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Strong character study drives Jones' 'Earthquake Bird'
 Harold John Behling
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A standout on the book self, I was drawn to "The Earthquake Bird" by it's unique sounding name and intriguing artwork.
The novel, by Susanna Jones, is set in Tokyo and chronicles the tale of an English woman accused of murdering a former friend of hers. The story is told from inside prison, and inside the unique and complicated mind of Lucy Fly, the story's protagonist.
Lucy is drawn to Japan to escape her parents in England. She is soon captivated by life in the city and also a young amateur photographer. Her relationship with the soft spoken man becomes threatened when a fellow female English native is introduced to both of them through Lucy's coworkers.
Lucy is brought in for questioning when a dismembered torso is found floating in Tokyo Bay.
Jones has a standout narrative style that blends first and third person accounts to make her voice unique to her and her character. The main feature of this book is not its plot or composition, but rather its in-depth focus on the psychology of its female lead. The reader penetrates deeply into Lucy's mind and memory, exposing her dark secrets and bringing plausible explanations for her seemingly erratic behavior. This depth and precision makes "The Earthquake Bird" effective and also believable.
Just as intimately as the author sketches Lucy, she paints the canvas with the city of Tokyo. Having lived there for several years herself, Jones creates the city in a way that makes it both exotic and realistic. She also uses it to create parallels between the complexities of Lucy Fly and the Japanese culture.
"The Earthquake Bird" is a strong and masterful character study, set within the realm of Tokyo and driven by the energy of a suspense thriller.
"The Earthquake Bird" is available to check out from the New Fiction section of the library.
Harold John Behling can be reached at: [email protected]
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