Out

In the somber Tokyo suburbs, a young mother who works the night shift preparing boxed lunches mercilessly strangles her unpaid husband. She then enlists the cooperation of her coworkers to dispose of the corpse and conceal her crime. This is the narrative of random violence told in Natsuo Kirino's book.

Masako Katori, the mastermind behind this cover-up, turns out to be both the emotional core of Out and one of the smartest, most perceptive characters in contemporary literature. Masako herself resorts to desperate measures in her quest to break free from the straitjacket of a life that seems hopeless.

The intricate but captivating story deftly blends an engrossing look into the gritty world of Japan's yakuza with an insightful depiction of the psychology behind a violent crime and the cat and mouse game that ensues between a team of skilled investigators and a bunch of driven but unskilled criminals. Kirino's mastery of a Thelma and Louise-esque macabre comedy highlights her remarkable portrayal of the biases and pressures that push women to act in extreme ways and the friendships that support them afterward.