By James Wilson
“That was the last time Teiko ever saw her husband”.
From the last line of its very first chapter, Point Zero draws you into its eerie, muted setting. A crime novel written by the late Seicho Matsumoto, the story focuses on Teiko, a professional in her mid-twenties. Teiko marries Kenichi Uhara, the manager of an advertising agency who is ten years her senior. This age gap, though brushed off initially as inconsequential, becomes pivotal when the novel delves into the buried histories of its characters.
Only a month after their marriage, Kenichi goes missing while away on a business trip. Teiko, fearing for her husband’s safety, embarks on a series of journeys across the coast of Northern Japan, trying to unravel the mystery of his disappearance.
This setting lends itself beautifully to such a narrative; grey, storm-tossed rural coastlines and wintry, snow-covered city streets. Some of the novel’s most poignant moments occur when Matsumoto pauses to allow his readers to take in such scenes more deeply.
The story, however, rarely stays still for long, with Teiko moving back and forth across the country as her situation becomes increasingly dire. The novel does a good job of keeping the wool over its readers’ eyes, with a compelling and original mystery at its centre which keeps the wheels turning.
The characters we meet are all believable figures, each with their own individual quirks and tendencies. Teiko serves as a likeable, resolute and resourceful protagonist, joined in her search by the amiable Yoshio Honda, who worked for the same company as her husband. In the moments where the author allows the mystery to unfold, however, it can at times be done rather heavy-handedly. Matsumoto has a habit of dedicating entire pages to narration on Teiko’s speculation about her current situation. This speculation, more often than not, turns out to be the absolute truth of the matter. There are a few occasions where the novel feels as though it is offloading information onto you, rather than allowing you to feel as though you have a hand in solving the mystery yourself, as many great mystery stories do.
There are also instances where somewhat unbelievable plot-conveniences play a part in helping lead Teiko on to the next clue, but these are thankfully few and far between.
Point Zero is a subtly complex narrative which keeps you engaged throughout, right up until its vivid, emotional climax. Its grim, rugged setting is perfect autumnal reading for fans of crime and mystery.