galileo series since reading The Devotion of Suspect X, but I was not familiar with this series starring Kaga. In this intriguing murder story, in which no blood or gore of any kind reaches the reader's eyes, Kaga uses his powers of deduction to solve the mystery. Along the way we are exposed to bits of Japanese culture that are not often available to Western readers. Just as Doyle did in his Sherlock stories, Higashino plays fair ball with readers. All the clues are there, but unless one observes keenly, the solution will be as elusive to the reader as they are to Kaga's colleagues. The translation also seems to be well done. This book will appeal to readers who cherish the ability to use one's intelligence and insightfulness to solve a complicated puzzle.

3.5 rounded up. Newcomer refers to the detective who is new in town and trying to solve the case of the murder of a forty-five-year-old divorced woman. If you like traditional, non-gory mysteries, you’ll like this story. In many detective novels, the cops have a grim, gritty disposition and possibly a drinking problem. Sergeant Kaga is downright friendly as he goes from shop to shop looking for small clues.

It turns out I’m not a huge fan of traditional, non-gory mysteries with affable detectives collecting evidence, but what made this novel not amazingly awesome to me was how many clichés there were. I’m sure it’s a function of translating from Japanese—I suspect that language also has clichés, but my guess is that they are different than those we English speakers sometimes use, and this translation abounds with them.

However, if you can ignore the clichés and like sweet (for a murder mystery) novels, you’ll enjoy Newcomer, which RELEASES NOVEMBER 20, 2018. Thanks so much to NetGalley and St. Martin’s Press for the opportunity to review this novel.

4 stars

Detective Kyochiro Kaga recently of the Tokyo Police Department responds to the call of a dead body. The dead person is a woman.

When it comes to the number of potential suspects, they are legion. It seems that they are all keeping secrets.

This well written and translated novel illustrates the everyday in Japanese life. Kaga is very smart and has an unusual style of investigating the crime. Like another reviewer, I have to say that he reminds me of Lieutenant Colombo of the Los Angeles Police Department. Like Colombo, Kaga looks very carefully at all angles and thinks about things at length before making a decision or taking action. His attention to detail is remarkable and his powers of observation are keen. This is my first novel by this author, but it won’t be my last. I like his style of writing and immediately went to Amazon to look for others of his books that have been translated into English.

I want to thank NetGalley and St. Martin’s Press/Minotaur Books for forwarding to me a copy of this great book for me to read, enjoy and review.

I have been a huge Higashino fan ever since I read The Devotion of Suspect X and am so happy that some of his many novels have been translated into English. Newcomer stars Detective Kyoichiro Kaga, a quiet, sly, intuitive detective. The story follows Kaga as he investigates the murder of Mineko Mitsui by strangulation. His actions make no sense to another detective assigned to the case. All he ever does is visit with a host of people on the periphery of the crime. However, each person Kaga interviews provides another small but vital piece of the puzzle.

Kaga reminded me of a Japanese Columbo. There's no gunplay, no violence or sex -- just pure intelligence. I found the story compelling and was happy just to watch Kaga do his thing. Newcomer was a delight!

Thank you NetGalley and Minotaur Books for providing me with an advance copy. I highly recommend Newcomer.

This third in a series of books about the relentless detective, Kaga, are classic deduction tales.

A women with no apparent enemies is strangled in her apartment and discovered within a couple of hours by a friend.

There are enough red herrings to open a sushi bar as Kaga interviews and than revisits the slenderest of clues. Why did someone deliver cakes to the deceased, one filled with wasabi paste? Why did she visit a coffee shop almost daily, striking up conversations with a pregnant young waitress? Why is her son estranged and why was she re-opening her divorce case against her ex-husband.

The list of characters in this book is listed by such helpful designations as "Girl in Cracker Shop," or "Waitress in coffee shop," at the beginning of the book. This was helpful as there are quite a few interviews conducted as Kaga makes his rounds.

Although this novel is fun, the Kaga series is not as psychologically complex as the author's Detective Galileo Mysteries, This 2018 translation from the Japanese was originally published in 2001 and the absence of cell phones and other modern methods of detection such as DNA makes the investigation seem almost mid-20th century. Even so, Higashino is a great writer and this one is definitely worth a read.

This reviewer, however, can't wait for a more current work from this writer.