Sayonara, My Sweet

When beautiful twenty-three-year-old Kaori Hirakata is found poisoned in the bedroom of her parent’s house in a privileged neighborhood, suspicion immediately falls upon Kaori’s boyfriend, Hiroki Sato, who has links to the Yakuza and vanishes on the night of her murder. Twelve years pass, and the case grows cold, but Aki, Kaori’s brother, is haunted by her death and resolved to find answers, however dangerous and painful they may be. Opening in rural Japan in 1988, SAYONARA, MY SWEET, is a beguilingly good murder mystery soaked in Japanese culture and driven by the tortured Aki and enigmatic Chief Inspector Ito. O’Harra has produced a well-written, carefully constructed, and gently intriguing narrative, which spans three decades until the final, stunning twist.