In the Miso Soup is a unique and at times, enthralling thriller. While yes there is a mystery element (who is Frank, what is he doing, why is he doing those things?), the premise becomes less about the mystery, and more about our main character, Kenji’s reactions and reflections on the events and happenings around him. There are some really interesting reflections on society at large, expectations regarding sex and money and violence, what we consider outsider behavior, and how we react to things outside of the societal expectations we have. Within this, it’s also a really fun read with a certain kind of gore that is unsettling in an unplaceable way.