Innocent Journey

I'm a big fan of Ms Natsuki. I've all her novels, some are translated into Chinese and others in English. The 'Innocent Journey' I read was in Chinese. The plot of this story was full of twists as usual. Yoko's psychology was described in detail, from her own suicidal nature to her feeling of her lover, Sato (to suicide with him) and later her eagerness to find out his killer and at the same time, chased after by cops. This is the typical style of Ms Natsuki. She controlled it very well, especially jumping from one scene to another and then joining it back. It was just like 'watching a movie in my head'.However, this book was written in the 70's. From today's point of view, some of the reasonings behind could not stand. I'm not giving anything out to spoil other readers' appetite.Anyhow, I would prefer 'The Third Lady' than 'Innocent Journey'.

An entertaining thriller, chocked full of surprises. I came across "Innocent Journey" during my stay in Pohang South Korea, December 2002. Yoko Noda a college student, barely 20 years of age, involves herself with a seemingly successful, very much married and older man in his late 30's. Takashi Sato is this such man. Lately his life has taken a turn for more than the worse. His wife Midori Sato has a terrible secret that threatens to destroy their relationship. His company, Sato Metal Industries is falling apart. If things couldn't possibly get any worse, one day while driving to work, he accidently hits and kills a child who was chasing after a ball in the street. Although Takaski is found innocent, the child's family in particular the grandfather, is constantly reminding Takashi of this tragic accident. At this point, a very despondent Takaski Sato, tells his mistress (Yoko Noda) that he can't go on living and asks if she would commit suicide with him. Taken aback upon her lovers request, Yoko Noda realizes that she too has felt that her life is meaningless. Together they set off to Amagi Mountain to commit a "lovers suicide" by way of sleeping pills. After engulfing 50 sleeping pills each, a disoriented Yoko Noda soon realizes that during the course of her deep sleep that she regurgitated a good majority of the sleeping pills! She soon realizes that her lover, Takashi Sato is dead, but not from the overdose. Takashi Sato was stabbed in the back with a hunting knife. To make matters worse, Yoko Noda discovers that when she awoke from her pill induced sleep, her hand was holding the knife that was in her lovers back! As the plot thickens the reader is drawn into a web of unexpected surprises! A very, very entertaining read!