Seishi Yokomizo is able to create fantastic atmosphere with death and gruesome murders. It is something I have found consistent in his books. He writes mystery to invoke a certain sense of sadness that we associate with death.

However in this book I couldn’t connect neither with the victims nor with the other characters. This was simply a mystery book with multiple deaths to up the stakes. A lot of work needed to be put to build character depth in order for the reveal to have a solid impact. A character driven mystery story needs work and patience. 

However, that being said the story of the islanders was very fascinating. If the background of the islanders and the interrelationship of the interested parties were delved into more, the story would have been rich. 

Lastly, and this is personal - the gross underdevelopment of the women characters left a bad taste in my mouth. I am honestly tired of seeing women being used as a victim in this ‘classic’ mystery stories.