Rainbirds Clarissa Goenawan

A Murder Mystery in Rainy Night
Review by Fitrah Tanzil


It was around September 2017, when I first saw Clarissa Goenawan on comment coloum in Eka Kurniawan fanpage. I got curiosity and than click her page. She's a writer too. She was born in Indonesia and now became citizen of Singapore. Her Facebook wall recently update about crime fiction. And then BOOM!! Rainbirds is coming. Is murder mystery that written in english, set in 90s Japan city, and first printed out by US publisher Soho Press. It exceedingly thrilled me. 


Synopsis

Rainbirds tell about Ren Ishida, young graduate bachelor from English Literature in Keio University (Huh, one of highly prestige campus on Japan).  Bad news come, his sister, Keiko Ishida die from knife attack in little town -distant from Tokyo- called Akakawa. it happen on the rainy night without even one witness or track of the killer. Then, Ren decide to go to Akakawa, arrange furneral for his sister.

He company by his sister collage Honda, an exentric math teacher with sport sedan like driver in Initial D.

Flashback story, relationship between Ren and his sister Keiko became long vague distant, after she's moving to Akakawa. Ren only speak with her via telephone, talk about his ordinary life in half duplex communication. He doesn’t know, what his sister life on Akakawa. Doesn’t know if she have a boy friend or even married with someone or soon in there. Than Ren decide to go to that little town. To stay and investigated what is really happen to her sister.

He stay in his sister old flat, work in same high school, and saunter in same street she's through too. Story goes in long road and slow pace. Ren doesn't know how to start the investigate from. He actually doesn't read any detective novel or even attracted to criminal investigation. And then story goes to the questions. Is it he go to Akakawa for investigate his late sister? Or to find what is something ever lost from his heart??


The Review

Few of my friend called Rainbirds a murder mystery novel, other call it family drama or sorrowful romance with Japanese fiction setting, and the other call it to be successor of Haruki Murakami traditions. Oh well, everybody have their own interpretation of Rainbirds. For me, this story about introvert man whom contempt under the rainy weather. Man who doesn’t what to do, where to go, and than deside to disappear in place that he never known. Or maybe he just boring about his life and want to find a new world. World that he can let go his own grieved past  To go lost and to find his unwounded soul back.


Talk about character

Ren Ishida, the main character. An interovert man with cool attitude, smart, moody, and lack of spirit. He lost his sister and feel guilty. So, for the next six month, he killing the time by becoming english teacher, due to find what is really happen to his sister. Downward, this character is lack of agressivity. I think, if he has more effort, skill, and spirit to investigate his sister death. Maybe I will give this book 5 star.

Rio Nakajima, the side kick of the main character. An eccentric high school girl, who like to stealing bubble gum, rainy day, and smoke Seven Star cigarette. And because that, in the whole novel she's called the Seven Star girl by the protagonist naration. From interview with Clarissa, Rio is her favorite charater in this novel. A brave young and agresive girl, whom can do anything that other girl hasn't nerve to do it.

And then Honda, a man who have guts more than Ren. He is math teacher, whom smart, and know many thing. Automobile enthusiasm and have style like mafia in noir novel. I think, its more interisting if Honda go down to the road and investigating Keiko's death it self.

Mr. Katou, old conservative politician, whom has big mansion, that late Keiko Ishida have been living there in Akakawa. From first I saw him, Katou is red herring in this story. Have deep dark secret in his past, that he trying to buried it. But, I knew from the beginning that he is not the killer, hihihi.

The rest of other is vague and mediocre. Jin an old college friend of Ren Ishida, a lady in kimono, a collage in highschool, even the father of the Seven Star, whom has the covert connection with the late victim (ohw, I'm spoiling in it).


About murder plotting

From the beginning my brain had a reflects in what is really happen to Keiko Ishida. I'm made the prediction automaticly. Who's the culprit? Is it man or women? Is it one or many vugitive? And than what the motive of the murder? Is it conneted to romance relationship or is about heir and money? Or is about political, conspiracy, and so on?

Is it one single murder or is become serial killing? Is there any witness in crime scene or she die alone without anyone saw it? And what crime officer found ther? Is there any track of clue or trace of evidence that connect to the murderer or isn't there anything?

Than more I turn the page, more I realize that all of my prediction are wrong.

I drop on my own thinking. Like James Moriarty said. "I know you fall to, that's your weakness. You always want everything to be clever! Now shall we finish the game." I don't want to spoiling it, but honestly the ending in –this novel– surprise me. Clarissa is really brilliant for stuffing the clues one by one in every chapter on Rainbirds. Like hand's photo model, aw dunk, I almost spoiler. But lucky, not every mystery is solved it in this books.


The Conlusion

For me, what thrilling dramatic about this book is; who Clarissa wrote about Japan setting and culture, like she's really native Japanese. And all my friend said, she's inspired successor of Haruki Murakami.

But, when I turning the pages, she's reminds me of Soji Shimada; The Tokyo Zodiac. The main character run from Tokyo to Kyoto and other little town there, searching for the clue, who is the real murderer. The atmosphere is mild, humid, and petrichor. Maybe I buy this book match with the rain season and melancholy of Jakarta, hahaha. 

For me this book rate is 80 scale of 100, alias 4 star from 5. Highly recommended, especially the english version, hihihi.