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Death Note: Another Note - The Los Angeles BB Murder Cases

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There's a serial killer loose in Los Angeles and the local authorities need help fast. For some reason the killer has been leaving a string of maddeningly arcane clues at each crime scene. Each of these clues, it seems, is an indecipherable roadmap to the next murder.

Onto the scene comes L, the mysterious super-sleuth. Despite his peculiar working habits, he's never shown his face in public—but this time, he needs help.

Enlisting the services of an FBI agent named Naomi Misora, L starts snooping around the City of Angels. It soon becomes apparent that the killing spree is a psychotic riddle designed to specifically engage L in a battle of wits. Stuck in the middle between killer and investigator, it's up to Misora to navigate both the dead bodies and the egos to solve the Los Angeles Murder Cases.

176 pages, Hardcover

First published January 1, 2006

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7034 people want to read

About the author

NisiOisiN

299 books959 followers
Nisio Isin (西尾維新 Nishio Ishin), frequently written as NisiOisiN to emphasize that his pen name is a palindrome, is a Japanese novelist and manga writer. He attended and left Ritsumeikan University without graduating. In 2002, he debuted with the novel Kubikiri Cycle, which earned him the 23rd Mephisto Award at twenty years of age.

He currently works with Kodansha on Pandora, the Kodansha Box magazine, and Faust, a literary magazine containing the works of other young authors who similarly take influence from light novels and otaku culture. He was also publishing a twelve volume series over twelve months for the Kodansha Box line; Ryusui Seiryoin was matching this output, and the Kodansha Box website stated that this is the first time in the world two authors have done twelve volume monthly novel series simultaneously from the same publisher.

In February, 2008, his novel Death Note Another Note: The Los Angeles BB Murder Cases was released in English by Viz Media. Del Rey Manga has already released the first volume in his Zaregoto series. His Bakemonogatari, Nisemonogatari and Katanagatari novels have been adapted into anime series. Nekomonogatari (Kuro) has been adapted into an anime TV movie, and Kizumonogatari will be release in theaters this year. Monogatari Series: Second Season, adapted from 6 books in Monogatari Series will air in July 2013. Another of his works, Medaka Box (manga), has been adapted into a two-season anime series.

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Displaying 1 - 30 of 1,081 reviews
Profile Image for Petrik.
768 reviews60.4k followers
May 5, 2023
3.5/5 stars

It's Death Note, of course it’s great.


Death Note: Another Note The Los Angeles BB Murder Cases is written by Nisio Isin and it’s a spin-off novella from the massively popular manga/anime series, Death Note, which was created by the highly acclaimed duo, Tsugumi Ohba and Takeshi Obata. It’s a great detective novel and it’s definitely a must-read for all Death Note fans.

This novella shows Naomi Misora—a great female detective that appeared briefly in the original work—on her case with L before the time of the manga. Even though this is technically a prequel and the story can be read without reading the manga or watching the anime first, it’s really mandatory in my opinion to experience the original work first. Not only this novella contains gigantic spoilers for the series, it would give even more information and background on who these characters are if you’ve read the main series.

“The most intelligent people disguise the fact that they are intelligent. Wise men do not wear nametags. The more people talk about their own skills, the more desperate they are—their work should speak for itself.”


There aren’t a lot of things to say without spoiling stuff, the only thing I’ll add is that Beyond Birthday is a fascinating villain and the author/translator did a great job on this work. I do think that this piece of work would be even better in manga format though.

Picture: Death Note: Another Note interior artwork 1



Highly recommended for all Death Note fans. Thank you, Mary, for giving me this novella as a late birthday gift!

You can find this and the rest of my Adult Epic/High Fantasy & Sci-Fi reviews at BookNest
2 reviews
June 26, 2008
Oh my GOD!!!!!!!!!!!

This was one of the best, no, the best murder mystery that I have read before!

It was so nice to be able to see familiar chareters in a new setting and writing style. The ending made a little sad though... I was hoping that Rue Ryuzaki was really L, cause' the authors description fit him 'almost' perfectly. And, having Mello as the narrorator was really awsome!
This book is the kind of book, where I hope that the author never wants to commit a murder, cause, if they did, they would be really good at it!
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
Profile Image for Joshua Fialkov.
Author 441 books138 followers
June 15, 2008
If this were made in America, it would be terrible. A spinoff prose novel of the beloved manga Death Note. But, Japan just knows better. It's an amazingly executed novel that perfectly uses the literary medium, creating something so much more compelling than you'd ever imagine it to be.

Non-essential for enjoying Death Note, but, it really does add so much more to the experience.
Profile Image for Bahar Hf.
63 reviews16 followers
April 19, 2025
اگه مجموعه مانگاهای death note دفترچه ی مرگ رو که حول و‌حوش سالهای ۲۰۰۳ ، ۲۰۰۴ نوشته شد، خونده باشید یا انیمه ی مرتبط با این اثر رو دیده باشید و جذبش شده باشید، که به جرات میشه گفت یکی از آثار برجسته ی ژاپن توی ژانر پلیسی معماییه_قطعا از این کتاب که در واقع اسپین آف مجموعه است خوشتون خواهد اومد.

این داستان، چند سال قبل از مبارزه مشهور بین ال و کیرا (که داستانش در دفترچه مرگ اومده)  اتفاق می افته و ماجرا حول حل کردن معمای قتلهای سریالیه که توسط شخصی به نام بیاند بیرثدیbeyond birthday اتفاق می افته. مطالبی که در ادامه می نویسم، پیش زمینه ی مهمی برای فهم داستان و ارتباط بخش های مهم داستانهای دفترچه مرگ و این داستانه و اسپویلی هم نداره.

اطلاعات عمده ی این کتاب، در واقع،  از فصول آخر دفترچه ی مرگ میاد، اونجا که همه چیز از خونه ی وامی تو انگلیس شروع میشه ، جایی که سرپناه بچه های بی سرپرست بود، به مدیریت واتاری و وامی. ال L اولین بچه ازین خونه بود که از نطر هوش و نبوغ مورد توجه واتاری قرار گرفت و تصمیم بر این شد که تحت سرپرستی ویژه قرار بگیره. نتیجه ، خلق بزرگترین کارآگاه دنیای مانگا و انیمه بود با چهره، صدا و اسمی ناشناخته که دور را دور به حل پیچیده ترین معماهای جنایی در مقیاس جهانی می پرداخت. مسلما این ویژگی ال  الهام گرفته از معمای کاراگاه پشت میز نشینه_  که از مجموعه کاراگاهی لوپن الن پو شروع شد و با مجموعه ماجراهای هلمز و پوارو ادامه پیدا کرد.

به هر حال، بعد از ال خونه ی وامی به دستچین کردن بچه های نابغه ای که سرپرستی نداشتن اقدام کرد، بچه هایی که الگوی بزرگی به نام L داشتن. حتی در ارزوی رسیدن به جایگاه L به عنوان کارآگاه و برای جانشین احتمالی او در آینده به رقابت با هم پرداختند. این بچه ها دنباله روی L  ، تمامی شیوه های فکری، الگوهای عملی ، نشست و برخاست، حل معما و کوچکترین جزییات فکری و حتی غذایی ال رو کپی کردن. دو نمونه از این کپی کارای کوچیک رو در فصل آخر دفترچه مرگ دیدیم تحت عنوان M و N (ملو) که این دو حتی به رقابت و دشمنی با هم برای گیر انداختن کیرا مشغول شدند، دشمنی که تونست L رو تنها با کمک خدایان مرگ(شینیگامی)، شکست بده. در نهایت N بود تونست با روش های فکر مشابه L ، کیرا رو‌ گیر بندازه و پایان عجیبی رو برای این آرمانگرای عدالتخواه، رقم بزنه.
   
اما این داستان، که از زبون M یکی از بچه های یتیمخونه ی وامی بود، تعریف میشه،  داستان بچه ی بی سرپرست دیگه ی خونه ی وامی ه با نام مستعار B. بی با دیگران متفاوته.  اینبار B برای اثبات خودش به عنوان جانشین شایسته ای برای L  نه به روش های حل معما که به عنوان جنایتکار به طرح معماهای جنایی برای این کارآگاه ها روی میاره: جنایتکاری به جای کارآگاه. که قطعا از یکی از نقل قول های معروف شرلوک هلمز گرفته شده. با ارتکاب سه فقره قتل های بی ربط ، معماهایی رو در صحنه ی جنایت مطرح می کنه که بزرگترین کارآگاه قرن، یعنی L رو به چالش بکشه و وادارش کنه خودش به صحنه ی جرم بیاد و اولین نفری باشه از خونه ی وامی که L  رو می بینه و باهاش رو در  رو میشه.

معماهای مطرح شده در سه فقره قتل انجام شده_ با ایده ی مشهور اتاق دربسته ، بازم ایده گرفته از ادبیات کلاسیک اما با راه حلی نو و متفاوت_ بسیار جالب و هوشمندانه طراحی شدن و مخاطبو درگیر خودشون می کنن.  به هر حال، L به جای دخالت مستقیم، یکی از کارکنان زن اف بی آی به نام نائومی میزورا رو به عنوان جانشین خودش به صحنة های وقوع قتل  میفرسته.
رو در رویی میزورا _ که  بعدها در یکی دو قسمت دفترچه مرگ هم حضور پیدا میکنه و  داستان و سرنوشت او هم در مبارزه با کیرا  بسیار به یاد موندنیه_ و کاراگاه دیگه ای به نام ریوزاکی، نام مستعار دیگه ی L ، کشش بسیار خوندنی برای داستان به وجود اورده. نه تنها کشش داستان،  بسیار قویه، بلکه جو و فضای حاکم توی داستان مخاطب رو به حال آماده باش و در ترس دائم نگه میداره. کاراکتر مرموز  ریوزاکی ، ارتباط عجیبش با میزورا، دیدار اتفاقیش با او در صحنه قتل و اطلاعات تحلیلیش تو حل معمای قتل ها ، فضای سنگینی برای مخاطب میسازه. انگار که ریوزاکی مرموز همه جا از حرکت بعدیت مطلعه و با حرکات غیر عادی بدنش و عادات عجیب و غریبش همیشه تحت نظرت داره. 
  
انتهای داستان برخلاف چیزی که مخاطب انتظار داره، سیلی محکمی به خواننده زده میشه، به زبون عامیانه تر ، نویسنده به مخاطب رکب میزنه و شوکه ش می کنه.  اولین بار بود بعد از ۱۶ سال _ سالی که دفترچه مرگ رو تماشا  کردم_  که اینجوری جا خوردم.

نیسیو ایسین خیلی خوب و دقیق روش های نویسنده های دفترچه مرگ رو درک کرده. تونسته یه اسپین آف خیلی خوب  از جریان اصلی استخراج کنه که ارزش خوندن رو حتما داره.

کتاب ۲۱۴ صفحه است ولی داستان به قدری پر کششه که در عرض دو یا سه روز یا حتی_ اگه خیلی متمرکز باشین _در عرض یه شب میشه خوندش.

در رابطه با دفترچه مرگ هم سخن بسیار است:))  از اهمیت کاراکترهای دفترچه مرگ تو ادبیات ژاپن اگه بخوام بگم اینکه چند سال پیش بر اساس دیالوگ ها و آرمانهای کاراکتر اصلی _یعنی لایت یاگامی با نام مستعار کیرا_ یادداشتهایی پراکنده ای نوشتم از شباهت لایت یاگامی با راسکلنیکف داستایفسکی که اگه یادداشت ها رو پیدا کنم توی کتاب مربوطه ثبتشون می کنم.
Profile Image for dee (andie) 🕺🏼✨.
159 reviews5 followers
August 23, 2021
changing my rating because of this quote:

”don’t worry. I’m a top.”
“a top?”
“an aggressive top,” ryuzaki said. “I have never even been submissive to a traffic signal.”
Profile Image for Ali Mohebianfar.
233 reviews159 followers
September 18, 2021
انیمه Death Note یا همون دفترچه مرگ یکی از زیباترین انیمه هاییه که می شه دید و تا مدت ها باهاش درگیر بود. قصه پسر جوونی به نام لایت یاگامی که دفترچه یه خدای مرگ رو پیدا می کنه. لایت می تونه با نوشتن اسم هر شخصی که دلش می خواد(در اون دفترچه)، جونش رو بگیره. رفته رفته سودای قدرت لایت رو درگیر جنونی مهارناپذیر می کنه و همین باعث می شه پای اِل، بهترین کارآگاه ژاپنی، به این قضایا باز بشه و به دنبال شکار لایت باشه. اما...
این خلاصه انیمه بود. اما خلاصه داستان کتاب نیست! چون کتاب درباره یه پرونده دیگه ست که اِل، پیش از رویاروییش با لایت، درگیر اون بوده. پرونده ای که به همون میزان مشکله و بازم پای یه شینیگامی وسطه! پرونده قتل های زنجیره ای لس انجلس!

وقتی کتاب رو شروع کردم، فکر کردم قراره همون داستان انیمه رو به شکل رمان بخونم. اما وقتی دیدم قصه اصلا یه چیز دیگست، شدیدا هیجان زده شدم.
برای خوندن این رمان نمی گم که حتما باید انیمه رو دیده باشید، نه. اما اگه انیمه رو دیده باشید، کامل و صد در صد از کتاب لذت می برید و بیشتر و بهتر درکش می کنید. پس پیشنهادم اینه حتما اول انیمه رو ببینید و بعد کتاب رو بخونید🤝
Profile Image for Hot Mess Sommelière ~ Caro.
1,462 reviews228 followers
January 20, 2023
I guess I would have given this book more stars if the author hadn't made so many mistakes. And I'm not speaking of typos but rather of the logic in the book.
Mello is the narrator of the story. This doesn't make any sense at all, because Mello never knew either Beyond Birthday (the murderer) or L. (I mean, sure he heard of them, but he never actually met either, so how come he tells the story? Doesn't make sense.)
In the prologue (or foreword or whatever it was) Mello is foreshadowing L's death in the series and HIS OWN. If you tell a story, you usually are ALIVE, right? So how come dead Mello's telling stories from his grave? Seriously, there should have been a neutral narrator.
Then their were several other logical gaps. Naomi Misora, for example "prolonged" L's life in Death Note (the manga), because Light didn't know about the deep connection between Naomi and L, which he could have used for his merits. Death Note: Another Note states that Naomi made L's life a few years longer. That can't be, because the official DN timeline states that L dies approx. 1 year after first beginning his investigations about Kira. So when Light/Kira meets Naomi and kills her afterwards, L has at most 1 year left to live and not many years.
There were several other logical mistakes which made me ask myself if the author had actually read the series at all, but the biggest mistake was this one:

The novel introduces Rue Ryuzaki as a side character. Ryuzaki presents himself as a private detective. Naomi is a bit suspicious of him at first, because he has strange manners (sitting around hugging his legs, eating sweets all the time and crawling around on the floor), but L tells her to work together with him, so she does.
The thing is, the reader (as the he is meant to be) immediately assumes that Ryuzaki is L. This makes sense, because not only does L present himself as "Ryuzaki" in Death Note, but the way he acts is also strikingly similar.
Of course, the author wants the reader to think that Ryuzaki is L, but Ryuzaki is actually Beyond Birthday, the killer. That would have been a great twist, had it only been logical. But it wasn't. Another Note clearly states that B.B. doesn't know L personnaly. Which means he doesn't know anything about his habits or about what he looks like. So how come he guessed all of it? - doesn't make sense.
Even if the reader is supposed to assume that L assumed Ryuzaki's name after winning against B.B., taking over his "manners" would be completely out of character for L.
Especially since L is described in the end of the book as the "original" Ryuzaki, who was only the copy. But how could B.B. have been the copy of someonce he never met?

This book could have been good if only the author had at least tried to be logical. I usually overlook that kind of thing, but in this particular novel, I simply couldn't. Death Note: Another Note was so illogical I wanted to bite the authors head off.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
Profile Image for Mohadese.
413 reviews1,140 followers
August 13, 2022
☆ سه ستاره‌ی برنزی ☆
دفترچه مرگ داستان قتل‌های زنجیره‌ایه که در لس‌آنجلس رخ میده. یه قاتل عجیب با انگیزه نامشخص که هر قتلش پراز نشونه و معماست. از اونجایی که "ال"باهوش‌ترین کارآگاه دنیاست وارد ماجرا می‌شه تا قاتل رو پیدا کنه. تو داستان این کتاب ما همراه یه مامور اف‌بی‌آی که ال استخدامش کرده و یه کارآگاه خصوصی سر صحنه‌های جرم می‌ریم و معماهاش رو حل می‌کنیم تا شاید بتونیم قاتل رو پیدا کنیم. اما آیا می‌تونیم؟
من فکر می‌کردم مثل لایت ناول‌های دیگه یه جورایی مکمل داستان مانگاها باشه اما هیچ ربطی بهشون نداره جز این که شخصیت ال رو برداشته اورده تو این کتاب که در واقع ما حتی با ال هم سروکار نداریم و کل داستان رو یه مامور اف‌بی‌آی به نام نائومی میسورا و یه کارآگاه خصوصی پیش می‌برن. در واقع انگار نویسنده یه جورایی از داستان ال و زندگیش برای خلق شخصیت‌های داستان خودش الهام گرفته (مشخصه دارم سعی می‌کنم اسپویلش نکنم؟) توقع من از کتاب چیز دیگه‌ای بود و تو ذوقم خورد کمی برای همین به شما می‌گم به چشم یه داستان کوتاه جنایی نگاهش کنید تا بیشتر ازش لذت ببرید!
نکته آخر هم در مورد طرح جلد پیدایش باید بگم که نمی‌دونم چرا لایت رو روی جلد گذاشتن :-؟ خود ال هم به زور تو داستانه!
Profile Image for Amber Hetchler.
225 reviews51 followers
April 15, 2017
Wow, it exceeded all my expectations. It had a lot darker, more serious feel to it than the manga series that it's based off of, but I really liked that about it. Beyond Birthday was brilliant and twisted which made for some pretty unsettling descriptions of his murders. Super fun to read. I recommend it to hard-core Death Note fans. Or anyone who likes crime novels because I believe you could read it without reading Death Note and still love it.
Profile Image for Adarsh.
114 reviews84 followers
April 9, 2015
“The most intelligent people disguise the fact that they are intelligent. Wise men do not wear nametags. The more people talk about their own skills, the more desperate they are—their work should speak for itself.”

4 crime scenes. Each scene has a clue for the subsequent murder. The clues can be anything - the dates of the killings, means of the killings, the names of the victims. The clues are conveniently in 'normal-humans-cannot-understand-it-however-hard-they-try' language. The world's greatest detective, L and FBI Agent Naomi Misora have to unravel the mystery and unmask the perpetrator before he performs the perfect crime.

'Death Note: Another Note' has got to be the most mind-fu mind-bending mystery novel I’ve ever read. And, believe me. I have had more than my share of mysteries. Sherlock (both classical and Batch version), Enid Blyton’s Fatty, gadget savvy Batman, Agatha Christie’s Poirot and Maple – I remain staunch fans of all. But, L’s methods are the most intriguing of the lot. Even Sherlock (and Mycroft to a good extent) may not be able to involve the level of statistics, probability and the paradox of choices as L does.

More than L, Naomi Misora was the biggest draw for me in the novel. I loved the way she comes out unscathed in the mind games against one the most intelligent criminals ever. And, there is a lot of nice flashbacks and subtle references to the canon as well.

Heavily recommended for fans of Death Note.
Profile Image for Che Adventure .
71 reviews108 followers
March 11, 2016
the B.B. murder case is very tasteful - like a sugar rush L would have after eating a delectable dessert.
Profile Image for Zeynep Beyza.
66 reviews14 followers
February 21, 2016
Where do I start? There are so many things to talk about.
Let's talk about Mello being the narrator. I must confess that I was very excited when I found out the fact in the first few pages. My excitement arose from my fondness towards Mello. But, unfortunately, him being the narrator did not make any sense nor made the narrating any different.
The story told in Another Note takes place in 2002, L dies in 2004. Mello was 15 when L died, and he was still in Wammy's House. So, when did L see Mello and tell him the story about Beyond Birthday and 2 others? It does not make sense.
In the book, Mello speaks as if the battle between L and Kira was over. Of course, he might be referring to L being dead. But he made it sound like he was writing all this after everything was over and everyone knew who Kira was. But he did not actually see Kira die. He died 2 days before Kira did. So, when actually did Mello write Another Note?
Now let's move on to the plot. Misora meets a guy under the name of Ryuzaki. His manners and his appearance are described exactly like L from the manga. Us readers automatically assume that she met L. But at the end of the book, it is revealed that she did not meet L, in fact she met B. But B never met L... So how does he copy L's appearance or manners? He couldn't.
Also throughout the book Misora and Ryuzaki (I mean B) work together to solve the three crimes B has commited. Most of the time, Misora was led by Ryuzaki to find the answers. Even the smallest stuff, she needed Ryuzaki's help. I was frustrated because that's not the image she represented in the manga. She was originally portrayed as a very clever woman. Her needing Ryuzaki's help in every step she took did not make sense. (I must add that I actually liked the setup of the crimes. I only did not like the way they were solved.)
And at the end of the story, Misora saves B from death and then they lock him in a prison. However, he dies of a mysterious heart attack on 21st of January, 2004. Now, what does this mean? It is obviously implying that someone wrote his name in a Death Note. But, who? Who could write his name? Light? He didn't have anything to do with B. Misa? Again, has nothing to do with B. So who else? ...L? The first time L touches a Death Note is after Higuchi's death and he died 8 months after B's death. So who killed B? I don't see any logical explanation.
As I read more reviews of this book, I come across more illogical stuff that's been thrown in it. For example, Mello states in this book that Misora saved L a few more years, but L actually dies (more or less) a year after all this Kira thing started. So what "few" years are we talking about? I didn't notice this when I read the book but now that I checked it I see that it is true.
All in all, this book was a disappointment in many ways. I'm sad that it is so. It had the potential of being something majestic just like the manga itself, but no. I wish more time and effort were put into this, because this is a Death Note novel and it deserves more attention.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
Profile Image for Fariba.
72 reviews21 followers
April 18, 2022
باحال بود اگه جنایی و کارآگاهی دوست دارید بخونیدش. (گول اسمش رو نخورید، اصلا ربطی به انیمه‌ش نداره)
Profile Image for Shayna L.
62 reviews3 followers
December 31, 2011
This is a spin off from the Death Note comic series for those of you that missed L and thought Naomi Misora got a bit shafted. It focuses on a prior case where the two worked together to solve a series of murders in L.A.
While this is indeed a prequel, this isn't for people who haven't read or finished the Death Note series. You'll have the series spoiled for you before you even finish the first chapter. Also, it won't make nearly as much sense.
It's a fairly short book with the same detective style flair of the comic, but with the focus on Naomi being stuck between L and the killer. Not only is it a nicely twisted little plot, but it gives a lot of background into the world of the Wammy House. The story is fun and I like the style it's written in. It's got a streak of dry humor and flows nicely.
The only things about this book are a couple of translation issues. Since it is translated from Japanese there are a couple oddities that take a bit of getting used to like "..." being a full sentence. Then there's the names. They must have been translated directly since there are people named Beyond Birthday and Believe Bridesmaid. Yes. Those are supposed to be names. You just have to choke them down and get on with the story.
But over all I'm pleased and I look forward to the other Death Note novels (I think there's 3 total).
Also, the book itself is very pretty. =3
3 reviews
December 28, 2010
This book failed both as a detective novel and a supplement to an already existing franchise. I would've forgiven this book if it failed at one but succeeded in the other, unfortunately that's not the case here. I love Mystery Novels, even the Death Note Series despite not being a "traditional Mystery Series." I like to figure out Who did it? Why? and How? But this was easy to figure out within the first few chapters then it fails as a good mystery novel, in my opinion. As a supplement to the Death Note series, it fails worse than as a mystery novel. The main characters, save for Beyond, aren't delved into well in here and most of the stuff drawn could've been obtained from the Anime or Manga. Beyond Birthday, Who had the most potential and the coolest name, was just slapped with the personality of another character, although some what explained it still ticked me off. If you ask me stick with the anime or manga.
Profile Image for Devan, Sarcasm Expert.
45 reviews
January 13, 2010
Althought it wasn't writen by the orignal author it adds nicely to the collection even if its in the view of one person. And your still learning more of the subject of death & solving murder. Asking what will the killer do next.
When reading this book I learned from the character Rue that "It doesn't matter if a child or adult gets killed, its the same." I really struck me and makes me ponder the idea from time to time. And in truth he is right because when you kill someone you take that life way never to come back. That death includes all life not mattering size, sex, and age because it always comes in the end.
Profile Image for emily !!.
139 reviews
December 11, 2022
i think it’s pretty good. i think i’ll have to read it twice to really understand the case because i kinda stopped halfway and came back two months later but. its good tho. many twist.
Profile Image for Shaghayegh.
358 reviews105 followers
October 2, 2021
به نظرم برای درک کتاب باید انیمه رو میدیدم یا مانگا رو میخوندم که خب من به هیچکدوم علاقه ندارم. این بود که واقعا درکش نکردم. و ترجمه‌ش هم خیلی ایراد داشت.
Profile Image for Miss Susan.
2,724 reviews62 followers
January 16, 2013
this is a story that is told by a narrator beyond the grave.

now whether that was intentional i cannot say, but in the interests of charity i will assume the author is aware the character he choose to narrate it should have been dead at the time of telling. either that or in possession of an ability to see the future which begs the question, why does he let himself die the way he does in death note?

you can see why i like the dead man talking theory better.

and hey, it explains how he somehow knows the details of what misora's thinking throughout the case!

i like to believe the afterlife lets you have access to all the information you'd ever want, i mean you've got to give all those dead souls something to amuse themselves with

which is also my explanation for the names of characters in the story, because believe bridesmaid?

yeah mello has to be screwing with us

but who cares though because naomi misora adventures! :D i heard when asked in interview why they killed her so early in the story ohba/obata replied that she would have solved the kira murders way too early in the story. i believe it! i would be very interested in further tales from the naomi misora case files. 3 stars
Profile Image for Ellis ♥.
987 reviews10 followers
December 22, 2016
Un racconto crime avvincente e ben costruito, anche se mi aspettavo qualcosa di più originale, "cervellotico" ed entusiasmante.
Sostanzialmente può esser considerata una storia spin-off, non particolarmente degna di nota, che consiglio di leggere soltanto a chi è fan del noto manga Death Note perché ad investigare c'è niente meno che Ryuzaki alias L (♥) assieme all'agente Naomi Misora.
Voto complessivo: 3,5 su 5.
Profile Image for S. Alberto ⁻⁷ (semi-hiatus).
347 reviews3 followers
July 12, 2024
The Los Angeles BB Murder Cases.
L.A.B.B.——L is After Beyond Birthday.

A thrilling prequel that delves into the enigmatic backstory of L and his encounter with the psychopathic killer, Beyond Birthday. The narrative is gripping, with its dark and mysterious atmosphere capturing the essence of the original "Death Note" series. The psychological cat-and-mouse game between L and Beyond Birthday keeps you on the edge of your seat, showcasing the intellectual prowess and deductive skills required of Misora (L's agent/blade/shield) is refreshing, and brings to light how complicated certain of the puzzles were (I did struggle a bit to understand some of them but after a few rereads and drawing a diagram they made sense). The book uses the literary medium exceptionally well, especially in terms of setting up and paying off a certain twist that left me stunned. However, while the book adds depth to L's character and provides an intriguing side story, it can be somewhat convoluted and might leave readers craving more context or connection to the main "Death Note" storyline. Overall, it’s a must-read for fans who are eager to explore more of L’s mysterious past and the intricacies of his mind.
Profile Image for Juliette.
120 reviews2 followers
September 2, 2017
MIND BLOOOOWN

I love murder mysteries. I went through a phase where I binge watched Detective Conan and other locked-room-murder shows but, oddly enough, it never occurred to me to actually read a mystery novel, despite my great love for reading.

By pure chance, I found this book in my local charity shop for only 2 euros and, having already watched and loved the anime, I decided to pick it up. I'm so glad I did.

It's a short read and that's absolutely perfect- it means that it gets straight into the case and there's no waffling around with unnecessary scenes. Each page contained a new and interesting revelation that left me surprised and eager to continue.

THIS BOOK It's sooooo clever. I can't stress enough how genuinely clever it is. The case, the clues, the deductions- they're all so complex and, honestly, compared to the amazing minds and intellect of the characters, I was left feeling rather stupid as I could never have figured out anything remotely close to that myself. The writer does an excellent job of explaining things though, so even an idiot like me could understand the reasoning and train of thoughts of the characters.
Despite the gruesome nature of the murders (which also held a good deal of morbid appeal, in my creepy ass opinion), humour is generously scattered throughout the book, making this serial murder case highly amusing. Wait...that came out wrong. I meant that the way the characters went about deducing it and their dialogue was amusing, not the actual murders.

I highly recommend reading this- though you may be slightly confused by the strange names and some of the terminology if you are not already familiar with the world of Death Note. The only bad aspect I can think of, in regard to this book, would be the fact that it left me craving more amazing murder mystery novels and I doubt I'd find many that can match up to the wit and exciting pacing of this one (bonus: with characters I already love and know from watching the anime).


Profile Image for meltem.
73 reviews
November 19, 2017
I was really enjoying the story but when we learned that killer was from Wammy's House, it really started to suck. I wish it was just a normal detective story, like, you know, without shinigami eyes or people trying to defeat L.
And how did they know that Beyond Birthday had shigami eyes? I don't remember that B himself told anyone about that. I can't remember it right now but in anime did they learn about the eyes? That way when L told this BB Murder Case to Mello he could have guessed it, or.... what? Someone please answer this. Plus, Misora wasn't the one telling the story but we read about her thoughts and feelings and this really bugged me.
Also, what kinda names were those?! I'll tell you, they were fricking ridiculous! This book really sucked ass, I am very disappointed.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
Profile Image for linda.
175 reviews34 followers
May 4, 2020
such a nice extra story to the original story of death note! // i really flew through this one and it was really easy to read and refreshing since somehow the majority of this book consists of only dialogues. it's kind of like watching another season of death note but in book form and one really does not see the plot twists and all of it coming. and, i really liked the investigation itself following naomi and ryuzaki. i watched death note itself and read the other L special years ago and i am still absolutely intrigued. now, after having finished this one i really want to re-watch it all again. 🙈
Profile Image for Serpil Çelebi.
Author 8 books13 followers
April 14, 2016
Çıktığını görür görmez sepete atıp almıştım. Bu kitap, keyifle okuyup izlediğim Death Note (Ölüm Defteri) adlı çizgi roman/anime serisinin yan kitaplarından. Yalnız çizgi roman değil kendisi, bilginiz olsun. L'nin Kira davasından önce uğraştığı bir seri cinayet vakasını anlatıyor. Anlatıcının kimliğini keşfedince sevinmiştim, umarım okumak isteyenlerde de aynı duygu oluşur. Keyifliydi ve ilginç bir sona sahipti. Death Note'u sevdiyseniz alışveriş listenize eklemelisiniz.
Profile Image for Andy Crow.
40 reviews3 followers
April 14, 2025
Captivating from the start. I didn't know how much I missed that universe until I started reading this book. More than a cat-and-mouse game, an exciting detective war with multiple twists.

“Killing a child... how horrible.”
“Killing an adult is also horrible, Misora. Killing children or adults—equally horrible,”
Ryuzaki said, unaffected, almost
Indifferent.

I need more L stories.

description
Profile Image for Phee.
647 reviews68 followers
December 26, 2018
This was delightful. Death Note is one of my favourite series so anything Death Note related is going to be awesome for me.
Profile Image for Jenvile.
383 reviews22 followers
June 26, 2020
”If you agree with something, you must have sufficient reason to agree with it. If you disagree with something, you must have sufficient reason to disagree with it. However accurate, a deduction based on a fallacy means you have not defeated the killer.”

I had a lot of shocked pikachu moments reading this, and I read this in one sitting. I carved out time specifically, to finish it because I knew I wouldn’t be able to put it down. I enjoyed it immensely.

Now, there are quite a few problems with it - but if you’re a fan of the original Death Note and you want more of L, more of the mystery and thriller - you will enjoy this, nonetheless. Though, it is imperative to have already read DN, because while this light novel is a prequel to the manga, the story is narrated and conveyed in a way that expects the reader to know what has already happened.

This was a great detective mystery, with quirky characters and great plot twists.
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