Manner of Death vol 1 by Yukari Umemoto & Sammon: review

4/5 stars on Goodreads

Manner of Death by Yukari Umemoto & Sammon

Manner of Death is a manga adaptation by Yukari Umemoto of an original story and Thai TV series by Sammon. It’s set in a small town in Thailand, where Dr Bun works as a forensic examiner. An apparent suicide of a woman turns out to be a murder, but before he can rule it as one, he’s attacked in his home and ordered to make sure it’s considered a suicide.

Dr Bun won’t let the matter be and people he cares about start disappearing, so he begins his own investigation. His best suspect is Tan, the victim’s boyfriend, who claims he’s innocent and has an alibi. The two team up to investigate, even though Bun doesn’t trust Tan. Despite that, the two end up in bed together. Dr Bun is very much in the closet, which adds to tension between the men.

This was an interesting murder mystery involving mafia. Bun doesn’t know who to trust, and every time he does, he’s betrayed. The reader is taken on an emotional rollercoaster ride with him, with plenty of twists and turns. Things soon get out of his hands, but the volume ends before matters are solved. The story was long as it was, so I didn’t believe it could be stretched to another volume, but I was wrong. At least we know who the killer is, just not how to get Dr Bun out safely.

Dr Bun was an interesting but reserved character, mostly due to having to guard his secret of being gay. Tan was more open and a bit flaky, despite being the dominant in their odd relationship. Even though the two ended up in bed together a bit fast, the relationship with the secrecy and anger felt real. I hope there’s a happy ending for the two, but this was more a murder mystery than a romance, so it can go either way.

The art was black and white and beautiful. Since it’s done by a Japanese artist, it looks and feels Japanese, and only the character names point at Thailand. It makes the story feel more familiar, but I wouldn’t have minded more authentic imagery.

I received a free copy from Edelweiss in exchange for an honest review.