I am so glad that I got the opportunity to read an advance copy of the US version of Newcomer. I am a big fan of Keigo Higashino's other books, and this is one of his best. I read it all in one day; it completely captivated me. One was allowed to get into the unusual mind of the detective trying to recreate events leading up to a murder. It was interesting to follow his investigation seeing the false leads, small clues that helped direct him to the truth, the honesty/dishonesty of the people interviewed, the need for patience and humor. There were many characters since the book seemed to include an entire neighborhood, and it was sometimes hard to keep track of them, but it was well worth the effort. Not only is it a wonderful detective story, but it also gives a great view of contemporary Japanese culture. I highly recommend this book.

I have read three books written by Keigo Higashino now and I’ve mixed feelings about them. It’s bizarre that I’m not sure if I like them much and why not. For the records, I had loved reading The Devotion of Suspect X. Hadn’t liked Salvation of a Saint, and now, I kind of liked Newcomer. Weird, is it?
The USP of Newcomer is its title and the theme behind it. As you progress reading, you will find that both the detective (Kyoichiro Kaga) and the victim (Mineko Matsui) are newcomers in the neighbourhood where the murder happens. It’s a superb theme and is well exploited by the author to form his chapters.

I thoroughly enjoyed this police procedural. Lovely unwinding of the clues and story as the investigation proceeds and Detective Kyochiro Kaga is a quirky and methodical hero who I would gladly follow on other adventures.

This book reminded me of the movie Short Cuts by Robert Altman. There are many characters and stories and every single one is significant to the plot, even if they are not directly connected. Only Detective Kyochiro Kaga of the Tokyo Police Department seems to notice or care. In the words of one of the characters, "the precinct detective had looked into things that the rest of them had just dismissed as insignificant" and the author weaves every single strand into a wonderful tapestry to make every story stand out. There is a big mystery tying everything together: the murder of a divorced woman who had never hurt a soul and had no enemies. Along the way, we have many smaller mysteries (pretty much every chapter is a small investigation in itself). Kaga's deductive powers rival a certain British detective but, once he explains, it is so obvious it's hard to believe that the reader (at least this reader) didn't see it. The pace is a little slower, but it helps understand all the connections. Kaga is a likable character and the look into Japanese culture is fascinating.
I chose to read this book and all opinions in this review are my own and completely unbiased. Thank you, NetGalley/St. Martin's Press!

I loved the characters in this book, it's amazing having different people, each with their opinion adding to the murder mystery that Detective Kaga was trying to solve. Thanks Netgalley for the eARC.

Bellissimo: in duecento pagine Higashino costruisce una e più storie ricche di umanità, ricostruendo un omicidio attraverso tante piccole indagini collegate che si svolgono all'interno di un quartiere tradizionale di Tokyo.

Il mio preferito, insieme a The devotion of Suspect X e Under the midnight sun.

Detective Kaga has moved to a new district in Tokyo and tasked with solving the murder of a woman, also recently moved to the district. The story functions as a number of short stories with the overarching mystery woven through as Kaga investigates the final days of Mineko's life. The witness interviews have smaller mysteries within that all require solving to properly track what lead to Mineko's murder - which was an interesting touch, made even better with the chapter focused on Kaga's disinterested coworker, that worked through preconceived notions rather than investigation.
A unique mystery and one I look forward to recommending upon it's Canadian release.

Thank you to NetGalley for providing me with an e-arc. This did not influence my opinion in any way.

Detective Kaga is a terrific guy to watch work. I really loved this mystery. Keigo Higashino is masterful. I really liked the way this played out. The murder and its victim were not the central focus. It was interesting to see how Detective Kaga solved all the minor mysteries that pop up as clues and theories are tested. A great read! Totally captivating! Thank you to GoodReads for sharing an advance readers copy in exchange for my honest review.

A reprint from 2001, featuring Detective Kaga, a clever mystery. Each chapter is almost like a short story, where Kava finds himself at local businesses seemingly questioning the proprietors of unrelated material to the murder. Weighing the significant with the insignificant, meeting family members of non suspects, and good old intuition mark the solving of this mystery.

Copy provided by the Publisher and NetGalley