First published 2018
Kazami's boyfriend Shoji has killed himself. He was translating a collection of English stories called N.P., written by a celebrated Japanese author who also committed suicide. The collection contains ninety-eight stories, but something about the final one drives every translator to choose death. Shoji becomes the latest victim of this deadly pattern. Kazami cannot understand why a story would push someone to suicide. She begins investigating the mysterious collection and the circumstances around Shoji's death. As she digs deeper into the truth behind the ninety-eighth story, she moves through the streets of Tokyo, searching for answers. The investigation forces her to confront her grief over losing Shoji and her confusion about what drove him to such a desperate act. Kazami eventually uncovers the secret that makes the final story so lethal to its translators. Her discovery leads her to a startling realization about the events that destroyed her relationship and claimed her boyfriend's life.
Genres: literary-fiction, mystery, contemporary, psychological-thriller
Vibes: intimate, suspenseful, thought-provoking
Tropes: investigation, unreliable-narrator
Setting: Tokyo
Period: contemporary
208 pages · Paperback · Grove Press
Content warnings: depression, suicide