Description

A building full of secrets. A key that will unleash them all
The K Apartments for Ladies in Tokyo conceals a sinister past behind each door; a woman who has buried a child; a scavenger driven mad by ill-health; a wife mysteriously guarding her late husband’s manuscripts; a talented violinist tortured by her own guilt. The master key, which opens the door to all 150 rooms, links their tangled stories. But now it has been stolen, and dirty tricks are afoot.
For a deadly secret lies buried beneath the building. And when it is revealed, there will be murder.

Publisher Review

"An outstanding puzzle mystery... The gradual, logical, but still surprising unfolding of the Russian nesting doll of a plot is a delight." - Publishers Weekly (starred review) "Fans of P.D. James, Robert Barnard and other literate writers in the genre will welcome this prize-winning author's first work... Superbly crafted and riveting from start to finish." - Kirkus Reviews "A twisted locked-room fable, made creepily seductive by masterful portrayals of the residents' eccentricities and hints of malevolent supernatural forces." - Booklist Online "Extraordinarily atmospheric Japanese thriller ... Miss Togawa writes with economy, subtlety and an astonishing feel for time, mood, and the eccentricities of loneliness. An eerie gem." - Marcel Berlins, The Times "As fascinating a weird yarn of mystery as you'll find... One word sums it up - superb!" - LA Times "If you seek a wickedly original, clever crime novel, a brilliant exploration of the weaknesses of the human mind, I strongly recommend you lose yourself in Togawa's acutely portrayed sketch." - Thrillers Books Journal "Masako Togawa's works have been recently reissued by Pushkin Press, and we can't thank them enough!" - Crime Reads "Starts out on a high note of tension and stays that way up until the very end." - Crime Segments "A clever story... If you like creepy this will definitely be right up your street." - Crime Review "A clever, creepy story." - Mail on Sunday "The PD James of Japan." - Times Literary Supplement "A bizarre yarn of guilty secrets among the sad, mad and surprisingly bad occupants of Tokyo's K Apartments for ladies only." - Sunday Times Crime Club "Slickly-readable... jaw-dropping moments... Sharply crafted plotting ... Is Masako Togawa Japan's answer to P.D. James? James should be so lucky." - South China Morning Post