Book Reviews - The Aosawa Murders by Riku Onda & Grab a Snake by the Tail by Leonardo Padura

I rarely read crime or mystery novels, but I’m a huge fan of Japanese literature and have enjoyed the few crime novels I’ve read by Japanese authors. The Aosawa Murders is about the mass poisoning of an entire household, told several decades later by those connected in some way. It is intelligently written and well translated, and the slight distance created by the observant tone suits the novel well. The story is a slow-burner, but nevertheless compelling, revealed through the narrative strands of several different characters. These different accounts are often written as though they are interviews, however we never hear the questioning voice, only the responses. An unusual and clever novel from Bitter Lemon Press.

The other book I was sent to review by Bitter Lemon Press was Grab a Snake by the Tail, a detective novella by Cuban's leading crime author, Leonardo Padura. I'm not familiar with Padura's work, but I am familiar with (and love reading about) Havana, and this is a spin-off from his popular Havana Quartet. His die-hard fans seem to be in unanimous agreement that this novella is not a patch on his other work – and I have to say I'm relieved! I enjoyed it for what it was – for the gritty noir portrayal of dimly-lit Havana evenings, for the black humour and the smoky, sensual atmosphere. But I found the story a little far-fetched and patchily executed. As others have commented, this is clearly a short story-turned-novella, but I'm not sure it had the legs to go the distance. Still an enjoyable romp through Havana's underbelly.