TBR & Tangents by Rachel

This is an outstandingly unique mystery drenched in culture and science. It was slow moving for a good portion of the story, but I was pleasantly surprised at how many plot twists were uncovered. If you’re interested in unexpected outcomes, deep rooted family secrets, and Japanese culture you’re going to want to pick this book up asap.

Thank you to NetGalley and Pushkin Vertigo for providing me an ARC copy of The Noh Mask Murder. All opinions stated are my own.

I was not expecting this story to have so much history and culture attached to it, but I found I loved it being the history nerd I was. What originally interested me was the Japanese setting and the striking cover art (yes I will admit it). Throughout the entire story I was pleased that both remained important factors in the plot and the setting. We were constantly reminded of the importance of different symbols and the history of everything from the infamous mask to the Chizurui family, and even some of the science used. As much as I loved the info dump, it felt like I was reading a textbook and had to remind myself that this was in fact a murder mystery. The end result was a lackluster read that was slow-paced till the very end and felt like walking through quicksand. I was infinitely not a fan of the letter-style writing, and immediately was put off. This of course is personal preference so just be warned if it is indeed a like or dislike for you.

I really did like the mystery aspect of the story. The murder is certainly completely unique and very intricate. I did get Sherlock Holmes vibes with the science added and the explanations, which is my eyes isn’t a bad thing, The family drama though? Absolutely wild, honestly I couldn’t believe what I was reading. To me it really livened the story up and gave it personality.

This was a decent read, I was definitely hung up on the dryness that seem to permit through the entire story. It made it hard to get through and fully enjoy the mastery of theplotline. 

⭐️⭐️⭐️