Return to Hiroshima
1995, Japan struggles with a severe economic crisis. Fate brings a number of people together in Hiroshima in a confrontation with dramatic consequences. Xavier Douterloigne, the son of a Belgian diplomat, returns to the city, where he spent his youth, to come to terms with the death of his sister. Inspector Takeda finds a deformed baby lying dead at the foot of the Peace Monument, a reminder of Hiroshima’s war history. A Yakuza-lord, rumored to be the incarnation of the Japanese demon Rokurobei, mercilessly defends his criminal empire against his daughter Mitsuko, whom he considers insane. And the punk author Reizo, obsessed by the ultra-nationalistic ideals of his literary idol Mishima, recoils at nothing to write the novel that will “overturn Japan’s foundations”….
Hiroshima’s indelible war-past simmers in the background of this ultra-noir novel. Clandestine experiments conducted by Japanese Secret Service Unit 731 during WWII become unveiled and leave a sinister stain on the reputation of the imperial family and the Japanese society as a whole.
Purchase Links: Amazon
My review
This is a complex novel that is overflowing with historical detail. The plot is a labyrinth of twists and turns that keeps you mystified and on your toes. The trail of voices heard throughout weave amongst each other in a clever web to create a compelling story.
This historical thriller is not for the faint hearted, as not only is it a colossal read, but the book dives into extremely dark and uncomfortable subjects that are difficult to digest and left me way out of my comfort zone to say the least. I won't delve into details regarding the plot as I feel that the book works best when the story unfurls the way the author intends it to. This to me is the books finest feature.
If you're an ultra-noir fan then look no further than this complex and compelling read. It's well written with a poetic style and delivers a dark yet unique piece of work.
Thank you to Rachel at Rachel's Random Resources for letting me take part in this tour.
Author Bio –
A fulltime Belgian/Flemish author, Laerhoven published more than 35 books in Holland and Belgium. Some of his literary work is published in French, English, German, Slovenian, Italian, Polish, and Russian. Three time finalist of the Hercule Poirot Prize for Best Mystery Novel of the Year with the novels “Djinn”, “The Finger of God,” and “Return to Hiroshima”; Winner of the Hercule Poirot Prize for “Baudelaire's Revenge,” which also won the USA Best Book Award 2014 in the category "mystery/suspense".
His collection of short stories “Dangerous Obsessions,” first published by The Anaphora Literary Press in the USA in 2015, was hailed as "best short story collection of 2015" by the San Diego Book Review. The collection is translated in Italian, (Brazilian) Portuguese, Spanish, and Swedish. “Retour à Hiroshima”, the French translation of “Return to Hiroshima,” is recently finished. In 2018, The Anaphora Literary Press published “Heart Fever”, a second collection of short stories. Heart Fever, written in English by the author, is a finalist in the Silver Falchion 2018 Award in the category “short stories collections”. Laerhoven is the only non-American finalist of the Awards.
Book review for Return to Hiroshima by Bob Van Laerhoven - Thanks a lot for your visiting Books Reviews, and your reading Book review for Return to Hiroshima by Bob Van Laerhoven,
Label book collection,
Label book review,
Books Review Book review for Return to Hiroshima by Bob Van Laerhoven, don't forget to read another books reviews.
