Overview
A novel impulsively purchased by my dear roommate. They lent it to me, so I read it. Here's a summary and my thoughts.
Summary
- The religious group "Blood's Atonement" consists of sinners living an Amish-like life for atonement.
- They live in an area isolated by cliffs.
- Like the Amish, they produce vegetables and livestock, but they also grow and sell marijuana.
- A earthquake damages their marijuana production, leading the cult leader to attempt a mass suicide.
- There are two children, Douni-kun and Lize-chan, who want to escape from there.
- They try to escape using this event, but after various troubles, Douni-kun dies, and only Lize-chan survives and is rescued by the police.
- Lize-chan was young, so she doesn't remember the "various troubles" well.
- However, the circumstances suggest that Lize-chan might have killed Douni-kun, but it's also possible she didn't... She lives with this uncertainty, hoping for Douni-kun's reincarnation as taught by the cult.
- Douni-kun's sister is not at peace, wondering whether Lize-chan killed her brother or not. To find out, she knocks on the door of a detective agency.
- Detective Ueoru Joe and his friend Yao Fulin take on the mystery.
- However, various groups opposing the detective interfere. It's annoying, but ultimately, their interactions help the detective correct his initial conclusions, leading to a happy ending.
Thoughts
- The "village overview map" on the first page was already interesting. It says things like "Waterfall: Dries up after the incident." Spoiler?! I laughed at that. This story is about contemplating past events, so such notations make sense.
- After reading books that took a long time to finish, this easy-to-read mystery novel was a refreshing and enjoyable change.
