The Final Curtain by Keigo Higashino

The Final Curtain (Kyoichiro Kaga, #4)

by Keigo Higashino

A decade ago, Tokyo Police Detective Kyoichiro Kaga went to collect the ashes of his recently deceased mother. Years before, she ran away from her husband and son without explanation or any further contact, only to die alone in an apartment far away, leaving her estranged son with many unanswered questions.

Now in Tokyo, Michiko Oshitani is found dead many miles from home. Strangled to death, left in an empty apartment rented under a false name by a man who has disappeared without a trace. Oshitani lived far away in Sendai, with no known connection to Tokyo - and neither her family nor co-workers have any idea why she was there.

Hers is the second suspicious death in that part of Tokyo - the other was a homeless man, killed and his body burned in a tent by the river. As the police search through Oshitani's past for any clue that might shed some light, one of the detectives reaches out to Detective Kaga for advice. As the case unfolds an unexpected connection emerges between the shocking murders now and the long-ago secret life of Detective Kaga's missing mother.

The Final Curtain, one of Keigo Higashino's most acclaimed mysteries, brings the story of Detective Kaga to a surprising climax in a series of rich, surprising twists.

Reviewed by annieb123 on

4.5 of 5 stars

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Originally posted on my blog Nonstop Reader.

The Final Curtain is the 10th Inspector Kaga (4th in English) mystery written by Keigo Higashino. Released (in English) 12th Dec 2023 by Macmillan on their St. Martin's Press imprint, it's 400 pages and is available in hardcover, audio, and ebook formats. Paperback format also released in fourth quarter 2023 from the same publisher. It's worth noting that the ebook format has a handy interactive table of contents as well as interactive links and references throughout. I've really become enamored of ebooks with interactive formats; it makes searching in the text much easier (for character names, for example). 

This is a brilliantly written and unusually well translated modern procedural with a contemplative and intelligent protagonist, an ensemble cast, and an exceptionally clever and well plotted puzzle. The story is mostly character driven and the characters are three dimensional and interestingly well rounded. It's a touch more cerebral than many modern procedurals and is a dignified successor to Christie or Horowitz. Readers are expected to bring a modicum of concentration to the read, there is no spoon feeding. The author doesn't overexplain or simplify.

The translation work by Giles Murray is seamless, and never intrusive, and there's no wonky scansion. It does read like literature in translation and for readers who aren't used to the rhythm of Japanese names and places (lots of both in this book) will need to bring extra patience and possibly a notepad. 

With several volumes translated into English at this point (this is the concluding book in the series), it would make an excellent choice for a binge or buddy read. The author is talented enough to provide the necessary backstory, so it works well enough as a standalone. All the books are wonderfully written with compelling and complex storylines, so reading them in order is recommended, but not absolutely necessary. I found the most difficult part of the book to be the character names, which are kept true to the original. The author/publisher have included a dramatis personae list at the beginning of the book which is quite useful.

Four and a half stars. Very very well written.

Disclosure: I received an ARC at no cost from the author/publisher for review purposes. 

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Reading updates

  • 14 January, 2024: Started reading
  • 14 January, 2024: Finished reading
  • 14 January, 2024: Reviewed