Description

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 rumour – it seems a sinister masked man has been asking questions about the Ichiyanagis around the village.

Then, on the night of the wedding, the Ichiyanagi family 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. The murder seems impossible, but amateur detective Kosuke Kindaichi is determined to get to the bottom of it.

Publisher Review

'With a reputation in Japan to rival Agatha Christie's, 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 '2020 may be the year of Seishi Yokomizo . . . 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 'The perfect gift for any fan of classic crime fiction or locked room mysteries.' -- Mrs Peabody Investigates 'The beauty of this book is that it's never anything less than fun from beginning to end, but it is also smartly political, and the theatrical elements - the fourth wall-breaking, the static setting, the large cast of eclectic characters - make for a truly engrossing novel. This is, in short, a superb winter read.' -- Books and Bao 'The Honjin Mysteries is beautifully writing and highly descriptive, rich in period detail and local custom. It's an ingenious and deceptive mystery. An ideal book to curl up with on a winter's night.' -- NB Magazine 'The master of Japanese crime.' -- Tuttolibri