The Good Son (2016) - Korean Crime Review
Welcome to Sensei Sensibility! You are the hungry mind yearning to devour Asian themed literature; I am the (questionably) knowledgeable Sensei, more than happy to satiate your literary appetite.
If you’re looking for a grim and ghoulish read this winter, may I recommend You-Jeong Jeong’s The Good Son? This 2016 South Korean crime thriller is the perfect read to get your blood racing on a dark, dismal night.
Han Yu-jin wakes one morning in the family’s luxury sea-view apartment to find his mother brutally murdered and laid out in the sitting room – Yu-jin, covered in blood. Yu-jin has absolutely no memory of the night before and must now retrace both his and his mother’s steps to uncover the events leading up to this terrible incident.
Can he solve this mystery before anyone discovers a murder has taken place? And, must Yu-jin then clear his name, or hide his crime?
Starting at the end and working backwards is a fairly common crime trope, and when handled poorly, can often hinder the surprise and enjoyment of a “whodunit”. Here however, the time-line jumps back and forth seamlessly, not once leaving the reader confused, just hungry for more.
A masterclass in cinematic prose, exquisite plot pacing and truly dislikeable characters; The Good Son is part twisted portrayal of a mother’s love - part startling psychosexual profile of a psychopath. An immeasurably stylish read, with an abundance of plot twists that even I, a hardened crime buff, didn’t see coming. (Such was the writings vividness, I fully imagined the character of Yu-jin as Squid Game actor Wi Ha-joon.)
Perfect for fans of any of the Korean crime series on Netflix, get on to your local bookshop and ask them order this in for you. If you in turn have read something even better, let me know!
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