Seishi Yokomizo

"In the winter of 1937, the village of Okamura is abuzz with excitement over the forthcoming wedding of a daughter 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 Ichiniyagi 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 description.

The Honjin Murders

The third title in Japan's most popular murder mystery series -- after The Honjin Murders and The Inugami Curse -- fiendish classics featuring investigator Kosuke Kindaichi. Translated into English for the first time. Nestled deep in the mist-shrouded mountains, The Village of Eight Graves takes its name from a bloody legend: in the Sixteenth Century eight samurais, who had taken refuge there along with a secret treasure, were murdered by the inhabitants, bringing a terrible curse down upon their village. Centuries later a mysterious young man named Tatsuya arrives in town, bringing a spate of deadly poisonings in his wake. The inimitably scruffy and brilliant Kosuke Kindaichi investigates.

The Village of Eight Graves

A fiendish classic murder mystery, from one of Japan's greatest crime writers In 1940s Japan, the wealthy head of the Inugami Clan dies, and his family eagerly await the reading of the will. But no sooner are its strange details revealed than a series of bizarre, gruesome murders begins. Detective Kindaichi must unravel the clan's terrible secrets of forbidden liaisons, monstrous cruelty, and hidden identities to find the murderer, and lift the curse wreaking its bloody revenge on the Inugamis. The Inugami Curse is a fiendish, intricately plotted classic mystery from a giant of Japanese crime writing, starring the legendary detective Kosuke Kindaichi. 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 Inugami Curse is one of Kindaichi's most famous mysteries and has twicce been adapted for film in Japan.

A classic Japanese murder mystery from the author of The Honjin Murders

The Inugami Curse

Gokumon Island

A fiendish, classic locked-room murder mystery, from one of Japan's greatest crime writers, that’s perfect for fans of Lucy Foley, Ruth Ware, and Anthony Horowitz Another classic Japanese mystery from the great Seishi Yokomizo, whose fictional detective Kosuke Kindaichi is a pop culture phenomenon akin to Sherlock Holmes. This time the scruffy sleuth Kosuke Kindaichi investigates a series of gruesome murders within the feuding family of a brooding, troubled composer, whose most famous work chills the blood of all who hear it.

The Devil’s Flute Murders

As several bodies are discovered staged in bizarre poses echoing the lyrics of a children’s song, the quirky, endearing Japanese detective must string together the clues to solve this fiendish puzzle.

The scruffy detective Kosuke Kindaichi returns to solve another satisfying stand-alone murder mystery.

An old friend of Kindaichi’s invites the detective to visit the remote mountain village of Onikobe, the site of a 20-year-old unsolved murder case. But no sooner has Kindaichi in the village than a new series of murders strikes  – several bodies are discovered staged in bizarre poses, and it soon becomes clear that the victims are being killed using methods that eerily echo the lyrics of an old local children’s song…

As the legendary sleuth investigates, he soon realises that he must unravel the dark and tangled history of the village, as well as that of its feuding families, to get to the truth.

THE LITTLE SPARROW MURDERS is the sixth classic Detective Kindaichi mystery to be published by Pushkin Vertigo. Kosuke Kindaichi is Japan’s best-loved and most famous fictional sleuth, and Seishi Yokomizo one of the country’s greatest crime writers. His whodunnits have sold an astonishing 55 million copies in his home country.

The Little Sparrow Murders

Il detective Kindaichi

Tokyo, 1917
The Black Cat Cafe is a notorious brothel. During his usual patrol, a policeman finds a Buddhist monk digging in the establishment’s yard. In the shallow grave at his feet is the body of a disfigured woman…

Murder At The Black Cat Cafe

La locanda del Gatto nero

An ingenious classic locked-room murder mystery about the feuding family of a composer that’s perfect for fans of Lucy Foley, Ruth Ware, and Anthony Horowitz Featuring the scruffy sleuth Kosuke Kindaichi—the most famous Japanese detective—created by one of Japan's greatest crime writers: Seishi Yokomizo, the “Japanese Agatha Christie” Locked room mysteries are hot again, and this classic from the golden age of crime presents a mind-bending Japanese mystery from the great Seishi Yokomizo, whose fictional detective Kosuke Kindaichi is a pop culture phenomenon akin to Sherlock Holmes. This time the beloved scruffy sleuth Kosuke Kindaichi investigates a series of gruesome murders within the feuding family of a brooding, troubled composer, whose most famous work chills the blood of all who hear it. Readers will be totally engrossed by one of Yokomizo’s most clever guessing games, in which everyone has something to hide…

Endlich auch auf Deutsch: »Japans Antwort auf Agatha Christie« The Guardian Es ist der Winter 1937, und der Ort Okamura befindet sich in heller Aufruhr: schon bald wird die renommierte Ichiyanagi-Famile ihren Sohn vermählen. Aber unter den Tratsch über das anstehende Fest mischt sich ein besorgniserregendes Gerücht: ein maskierter Mann streift durch das Städtchen und fragt die Leute zu den Ichiyanagis aus. In der Hochzeitsnacht dann erwacht die Familie durch einen furchtbaren Schrei, auf den eine unheimliche Melodie folgt. Ja, der Tod ist nach Okamura gekommen und hat keine weitere Spur als ein blutiges Samurai-Schwert hinterlassen, das im reinen Schnee im Hof des Hauses steckt. Der Mord am frisch vermählten Paar gibt Rätsel auf, war doch das Schlafzimmer von innen verschlossen. Doch der private Ermittler Kosuke Kindaichi will den Fall unbedingt lösen. Ausgezeichnet mit Japans wichtigstem Preis für Kriminalliteratur Für alle, die es lieben, beim Lesen mitzuraten: ein klassischer Locked Room Mystery (Geheimnis des verschlossenen Raums) »Ein Kriminalfall klassischer Güte. Vergleiche mit Sherlock Holmes sind absolut gerechtfertigt: Verwirrungen, falsche Fährten und ein faszinierender Einblick in die japanische Gesellschaft.« Japan Times

Kriminalroman

Die rätselhaften Honjin-Morde

"The award-winning classic murder mystery."--Cover.

HONJIN MURDERS.

Der Privatermittler Kosuke Kindaichi reist auf die abgelegene Insel Gokumon, um einer der wichtigsten Familien vor Ort eine tragische Nachricht zu überbringen: Ihr Erbe ist auf einem Truppentransportschiff, das ihn nach dem Zweiten Weltkrieg zurück in die Heimat bringen sollte, gestorben. Doch Kindaichi ist nicht nur als Bote gekommen – mit seinen letzten Worten warnte der Sterbende, dass nun das Leben seiner drei Halbschwestern in Gefahr sei. Der Ermittler ist entschlossen, dieser mysteriösen Prophezeiung auf den Grund zu gehen und die drei Frauen zu schützen. Dann beginnt auf der Insel eine Serie grausamer Morde, und auch Kindaichi selbst ist in Gefahr.

Mord auf der Insel Gokumon

Winter 1937. Der Ort Okamura befindet sich in hellem Aufruhr: Schon bald wird die renommierte Ichiyanagi- Familie ihren Sohn vermählen. Aber unter den Tratsch mischt sich ein besorgniserregendes Gerücht. Ein maskierter Mann streift durch das Städtchen und fragt die Leute zu den Ichiyanagis aus. In der Hochzeitsnacht dann erwacht die Familie durch einen furchtbaren Schrei. Ja, der Tod ist nach Okamura gekommen, hinterlassen hat er nur ein blutiges Samurai-Schwert, das im reinen Schnee im Hof des Hauses steckt. Der Mord am frischvermählten Paar gibt Rätsel auf, war doch das Schlafzimmer von innen verschlossen. Doch der Privatermittler Kosuke Kindaichi will den Fall unbedingt lösen.

Seishi Yokomizo

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