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

Seishi Yokomizo — 2020

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.

Reviews

Simone Martin@s1mone_078

Apr 10, 2025

If you love funny murder mysteries you’ll love this one. I think he’s just became one of my favorite authors lol. I’m excited to read more from him.

reann@reann

Jan 13, 2024

This is Knives out, but better! I would have gobbled this book more quickly if I didn’t have work and errands in between pages. So so glad to have come across this book by chance! Recently watched White Lotus, Triangle of Sadness, Glass Onion… I am camping under murder mystery genre!!

p.@softrosemint

Aug 6, 2023

What a fantastic read! This is a classic detective / crime novel and reads as such; it is riveting and it keeps the reader guessing to the very end while also laying down enough clues to invite them to participate in unravelling the mystery.

Needless to say, I am now looking to pick up more of Yokomizo's novels.

[SPOILER] That being said, what is with all the first cousins getting married, etc. Is this allowed? Is that allowed?) [/END OF SPOILER]

Siya S@haveyoureadbkk

Nov 29, 2022

An enjoyable read. I'll give this 3.5 stars. It's an old-fashioned whodunnit mystery. A little bit noir and shitloads of red herrings. I especially like the creativity of the setups of crime scenes. While the plot is predictable (since it was written half a century ago), the narration was enjoyable and able to capture my attention throughout. I like the writing style and how the author tries to create suspense in a somewhat lighthearted but creepy tone. For the character, Kindaichi is a famous inveatigator in Japanese literary scene, and if you're not very familiar with his being, I think this book can be a great start.

Lela @taz

Sep 16, 2021

My new favourite

Christine Liu@christineliu

Sep 1, 2021

When wealthy businessman Sahei Inugami passes away, he leaves behind a complex will that the family lawyer fears will set off a string of deaths. He contacts Detective Kindaichi, but is poisoned before he can explain his suspicions. Soon, a series of mysterious murders begin to occur among the members of the large Inugami family. I enjoyed this one more than The Honjin Murders, the only other work by Yokomizo that has been translated into English thus far, although I found some of the "twists" pretty predictable. But overall it was a perfectly creepy, atmospheric tale of a greedy, cutthroat family whose past sins come back to haunt them.