Zaregoto: The Kubikiri Cycle

Rating NR Genre fiction Author Nisioisin Publisher Del Rey/ Ballantine Books

Welcome to Wet Crow’s Feather Island, a quaint little locale off the coast of Japan. Here resides Akagami Iria, exiled daughter of the wealthy and prestigious Akagami Foundation. With only her faithful maids for company, Iria has invited some of the most gifted people in Japan as guests in her luxurious mansion. Room and board are free, and meals will be provided. All that is requested is their presence and some intellectual conversation. What a nice little getaway.

Or so you’re lead to believe.

College student Ii-Chan is the narrator of this tale, as well as the accompaniment of his best friend Kunagisa Tomo, a genius engineer and computer whiz. The two comrades meet the rest of the island guests at an extravagant dinner and are introduced to a well-known painter, a mysterious fortune teller, an extremely talented chef, and a world famous scholar.

While spending time with so many highly gifted people, Ii-Chan can’t help but feel just a little bit inferior. Other than buddy Kunagisa, it seems he can’t really relate to anyone, and he’s merely on this trip because she has a phobia that prevents her from going down stairs unless she’s with someone, and only he would be willing to tolerate this quirk. His attempts at academic banter fall short and he’s constantly dodging questions about what’s really going on between him and his female friend. But despite the company, Ii-Chan is allowed access to the entire mansion and its fantastic food, a room all to himself and the ability to roam the outside grounds at his leisure, so why complain?

Just when the experience couldn’t seem any more serene, an earthquake strikes. When the group makes their way around their lodgings to check for damage, they come upon a horrifying discovery: one of their own has been brutally murdered. The plot immediately switches gears and takes the path of a mystery. Characters grow suspicious of one another and demand alibis while trying to ensure their own innocence. The fear and uncertainty of who the killer is causes a haze of anxiety to completely change the mood of this once pleasant experience. But for some unknown reason, mansion owner Iria refuses to get the police involved, yet no one may leave the island since everyone is considered a suspect. It is then that Ii-Chan takes it upon himself to step up and solve the crime.

Zaregoto: The Kubikiri Cycle turned out to be a rather addicting page-turner. It’s a very well written ‘whodunit’ which will truly make you question your sense of logic and attempts to enhance your deductive reasoning. As I continued to read I would find that just when I thought I’d solved the case, another plot twist steered me in a completely different direction, leaving me almost glued to this book. If you enjoy a good mystery and are looking for something to keep you in suspense, I would definitely pick this book up. You may find that it’s hard to step away from.