Something new and different on the blog this week!
The Honjin Murders is a classic Japanese murder mystery, first published in 1946 as a serialized publication. The author, Seishi Yokomizo, created the iconic detective character Kosuke Kindaichi. This book is a classic locked door murder case and one of the most famous Japanese murder mysteries ever written!
The narrative takes us through the wedding of Kenzou Ichiyanagi and Katsuko Kubo while surrounded by select members of their families. It is winter, with a thick layer of snow on the ground, far removed from the city in the remote estate of the Ichiyanagi family. After the wedding, everyone goes to bed. In the middle of the night, a terrible noise wakes the family up and it is discovered that the bride and groom have been brutally murdered, setting up a locked door mystery.
The first-person narrator style and often fourth-wall breaking situations only lend to the driving force of the genre. I really enjoy the “just the facts ma’am” style of the writing. This book is full of interesting pieces of Japanese culture from the 1930s/1940s, which is a fascinating look at traditional Japanese literature.
The Honjin Murders has been translated into English for the first time and is available August 4th! This is the perfect book for fans of Agatha Christie, the Poiroit novels, Steig Larssen, and other detective novel writers and books!
Watch Knives Out! and curl up with this great detective novel for a fantastic read!
I received a galley copy of this book from Edelweiss and Pushkin for an honest review!
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