Audition by Ryu Murakami

Audition is Ryu Murakami’s contribution to the tradition of the femme fatale. Unfortunately, Murakami’s femme fatale Yamasaki Asami is not up to the task. Other than some vague intuitions from the victim Aoyami’s friend, and some heavy-handed revelations by Murakami that something horrible is waiting to happen, there is little about Asami to worry us that she is capable of the pending grotesqueries. There is just not enough tension here to enjoy the novel’s violent, conclusive release. Look elsewhere for your femme fatale fix.