Natsuo Kirino
Out (2003)
Author: Natsuo Kirino
Genre: Suspense (Hard-edge)
Plot Summary:
Masako and her three friends work the night shift at a boxed-lunch factory. When one of the women kills her deadbeat husband, Masako aids in her rescue. Unsure why she desires to help this woman, she nevertheless provides a gruesome solution to the problem. Masako is then thrust into a darker part of Japanese society. Along the way, she is forced to deal with a variety of thugs using only her no-nonsense approach and inner female strength. Kirino accurately describes the challenges faced by women in a gender-stereotyped society as wife and mother turns amateur criminal to help a friend in need, as well as herself.
Geographical Setting: Japan
Time Period: Present day
Appeal Characteristics:
International/cultural setting. Strong female lead character. Detailed descriptions of crime sub-culture in middle-class Japan
Read-alikes: In 1997, Out won Japan's top mystery award, the Grand Prix. It was then translated to English in 2003, thus making it difficult to easily assign similar authors. If the appeal element is its strong female lead character, perhaps Minette Walter’s The Sculptress might be intriguing. For another mystery with cultural content and strong women, try Alias Grace by Margaret Atwood. If the reader enjoyed learning about Japanese culture is not tied to mysteries per se, try Memoirs of a Geisha by Arthur S. Golden.
Red Flags:
Strong descriptions of bodily mutilation. Infrequent but strong language. Gender roles in Japan more pronounced than in US; may be offensive to some readers
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