The Honjin Murders

20 of the Best Classic Murder Mystery Books of All Time, Town & Country Magazine A classic locked-room murder mystery, the first in the Detective Kindaichi series . . . The solution to this mystery came as a complete surpriseexactly what I asked for. New York Times Book Review With a reputation in Japan to rival Agatha Christies, the master of ingenious plotting is finally on the case for anglophone readers. Guardian A beloved Japanese detective at last appears in English . . . If the whole series is as ingenious and compelling, this translation should be the first of many. Readers will delight in the blind turns, red herrings and dubious alibis. Economist The perfect read for this time of year. Short and compelling, it will appeal to fans of Agatha Christie looking for a new case to break. Irish Times Both [The Honjin Murders and The Inugami Curse are] set in the late 1930s/early 1940s, they promise to be atmospheric, exciting and knotty whodunits. The covers alone are enough to get any fan of the genre salivating. Japan Times Japan's Agatha Christie . . . Its an absolute pleasure to see his work translated at last in these beautifully produced English editions. Sunday Times The perfect gift for any fan of classic crime fiction or locked room mysteries. Mrs Peabody Investigates The beauty of this book is that its never anything less than fun from beginning to end, but it is also smartly political, and the theatrical elementsthe fourth wall-breaking, the static setting, the large cast of eclectic charactersmake for a truly engrossing novel. Books and Bao The Honjin Mysteries is beautifully writing and highly descriptive, rich in period detail and local custom. Its an ingenious and deceptive mystery. An ideal book to curl up with on a winters night." NB Magazine The master of Japanese crime. Tuttolibri [The Honjin Murders] is a perfect example of a honkaku mystery: a fascinating form of crime writing that first emerged in Japan in the 1920s and, thanks to a recent raft of translations and republications, is now enjoyed by English readers more than ever. The Guardian The mystery is carefully set with plenty of red herrings and surprises along the way. The Watertown Public Opinion A perfect puzzle . . . Doesnt fail to deliver in its extremely fun and chilling premise. Youll be reading way past your bedtime. LitReactor

Seishi Yokomizo (1902-81) was one of Japan's most famous and best-loved mystery writers. He was born in Kobe and spent his childhood reading detective stories, before beginning to write stories of his own, the first of which was published in 1921. He went on to become an extremely prolific and popular author, best known for his Kosuke Kindaichi series, which ran to 77 books, many of which were adapted for stage and television in Japan. The Honjin Murders is the first Kosuke Kindaichi story, and regarded as one of Japan's great mystery novels. It won the first Mystery Writers of Japan Award in 1948 but has never been translated into English, until now.