Reviewed by Ian Lipke
I wonder how frequently a member of a young generation is so moved by their grandfather’s apparent abilities as to cast him into something extraordinary. At least it can be invigorating to find one example. The author, Masateru Konishi, is sufficiently experienced to pen a story that is believable, a story that contains weaknesses in the old man to counterbalance his strengths. The hero, therefore, is a well-rounded person with whom we can readily identify.
This story would be best viewed as a complete piece before the specific treatment of characterization or setting, or any other component is addressed. It breathes a spirit of adventure, of seeking to fit the story’s components into a telling tale that reaches a satisfactory completion. It challenges the reader with the grandfather’s solutions, some of which are too slick but, as one has to admit, supplies one possible answer to a problem. No matter how the solution is reached, we know that it has an air of Christie or one of the other great writers. No matter how dark the crime committed, the stories never lag. It helps that several stories occupy the length of one complete novel, but that is a lesser consideration to the author’s skill.
If we consider the characters in these stories, we find that they are remarkably sparse. Kaede, a twenty-seven-year-old woman when the stories begin, has a relationship with her grandfather that most of us would envy. This relationship is brought to the surface in incidental fashion and is warmed as the interface between the two is developed. The old man is a retired school principal whose educational practices, together with a remarkable intelligence, have left him beloved by his late community. A close match with Hercule Poirot distinguishes his activities.
Other characters populate the book, but none clings to the imagination. The book is a study of the interactions between two characters. Nor is there any long-term development of either figure. The character just is, any development is incidental and off-hand. It is quite refreshing to discover two characters for whom here is no long-term development filling the reader’s imagination as these do. Much of this is due no doubt to the attractiveness of the way together they solve the mysteries.
A certain measure of Pshaw-dom is allowed the reader. A measure of scepticism is an inevitable consequence to the instant unfurling of the murderer’s identity. A good example accompanies the grandfather’s solution to The Vanishing Person at the Pool mystery. That he was able to tell his granddaughter the identity of the murderer, having had no contact with the killer or the victim and then justify his decision, is most unusual. In fact, the solution as presented is not a solution at all. That a class of 9 – 10-year-olds would not notice the difference between a young woman with a well-developed figure and a school principal bordering on middle age is beyond the bounds of probability.
One of the most interesting segments occurs on pages 8ff where the old man’s dementia is discussed in general, rather than individual, terms. The three types of the disease are woven with great skill into the narrative.
All part of a fascinating study.
My Grandfather – the Master Detective
(2025)
by Masateru Konishi
Pan Macmillan
ISBN: 978-103503-769-8
$39.99; 352 pp