It’s interesting to see how the same book is treated on either side of the Atlantic.
In this case, both versions work within the ‘Standard Crime Palate’ of red, black and white but the similarities end there.
In terms of design and messaging, they have each taken vastly different approaches;
The US version (on the right) published by Minotaur Books, uses a strong block of red to cut through the clutter around it while the ‘tear’ acts like a little peak into something dark and mysterious. This is reinforced by the contrasting black and white photography (A tried and tested signifier of ‘gritty crime’)
The Americans have also put a lot of emphasis on the author name and for some reason felt compelled to add the painful “A novel” product descriptor. Maybe they were worried that the photograph would confuse people and make them believe the book is about a real event.
The UK version really is very different.
In our view it is far more interesting and communicates a hell of a lot more.
For a start, the large, close-up image of the Japanese woman instantly sets the scene of the story and hints at the subject of Suspect X’s devotion.
The red circle is very bold way of holding the title and as such it leaps off the page.
It also reinforces the Japanese roots of the novel.
To some, it also looks like a mouth screaming. For others it hints at a mouth covered by a gag.
Who knows…but we are aware that Crime Readers like decoding all the symbolism on a cover so it will tease them wonderfully.
The author name is very clear but given his lack of fame in the UK, it is rightfully given secondary billing in the communication hierarchy.
And finally, there is no need to add a silly product descriptor to warn readers that this is a novel — the design itself has made that abundantly obvious (which is exactly what it is supposed to do)
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