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Sunday 16 April 2023

The Honjin Murders by Seishi Yokomizo

 

I received an ARC of this book thanks to NetGalley and publisher Pushkin Press in exchange for an honest review.

This was the first Japanese murder mystery I'd ever read, and I wasn't sure how I would feel about it. I tend to be a 'married to Agatha Christie' girl in terms of my mysteries, but I am so glad I branched out here.

The Honjin Murders is a fascinating tale of a newly-wed husband and wife, who both die violently on the night of their wedding. Just days before, a mysterious man was seen outside the house. The Ichiyanagi family are rich and proud, and adding to the mystery is the fact that the room the deaths occurred in appears to be locked with no way for a murderer to escape.

This book was an absolute joy to read. The writing/translation is fantastic and very entertaining. I loved the characters, particularly the detective Kosuke Kindaichi. The chapters are short and quick to read, which means it has a similar pacing to a Christie book. The mystery itself is very intriguing, with the surrounding characters and clues making for an enjoyable time.

I absolutely recommend this book if you are a fan of the genre. I have subsequently read almost all the translated books by this author, and they are all brilliant reads. I am so glad this book has been chosen for translation, and I can only hope more will follow.

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