Out by Natsuo Kirino

Out by Natsuo Kirino is a lurid, shocking and bloody thriller which takes an audacious look at lives marginalized by society and the desperation that drives ordinary people to commit acts of unthinkable violence. Kirino has been hailed as the queen of Japanese crime fiction. Out is the first of her novels to be translated into English.

Out by Natsuo Kirino

What do you expect from a novel whose heroines chop up bodies?  It is gruesome and depressing but it is quite an absorbing tale with a commentary on Japanese society, its rigidities and inequalities, tackling themes of sexism, ageism and to an extent racial discrimination.

Though some parts of the novel strain credulity, I must admit that it may be because I am not Japanese and do not understand Japanese culture and society. By the way, Out won Japan’s Grand Prix for Crime Fiction and was an Edgar Award Finalist for Best Mystery Novel in the United States.

In this densely-plotted Japanese thriller, four Japanese women – Masako Katori, Yayoi Yamamoto, Yoshie Azuma and Kuniko Jonouchi – work the same overnight shift together at a factory making boxed lunches.

Yayoi, mother of two small children, leads a miserable life. Her husband Kenji Yamamoto often comes home drunk and abusive. Kenji is infatuated with Anna, the most popular hostess at a club run by psychopathic gangster Satake. He also loves to play baccarat at Satake’s gambling den.

One fateful night, Satake beats Kenji up and throws him out of his club. When Kenji gets home, Yayoi snaps after discovering that her husband has squandered their entire savings playing baccarat. In a fit of rage she strangles him with his belt.

She confides in Masako and asks for her help. Masako agrees and they bundle the body into the boot of Masako’s car. While Yayoi stays at home to establish an alibi, Masako enlists the help of Yoshie and Kuniko to cut Kenji’s body into small pieces in the bathroom of Masako’s house. They then pack the body parts in garbage bags and scatter them in dustbins around the city. Unfortunately Kuniko, trying to dispose of her allocated garbage bags as quickly as possible, just dump them in rubbish bins at a park. The body parts are discovered and the police are able to identify that the body parts belong to Kenji.

After a brief investigation of Yayoi and her friends, the police arrest Satake when the police find out that Satake and Kenji had a fight on the night Kenji was murdered. Moreover Satake had previously killed a woman, making him a perfect suspect for the murder.

The police eventually have to release Satake due to lack of evidence. In the meantime Satake has lost his club, and becomes hell-bent to track down the real killer in order to exact revenge. He discovers the truth and sets out to destroy the women one by one. Will he succeed?