Dell P

Something about the preview description had made this book sound more like a version of "A Separate Peace" - that high school classic assignment. Private school boys, a rowing team, a reunion, etc. However, I liked this first person narrator and the story in general a lot more. Plus there's a female character, and Carolyn seemed very believable to me. I also enjoyed his position with National Geographic.

This who-done-it quickly became who-cares. While there is a certain intelligence throughout, the plot is more tedious than taut.
True salvation here is in tighter editing.
The reader is so exhausted by the redundancy of the plot that the finely-drawn characters get lost. Ditto for the intriguing juxtaposition of ancient Japanese culture and modern, fast Tokyo---bogged down by excessive and repititive plot.
Tension between Ayane, Hiromi, and the ghost of Junko builds well. However, this is not enough to carry a weak and rather naive story.
Dynamics between the police and professor were way overdone.
Overall, as an avid reader of this genre, I am underwhelmed. More tepid than chilling.