Turning the typical job interview process on its head, Akinari Asakura’s The Final Six is a suspenseful thriller. Most of us can relate to the wracked nerves and sweaty palms that come with being grilled by a potential employer, and when Shogo Hatano applies for a graduate position at one of Japan’s biggest tech companies, he’s thrilled to reach the final six.
However, there’s a catch: the candidates must reconvene in a month and decide between themselves who should get the role. As discussions commence, they notice six envelopes addressed to each candidate in the room – each one containing a damning secret that threatens to destroy the path they imagined would lead to the role of their dreams.
Narrated in two parts, the first dedicated to the plight of the candidates before the group vote, while the second investigates the unravelling. The characters are layered, and manage to invoke a multitude of reactions – anger, sympathy, sadness – showcasing the dark and the light of their behaviour.
Well-paced, engaging, and with a heightened tense atmosphere, The Final Six is a fascinating twist on the conventional psychological mystery and an impressive work of fiction in its own right. A bestseller in Asakura’s native country, and with Japanese fiction rising in popularity, I predict it will enjoy similar success in this part of the world.
