I had no idea the Japanese TV show Galileo was based on a series of books until - on a whim - I checked on the internet to see if I had seen all the available episodes and I saw a note to this series of books. As luck would have it this book in the series was available, so I eagerly applied for a copy.
Silent Parade is the fourth book in the series, the last to date, so obviously it may not be the best place to start, and I was fearful I would not understand a thing. But I need not have had such a fear. Silent Parade is a self contained story that follows the investigation of a “closed room” mystery, the murder of a man who - we quickly learn - probably deserved exactly what he got.
As the book unfolds we meet the suspects, all of whom are far more likeable than the victim, and we are presented with a complex view of the area's customs and traditions.
It is, as I have said, my first book not only in this series but my first by Keigo Higashino, and I have no idea whether it is a good example of his work. I found it to be an enjoyable read, but perhaps a little overlong, with more red-herrings and loose ends than I would like.
In the book’s defence, I do not read a great amount of crime novels, as my usual fare would be horror, so I may not be the best judge for such a novel. However, it could equally be said that my enjoyment of the book is a testament to how well written and engaging it is, enough so that I do intend to read through the rest of the series.
If you like Japanese crime, you should give the books of Keigo Higashino a go, but if you prefer a faster read then proceed with caution.

First of all, I'd like to thank Netgalley and the publisher for providing me with an early copy of this book in return for an honest review.
As usual with Higashino, it's a complex murder mystery, with a lot of detail and data, as well as multiple twists and turns. The story, seemingly, is about the murder of a murderer, who was not charged by the police because of lack of conclusive evidence and his refusing to confess. At its core, there is very strong criticism of the Japanese legal system and its over-reliance on confessions vs evidence and police grunt work. The usual characters are there - the police investigators, and naturally Detective Gallileo.
What I liked about the book is its pace, supported by multiple twists and turns, the broad and colourful set of characters (unusually large, compared to other Higashino novels), and the constant feeling of being led by the author in directions that prove to be wrong. On this latter point - for many a page the book seems to remind one of The Murder on the Orient Express (even supported by a well placed quote the author puts at the beginning of the last part of the book), but this proves to be illusory.
There is nothing really to dislike about the book. It's typically Higashino. However, nothing special or innovative in comparison to his other books. Great example of Higashino's work. It's also a very solid Japenese crime fiction novel. That being said, while it's entertaining, it's also forgettable.

It's that most engaging of treats, a big, fat, intelligent thriller. It is a first-rate crime novelist's ability to lead his readers up the garden path….

Two murders 20 years apart the police think they have their murderer but the suspect has an ingenious way of getting free. Chief Inspector Kusanagi needs help from his friend Physics Professor Yakawa known as Detective Galileo.
Very much in the style of Sherlock Holmes the why and how nearly becomes more important than the who. The red herrings keep coming thick and fast and then you find yourself back at the square one and looking at a new path. The culture of Japan really shines through from these pages and really enhances your overall experience of the story.
My first experience of this character but would recommend finding other stories in the series.
I received a free copy of this book from the publisher and Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.

I would like to thank Netgalley and Little, Brown Book Group UK for a review of Silent Parade, the fourth novel to feature physics professor Manabu Yukawa, aka the Galileo Detective, set in the Tokyo suburb of Kikuno.

Kanichi Hasunuma was tried and acquitted of the murder of 12 year old Yuna Motohashi. 20 years later he is the prime suspect in the murder of 19 year old Saori Namiki and it looks as if he’s going to get away with it, until he is found dead on the day of the local parade. Chief Inspector Kusanagi, who had a junior role in the first investigation, is leading the Namiki murder case and then the investigation into Hasunuma’s death but with all suspects having alibis he takes help from Yukawa to see his way through it.

I enjoyed Silent Parade, which I wanted to read as my introduction to the author and further my limited knowledge of Japanese crime fiction. It is perhaps more cerebral than my usual fare, but this seems to be a feature of Japanese crime fiction.

I’m not quite sure how to describe the novel. It is long and slow and covers a fair amount of ground in a small area with an even smaller circle of suspects. It is an amalgam of many things. On the one hand it is a police procedural but on the other it harks back to another age with an interested amateur using his logic to see through the extraneities. Then there is the conundrum of the convoluted murder versus whodunnit - there is little doubt that a group of people are keeping secrets, but the actual who and how are rather well concealed with the author revealing snippets at strategic moments. The denouement harks back to the old fashioned way with Yukawa producing several unexpected twists at the last moment.

I’m not sure if the novel is more gripping in the original Japanese but I found some of the execution rather tedious. It seems to get bogged down in detailed conversations the reader doesn’t need and that slows the forward momentum. It spends too much time on these moments before there is another reveal. As I said it’s more cerebral than I’m used to, although I did appreciate the cleverness of the essential plot and the message that the truth is not always as it seems, even to those who think they know.

Silent Parade is slower and longer than it needs to be, or more precisely for my tastes, but it still has plenty to offer as an intellectual exercise.

Silent Parade is the first book I’ve read in the Detective Galileo series and my first Keigo Higashino book. I wasn’t familiar with this series, but as I do enjoy translated Japanese fiction I decided to give it a try.

Saori Namiki disappeared three years and ago and her burnt body has just been discovered in a burnt out house in a different prefecture. Police investigate, and with the help of Physics Professor and occasional police consultant, Manabu Yukawa (aka Detective Galileo), they unearth what happened to Saori.

As this was my first Detective Galileo book I didn’t know the back stories and relationship and work process Yukawa had with the police force. I thought that Yukawa would take a more prominent role in the book, but he seemed to assist and direct the police in an understated way.

I did enjoy reading Silent Parade, I used to live in Japan and the summer parades and small back-street eateries made me nostalgic about my time in Japan. I thought the investigation was well paced and enjoyed the twists and turns and along the way.

Having Googled the author, I can see that he has also written another detective series and I will certainly look out for that series and read from the start.

Huge thanks to NetGalley and the publisher Little, Brown Book Group UK, Abacus for making this ARC available to me and introducing me to Keigo Higashino.

Silent Parade by Keigo Higashino sees the welcome return of "Detective Galileo" , a nickname given to Physics professor and sometime police consultant Manabu Yukawa, first introduced in the massively successful ,and critically acclaimed ,book, "The Devotion of suspect X".

3 years after the disappearance of a young girl on the cusp of a very successful musical career her body is found in the ruins of a burnt out house. When it's discovered that the house has links to a very strong suspect in the murder of another young girl almost 20 years previously, the police are determined to nail a man they're convinced evaded justice back then.
With friends and family up in arms about the arrogant suspect's perceived gloating he's found dead in his small apartment.
With the very long list of potential vigilantes having alibis centred around the area's annual carnival the police hit a dead end and ask for the help of "Detective Galileo"

This isn't a fast-moving book,let alone action-packed. As with the books of Seishi Yokomizo and Seicho Matsumoto' from previous eras it's very much in the style of an Agatha Christie or Sherlock Holmes novel with a complex plot and a cerebral protagonist unravelling a dastardly mystery. Yukawa has a touch of arrogance but a lot of humanity.

As with the classic Seishi Yokomizo book "Tokyo Express" this book is largely one big puzzle that Yukawa ponders, theorises on and eventually solves. He sometimes reaches dead ends and the reader is kept on their toes as they nod sagely in agreement with the main character only for Yukawa to reveal that he's got it wrong and tries something else.

The book is quite slow but it's very clever stuff that will be a treat for fans of Agatha Christie and Conan Doyle, while there's a nod to the former in the book Yukawa reminded me very much of Sherlock Holmes.

Keigo Higashino is a new author to me and I'm not familiar with his Detective Galileo series, which didn't affect my enjoyment of this novel one bit.

Let me say first I'm an absolute suckered for Japanese literary fiction and thrillers. There is something singularly refined about them which, to me, reflects the culture of Japan.

Silent Parade has not dissuaded me from this affection. I thought it one of the most intriguing detective stories I've read in a while. You appear to begin at the end where everyone is fully aware of who the murderer is but is unable to convict him. And the suspect gives off such tainted air on the page that it's easy to believe he is the culprit.

Where this book differs is that we now have a second murder, seemingly with the same killer. The rest of the book, however, is an investigation into what happens next and a lot happens.

The twists and turns simply keep coming right up until the end of the book but this is no breathless rush to the truth, it is an orderly setting down of the facts. It is our hero, Detective Galileo (who appears to be a physics professor by trade) sees through all the lies and deceit. He quietly and efficiently does what he does best, which is get to the truth.

I thoroughly enjoyed this book. I'd defy anyone who enjoys a great detective novel but is happy to leave the blood and guts to someone else. It is well written, well thought out and I will definitely be reading the first three in the series. Thanks very much to Netgalley for the copy.

I'm a big fan of a lot of Japanese crime fiction but this was the first book I'd read in this series. So I had no idea who the central character was in what was classed as 'A DETECTIVE GALILEO' NOVEL and probably missed quite a lot of fine detail having not read the previous books in the series.
While the Japanese style can occasionally come across as ''tell not show' and can remove tension at times it felt the style of this book was more than any stylistic or translation choice in making it a purely 'academic' read rather than a thriller. There are several references to Agatha Christie's Murder on the Orient Express, for reasons which will become obvious when reading, but as the explanations of the murder in question here start from the 40% mark of the book, it is more a detailed scientific examination of the case more than any ratcheting of tension.
This is not, in that sense, a 'normal' crime/ mystery work of fiction, and while it is cleverly explained I think it might be a big ask for readers new to 'Japanese' crime. (Especially, if like me, they come so late to the series - which of course, was my fault for not realising before requesting the book.) Thank you to the publishers and netgalley for an opportunity to read.