Detective Galileo is back in another compelling puzzle-box mystery from the great Keigo Higashino. Whether you are a big fan of the series or a newcomer, Silent Parade is a excellent entry point into these engrossing mysteries ... Methodical, full of wonderful characters and an excellent sense of place, Silent Parade is a winning mystery experience
... first-rate ... Higashino nimbly employs a wandering point of view to let readers access the minds of key characters, from the Tokyo detectives who lean on the bemused Detective Galileo to the individuals who loved the two young murder victims, and whose opportunities to seek revenge are of particular interest to the police. Readers may note that Higashino's characters dwell on concepts like honor and shame to an extent that isn't typical in thrillers set in the West; this only heightens the stakes in Silent Parade, a twist-and-turn mystery in which, for some characters, Detective Galileo is an enigma unto himself.
... a somewhat curious novel ... a quite satisfying resolution, once everything has been explained (not least in some more surprising connections among those involved) -- even if the road there is occasionally a bit rocky ... Higashino does the backstories of almost all of those involved well -- but the one black hole at the heart of the story is Hasunuma, presented as truly evil (and not having much to say to the police), but without sufficient character-building there, making him almost a cartoon villain (and victim) ... The closed-room murder mystery is an enjoyable nod to older classic crime stories, and 'Detective Galileo' works well as a figure separate from the different interest-groups -- the police and the various suspects --, making for a quite entertaining mystery, even as with its you-(and-the-police-)sort-of-know-whodunnit (or at least you think so, for almost the entire novel) it has a bit of an odd pacing. But at least Higashino does throw in some decent twists to shake things up as well ... If a bit lumpy, Silent Parade is still a quite enjoyable read.
There are so many Japanese names here that it was difficult to tell who was who. My list helped me to separate the good guys from the bad guys and the characters from the past vs. those from the present, making the reading experience so much more worthwhile for me ... The ending of Silent Parade is extremely clever and unpredictable.
Realistic characters and beguiling descriptions of Japanese culture, food, and drinks in the fourth Detective Gallileo title illustrate why Higashino is one of Japan’s most popular authors ... Subtle humor adds levity to a roller coaster of emotion ... Readers will frequently think, 'I’ve got it,’ only to have to begin again because of the brilliant twists in this unique story. Those looking for an uncommon mystery will be delighted.
... stellar ... Higashino never allows plot to overwhelm his characterizations and explores the unintended consequences of law enforcement reliance on confessions to obtain convictions. In addition to brilliant twists, he provides shout-outs to impossible crime fiction classics. Golden age fans will welcome this flawless blend of police procedural and fair-play detection.
In a rousing triumph of the scientific method, the supersleuth, insisting, 'I’m just a regular physicist,' spins out a series of increasingly intricate hypotheses about this latest murder, tweaking each one when he’s confronted with contrary evidence, then generating newly refined and revised theories that are even more impressive in their ability to cover the sprawling network of new data ... Fans of golden age puzzles will wish this one could go on forever.
