파리 마카롱 수수께끼

Shōshimin #5

by Honobu Yonezawa, 요네자와 호노부

요네자와 호노부의 대표 시리즈로 꼽히는 학원 청춘 미스터리 ‘소시민’ 시리즈의 스핀오프가 4년 만에 출간되었다.『봄철 한정 딸기 타르트 사건』, 『여름철 한정 트로피컬 파르페 사건』, 『가을철 한정 구리킨톤 사건』의 다음에는 당연히 ‘겨울철 한정~’으로 시작하는 제목이 뒤따라야 할 것 같은데 이번 ‘소시민’ 시리즈 신간의 제목은 ‘파리 마카롱 수수께끼’이다. 제목으로 대강 유추할 수 있듯이 이 작품은 본편이 아니라 스핀오프에 해당하며, 본편과 동일한 주인공들이 등장하고 비슷한 흐름으로 이야기가 진행되지만 시간적 배경이 다르다.

두 주인공의 1학년 가을~겨울을 그린 이 작품은, 1학년 봄을 그린 『봄철 한정 딸기 타르트 사건』과 2학년 여름을 그린 『여름철 한정 트로피컬 파르페 사건』의 사이에 해당한다. 이미 전권들을 통해 어느 정도 성장한 주인공들을 생각하고 책장을 펼치면 어쩐지 기억과는 다른 풋풋한 모습에 옛 추억에 젖어들게 된다. 또한 『여름철 한정 트로피컬 파르페 사건』과 『가을철 한정 구리킨톤 사건』을 통해 독자의 눈에도 익숙한 일본 전통 찻집과 디저트 가게에 대한 언급 등 반갑게 느껴지는 요소들이 산재해 있다.

327 pages, Hardcover

First published January 1, 2020

About the author

Honobu Yonezawa (米澤穂信), Yonezawa Honobu, born 1978) loved making up stories even as a child and began writing fiction at the age of 14. By the time he got to university he was posting stories on his own website. After graduation he continued writing while working in a bookstore, and first got into print in 2001 when Hyoka (Ice Cream), a YA mystery novel he submitted for the Kadokawa School Novel Prize competition, earned an honorable mention. Sayonara yosei (Farewell, Sprite), a critically acclaimed story of the relationship between Japanese high-school boys and a girl from war-torn Yugoslavia, helped cement his reputation when it was published in 2004. Since then he has been a regular presence on lists of the year's best mysteries. Oreta ryukotsu (Broken Keel) won the Mystery Writers of Japan Award for Novels in 2011. Though known especially for his distinctive and fresh blending of the tale of youth with the whodunit, Yonezawa has also made forays into science fiction, as with 2006’s Botorunekku (Bottleneck) and 2007’s Inshitemiru (Try Indulging), a sinister "murder game" story. In 2013 he published the novel Rikashiburu (Recursible). He is a leading figure among Japan's younger generation of mystery writers.

source：http://www.booksfromjapan.jp/authors/...

Reviews

[CJ Tillman · Rating 4 out of 5]

Short stories that take place between the first and second books. Super light and simple compared to the previous two entries but still very fun (and these kids deserve some fun after the last two books, even though this takes place before those events). Feels great to hang out with these characters and while the book doesn’t really add onto the “小市民” concept at all, it’s cool to see glimpses of the characters at their best (though some of their bad habits do slip through the cracks, Osanai quickly suggesting trailing people or surprise attacks, for example). I liked the middle two stories (cheesecake and fried bread) the best but the last mystery was the most well constructed (Chou cream)

[Katie (inactive) · Rating 3 out of 5]

This was a cute collection of short mysteries, where the theme is some kind of dessert element (Paris Macaron, New York Cheesecake, etc.). The main character Kobato-kun is just a regular high school student, joined by his classmate, sweets-loving Osanai-san, and together they solve mysteries. This is part of Yonezawa's Shoushimin (petite bourgeoisie?) series. Though I didn't realize that going into it, and you really don't need to read the other books in the series to pick up this one.

The writing is simple and easy to follow along. Each mystery is divided into several parts, which are roughly 10 pages each, which makes it really easy to pick up and read a part or two. My favorite mystery was the last one, Florence Cream Puff, with Berliner Doughnut coming second. I'd recommend this book for anyone looking for a cozy mystery.

This may just be due to my pea-sized brain being unable to imagine the full situation without the extra information being revealed near the very end, but I did feel the way some of the mysteries resolved were underwhelming.

I didn't realize Yonezawa is also the author of Hyouka, as well as Kokurojyo, which has won many literary awards and is currently a hot topic amongst the reading community. I'm unsure if I'll be picking up the previous books in the Shoushimin series but I'm definitely interested in Kokurojyo.

3.5*

[RoninLim_13 · Rating 4 out of 5]

个人认为这是目前为止小市民系列当中最为优秀的作品。果然，11年漫长的间隔还是值得的。书本当中的谜底和案件都会比以往任何案件来得成熟很多，而且比较缜密，算是有弥补我对秋季的失望

[Mylove4book · Rating 5 out of 5]

柏林炸麵包看起來好像很好吃...好像沒看到有地方賣過......
本作是由半年內的四個小事件集結成冊, 沒有屍體、只有甜點的小市民腦筋急轉彎~(是說到底要死守著小市民稱號到甚麼時候啊...) 其中最有趣的就是柏林炸麵包之謎了, 正好也是個沒吃過的品項, 而且四方人馬陰錯陽差的過程很有意思. 睡前看真的會肚子餓......

[Hsien Tsui · Rating 4 out of 5]

這本真的比前面全部都好太多了!!!!
有沒完沒了的炸麵包推理(很得我心)，以及一起充滿惡意的事件(唉呀呀)。
話說在看這本的時候我終於忍不住想到，所以作者是不是有去取材?在充滿甜蜜氛圍的甜點店裡享用美味甜點?總之能讓我這樣想，代表我終於進入狀況了，前面幾本實在太煩悶我只能一直想到批評的語句，這本好吃又好看啊。

[ツバキ · Rating 4 out of 5]

這次算是番外篇，連續短篇集。
老實說我覺得這個系列好像短篇比較適合我XDD
可能是這集裡面主角那種自我世界觀的感覺是最淡薄的一次吧，所以可以普通地讀下去。
個人覺得麵包事件最有趣XD

[Stephanie Lee · Rating 3 out of 5]

Cute cozy mysteries revolving around sweets with Japanese teenage characters.