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천사의 나이프
야쿠마루 가쿠의 데뷔작. 소년 범죄에 대한 처벌이라는 문제를 다룬 사회파 추리소설로, 일본 에도가와 란포상을 수상했다. 누명 씌우기, 시간차 알리바이, 증거물 조작 등 다양한 트릭과 반전으로, 일본식 본격 추리의 대부 아야쓰지 유키토로부터 '사회 비판과 본격 추리라는 두 마리 토끼를 잡은 작품'이라는 평가를 받았다.
소설의 주인공은 커피숍을 경영하며 다섯 살 어린 딸과 둘만의 삶을 사는 히야마 다카시. 히야마는 3인조 강도에게 아내를 잃은 아픈 기억을 가지고 있다. 당시의 범인들은 열세 살 중학생들로, 미성년자라는 이유로 소년원행 처벌에 그쳐 많은 논란이 된 사건이었다.
이후 깊은 분노를 품고 살아가던 히야마에게 경찰이 찾아와 뜻밖의 소식을 전한다. 4년 전 그 사건의 범인이 차례로 살해당하고 있다는 것이다. 그는 복수심을 버리고 남은 소년의 죽음을 막으려는 일에 나서는데…
소설의 주인공은 커피숍을 경영하며 다섯 살 어린 딸과 둘만의 삶을 사는 히야마 다카시. 히야마는 3인조 강도에게 아내를 잃은 아픈 기억을 가지고 있다. 당시의 범인들은 열세 살 중학생들로, 미성년자라는 이유로 소년원행 처벌에 그쳐 많은 논란이 된 사건이었다.
이후 깊은 분노를 품고 살아가던 히야마에게 경찰이 찾아와 뜻밖의 소식을 전한다. 4년 전 그 사건의 범인이 차례로 살해당하고 있다는 것이다. 그는 복수심을 버리고 남은 소년의 죽음을 막으려는 일에 나서는데…
- GenresFiction
355 pages, Paperback
First published August 1, 2005
31 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 6 of 6 reviews
February 8, 2017
Angel's Blade by Gaku Yakumaru is a remarkable and amazing tale of revenge, atonement, guilt, crime and punishment. I definitely will look forward to more of Mr. Yakumaru's books.
Outline of the story: a widowed coffee shop owner is struggling to find balance between his duty as a single father and his business, plus the pain of losing his beloved wife is still haunting him: Four years ago, his wife was brutally killed in a break-in, with the couple's five months old daughter watching. Later it turns out all three of her murderers were minors (underage teenagers) so they didn't even have to go to prison--they only got sent to reform-schools.
Now four years later, one of those murderers, a teenager known only as Boy B is found killed near the shop owner's workplace and naturally police suspects the shop owner is somewhat involved. Old wounds are reopened and the widowed shop owner must confront the phantoms from his and his wife's painful past, and the other two teenage murderers Boy A and Boy C are also fearing for their own lives.
Is there really an invisible Angel's Blade dealing out justice to those unpunished criminals? Who is the killer of those teenage murderers? What is his/her purpose? Is the wife's death an unlucky coincidence of 'wrong place, wrong time' or is something deeper and more subtle lurking beneath the surface? Come and find out.
I like how the murder mystery is so skillfully laid out and revealed to us, layer by layer. I like how there is no 'black and white' answer, I also like the final plot twists and the breathtakingly written final struggle between the bad guy and the MC. I like how the issues of crime and punishment, and the flaws in the Japanese legal system is discussed from different sides and angles throughout the story telling (and not once would you feel the author is lecturing you). Last but not least, I like how realistically and smoothly written the characters are. So, five stars.
PS: the location of the story happens to be a Japanese town I'd visited before, much to my amusement.
Outline of the story: a widowed coffee shop owner is struggling to find balance between his duty as a single father and his business, plus the pain of losing his beloved wife is still haunting him: Four years ago, his wife was brutally killed in a break-in, with the couple's five months old daughter watching. Later it turns out all three of her murderers were minors (underage teenagers) so they didn't even have to go to prison--they only got sent to reform-schools.
Now four years later, one of those murderers, a teenager known only as Boy B is found killed near the shop owner's workplace and naturally police suspects the shop owner is somewhat involved. Old wounds are reopened and the widowed shop owner must confront the phantoms from his and his wife's painful past, and the other two teenage murderers Boy A and Boy C are also fearing for their own lives.
Is there really an invisible Angel's Blade dealing out justice to those unpunished criminals? Who is the killer of those teenage murderers? What is his/her purpose? Is the wife's death an unlucky coincidence of 'wrong place, wrong time' or is something deeper and more subtle lurking beneath the surface? Come and find out.
I like how the murder mystery is so skillfully laid out and revealed to us, layer by layer. I like how there is no 'black and white' answer, I also like the final plot twists and the breathtakingly written final struggle between the bad guy and the MC. I like how the issues of crime and punishment, and the flaws in the Japanese legal system is discussed from different sides and angles throughout the story telling (and not once would you feel the author is lecturing you). Last but not least, I like how realistically and smoothly written the characters are. So, five stars.
PS: the location of the story happens to be a Japanese town I'd visited before, much to my amusement.
October 22, 2009
A story about the meaning of guilt. If circumstances outside of your control lead you to commit an evil act...are you evil?
May 1, 2016
劇情安排緊湊，且將少年法中所會遇到各面相都描寫出來，十分推薦。
法律無法制裁所有的壞事，那受害者該如何面對已更生的加害者，這是個難題。
法律無法制裁所有的壞事，那受害者該如何面對已更生的加害者，這是個難題。
August 15, 2014
Chinese translation: 天使之刃
February 27, 2023
精彩！未成年不是恶魔的免死金牌，而且日本的少年发一直都是备受争议。受害者家属备受煎熬，罪犯不能被法律制裁而是被送去改教，为了保护未成年罪犯的身份也必须保密，没有赔偿，没有法律帮助，这样如何能浇灭被害家属心里的恨？受害者家属受到没有尽头的痛苦。犯罪对赎罪的理解，回归社会后真会改过自新么？
除了对法律的争议，纯粹的恶意极度的自私更让人颤栗。有些真的恶魔会利用少年法为所欲为！
人的恶不分年龄，不分性别，无关身份。
除了对法律的争议，纯粹的恶意极度的自私更让人颤栗。有些真的恶魔会利用少年法为所欲为！
人的恶不分年龄，不分性别，无关身份。
May 14, 2025
祥子和步美的形象刻画得很好，少年C有些太过仓促，以及男主更像一个推进剧情发展的工具人
看到最后还是很震撼的，我们总是眼睛朝前地盯着伤害我们的人，却很少回头看看给我们伤害过的人
看到最后还是很震撼的，我们总是眼睛朝前地盯着伤害我们的人，却很少回头看看给我们伤害过的人
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Displaying 1 - 6 of 6 reviews