The Honjin Murders
Books | Fiction / Mystery & Detective / International Crime & Mystery
3.6
(51)
Seishi Yokomizo
A Town & Country “Best Classic Murder Mystery Books of All Time” Japan’s Agatha Christie introduces the beloved Detective Kindaichi in this 1930s classic locked room mystery—now translated into English for the first time!In the winter of 1937, the village of Okamura is abuzz with excitement over the forthcoming wedding of a son of the grand Ichiyanagi family. But amid the gossip over the approaching festivities, there is also a worrying rumor—it seems a sinister masked man has been asking questions around the village. Then, on the night of the wedding, the Ichiyanagi household are woken by a terrible scream, followed by the sound of eerie music. Death has come to Okamura, leaving no trace but a bloody samurai sword, thrust into the pristine snow outside the house. Soon, amateur detective Kosuke Kindaichi is on the scene to investigate what will become a legendary murder case, but can this scruffy sleuth solve a seemingly impossible crime?
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Author
Seishi Yokomizo
Pages
224
Publisher
Steerforth Press
Published Date
2020-08-04
ISBN
1782275010 9781782275015
Community ReviewsSee all
"Great murder mystery!"
Danielle Henry
"An enjoyable Classic closed room mystery from Japan. Written by one of Japan’s lauded mystery writers, this read offered a unique voice in the Classic Mystery genre. A wedding is the setting of this baffling murder case that leads the reader through many possibilities. "
Juliet Shalu Castillo
"Quite an enjoyable read and a clever mystery with a flippant and arrogant narrator. Set in the late 30s with the double murder of a newly married couple at the country estate of a proud honjin family.
There is a lot of talk about classic, golden age western mystery writers with a special emphasis on closed room mysteries. This really added to the story for me.It is great to see more international authors getting translated. "
DaRo reads
"This was a locked-room mystery, and I give it credit because I feel you can use the clues to at least figure out most of it. <br/><br/>However, from the beginning I didn't care for how it was written. The author is a character in the story and often addresses the audience directly, explaining things. I personally found it grating, and I didn't care for the detective, Kosuke Kindaichi, with his constant head scratching and stuttering. He did give me Sherlock vibes with his eccentricities, if in a different way. The actual resolution to the mystery is maddening, and almost made me wish one of the red herrings had been the solution. The ending was also odd where it told you the sad fate for the members of the family."
Liesl Prentice