Recent Noises in Crime Fiction in Japan, China and Singapore

A Splatter of Diversity in Recent Crime Fiction 

Taking off from the featured article, Top Ten International Crime Fiction of 2017, on Writer Rites, my Facebook Page, this post intends to showcase some crime novel authors from Japan, China and Singapore. Subsequent pieces will deal with France, Italy and the Nordic countries.

As discussed yesterday, Internet searches are hostage to the selective name dropping, as it were, of algorithms. And so, when I sought articles about crime fiction from around the world, what was instantly burped up was mainly authors from certain regions - the global factor was merely the locale of the action. It was only further probing that produced at least one piece, the article referred to above, with a tiny sprinkle of regional names. Even there, geographical chunks were passed over.

There are several reasons for this and most are innocuous - translation, for example, cannot, as it exists, keep up with global output. 

Now, as for my self imposed duty, I take it upon myself to bring you the neglected voices. Not only those from the past who are being systematically stifled but also the younger ones from around the globe. So, we proceed by elimination - no novels from the UK, the US and such for these seem to get enough attention. 

However, how can one address international crime fiction without mentioning leading areas such as the Nordic regions or Japan? So, of course, we shall do just that and I will play the same role as before and tell you of an author in each of those regions that I would dearly like to read.  

Then we skirt Africa, as we dealt with it in the previous post, and, perhaps, a bit of China or, rather, the Dutch take on it. 

India requires a feature on all its own, one of these days - there's a whole lot of crime fiction by Indian authors writing in English, and in Indian languages. 

Singapore I chose as I've read a Shamini Flint or two and the books remain precious to me as they brought to life, for me, the Malaysia I had lived in for a few years. 

As for China! It was hard and I can't say I'm thrilled with what I have - neither author is from Mainland China and I will eat my hat if that China is not prolifically producing, much like India, in the genre as well as in other things. 

So, we embark on Japan. Ah so! Anyone who knows me knows I have a major yen for that nation!

Japan 

I personally enjoy Japanese crime fiction more than Nordic Noir. It's a cultural thing. Thus, I've already gobbled up more than a couple of Japanese crime novels. And am dying to read Hideo Yokoyama.

This novel figures first on this list as I lust for it ever since I saw it in an airport. The sample I read was satisfactorily bleak and cold. You can see what I mean by going in for the preview offered on the Amazon Book Cover featured below.

But, for today, I give you what I now want to read, given today's investigation on the genre in Japan. 

I've selected Tetsuya Honda as I liked the synopsis and because I've seen the film of the story and more of his works on dramas or films. Sadly, I can offer you no trailer. 

The cast of the film was  excellent and I now plan to see more of Honda's filmed stuff until I can get to read this one.

Japan produces many fantastic crime writers and I hope one gets to keep up with that output.

China

Chan Ho-Kei

Chosen on the basis of crimefictionlover.com's write-up, I am a bit dissatisfied. A writer from and based in Mainland China would have been more representative to me. However, it appears to be epic and to rejoice in a unique approach. 

It looks like we can't avoid Qiu Xiaolong.

Singapore

Having read two Flints I look forwards to laying hands on the one below.

Inspector Singh is, perhaps, more like something out of Titin but then so is Poirot, after all. The series give us a chance to see into the region with the insider's eyes and that glimpse is rather rare given the lack of much translated output from there.

There is nothing quite like reading a crime story from another land. Such novels are good travel companions too for they, perhaps, read best in unfamiliar settings where anything might happen.