ミステリと言う勿れ 3

The greatest challenge reading this series is just how wordy Totonou is and how willing he is to go off on tangents on niche subjects at any given opportunity, haha. I do like that, but it makes it hard to use context to help with understanding. This particular volume had the additional challenge of being set in Hiroshima, with many characters speaking in dialect. I didn't find it too hard to parse, and sections where the dialect was particularly difficult had a standard Japanese "translation" provided underneath by Tamura-sensei.

Entertainment-wise, this volume is about a family's competition for their grandfather's inheritance, during which they uncover a family mystery that they have to work together to solve. I had some preconceived notions about how the plot would go (fighting over inheritance often brings out the worst in people), but it subverted my expectations in ways that I found both refreshing and pleasing.

The tension is slow to ramp up, but it really hooked me by the end. And the four grandkids really won me over, even the ones I was prepared not to like. I've yet to be disappointed by Tamura-sensei's characterization.