Newcomer by Keigo Higashino in Paperback

Detective Kaga has a certain Columbo-esque quality to him, honing in on subtle inconsistencies with seemingly effortless precision. In a collection of chapters that almost seem like standalone short stories, Kaga diligently follows the trail of a murdered woman, questioning one suspect after another in a nostalgic Tokyo filled with family-owned stores and Ginza hostess bars. A clever and delightful mix of police procedural and classic puzzle mystery. When Mineko Mitsui, a divorced woman in her forties, is found strangled in her home, Detective Kyoichiro Kaga [...] begins to trace items found in the victim's apartment to nearby shops, using a combination of deductive reasoning and on-the-ground detective work to uncover the truth behind her death. What initially appears to be a series of unrelated short stories gradually evolves into a full-fledged investigation, as Kaga calmly and methodically paints a picture of the victim's past and the events leading up to her demise. This charming and gentle mystery, featuring