Chapter 6: Decision 9
Chapter 7 Silence 81
Chapter 8: Conclusion 215
Final reverberation 332

A nightmare from 10 years ago came back to life.
Is this the same criminal or a copycat?

One leisurely morning, a call comes in that freezes all the police officers.
An elderly man walking his dog discovered an abandoned body in the undergrowth of a river in Gunma Prefecture.
Similar bodies were subsequently discovered in a river in nearby Tochigi Prefecture.
When a series of murders using a familiar method occur along the river that runs between two prefectures, police in both prefectures are shocked as they recall an unsolved case from ten years ago.
At the time, the police arrested a prime suspect, but due to lack of evidence, the case was dropped, leaving a bitter scar on everyone. This nightmare has now recurred exactly 10 years later.


"I have a bad feeling about this."
As they ran down the road, Kosaka spoke in a dark voice.
“What is it?” Kyoko asks.
"When a woman's body is found in a riverbed, everyone in Gunma Prefecture remembers what happened ten years ago." _Volume 1, pp. 28-29

Police in both counties are calling this incident the "River Incident" and are launching an all-out joint investigation.
Those involved in the incident over the past ten years are summoned one by one.
A diverse group of police officers, as well as a former detective who harbors regret for letting a criminal slip past and is determined to uncover the truth no matter what the risk, the victim's father who is grieving the loss of his daughter and is personally tracking down the criminal, a rookie female reporter who happens to be in charge of a murder story, and an eccentric criminal psychologist, all of whom have strong personalities, jump into the case.
As each person struggles to find the crucial clue, the story converges like a river, but then branches out into many different paths, leading to a complex truth.
Readers will be kept on the edge of their seats until the very end, chasing the truth of the case while enjoying the thrill and excitement of a well-structured detective drama.


“There may be a darkness in humanity that we cannot even imagine.”
An outstanding crime investigation drama that delves into the darkness of society and humanity.

I often get my inspiration from movies, and this time, I had David Fincher's "Zodiac" and Bong Joon-ho's "Memories of Murder" on my mind, so I wanted to write something with a similar feel.
What's interesting about both films is that, rather than focusing on finding the culprit, they focus on realistically portraying the human aspects involved in the case.
_In an interview with Shueisha to commemorate the publication of 《River》

In an interview with the original publisher of "River," Hideo Okuda said, "Crime reveals the weakest and darkest aspects of society," and that he wanted to portray the people involved in the case realistically and vividly from various angles.
With a fast-paced plot that overturns the investigation with a single clue, the novel weaves together the stories of ordinary people who face the tragedy of a serial murder case that casts a “dark shadow over the entire city” in meticulous detail.
Additionally, stories hidden behind the scenes of the city, such as late-night bars, local police, seasonal workers, and immigrant communities, add depth by providing a three-dimensional look into “the darkness of humanity that we cannot even imagine.”
Despite its substantial length, the story unfolds without a dull moment, leaving the heavy aftertaste of a grand-scale crime novel. "River" is a masterpiece that weaves together Okuda Hideo's exceptional strengths, making it instantly engaging for readers of all tastes.


It is an unprecedented scale for a local incident.
Everyone is so agitated.
Being in the spotlight nationwide fuels your fighting spirit, but also forces you to fight against your own shortcomings.
Saito felt the same way.
_Volume 2, page 292