To paraphrase the author, every mystery writer takes a crack at a locked room mystery and Yokomizo gives a master class with this one. <i>The Honjin Murders</i>, published in 1946, introduced Japan to Detective Kosuke Kindaichi, who would go on to star in a total of 77 books before the death of the author in 1981. Somehow, this edition from Pushkin Vertigo is the first time the beloved Japanese classic has been translated into English.

<i>The Honjin Murder</i>, mimicking the great Sir Arthur Conan Doyle's Watson as so many of the early classics do, is framed as a reconstruction of a case that has already been solved. In 1946 a man visiting the countryside in post-war Japan hears of a most interesting crime. Years before he stepped foot in that area of the country, in the winter of 1937, two people were found covered in their own blood in the middle of a locked two room house surrounded by snow. With no way for the killer to exit, and no one found inside, this crime appeared unsolvable despite having a clear culprit. Compiling the notes of those present with records of the events, the intrigued narrator relays how the mysterious crime at the Ichiyanagi house was solved and introduces us all to the master detective who solved the case.

Frequently referencing both great classic mysteries and some of the best locked room murders, Yokomizo was clearly a well read mystery aficionado. <i>The Honjin Murders</i> is self aware, displaying this mastery of the genre in style, plot, and a wry self referential tone. Yokomizo's straight forward writing style paired with Kawai's clean and precise translation, make this a deceptively easy read whose twists and turns manage to stay concealed until the grand reveal. Any lover of the mystery classics should be delighted to add <i>The Honjin Murders</i> and Detective Kosuke Kindaichi to their shelf.

The Honjin Murders was awarded the first Mystery Writers of Japan Award back in 1948 but for the very first time in 2020, this novel has been translated into English.

Set during the winter of 1937, we are transported back in time, to the village of Okamura and the upcoming marriage of a prominent member of the community, Kenzo Ichiyanagi. A marriage in such an imposing family is causing a great deal of excitement and gossip around the streets of the village.

Kenzo Ichiyanagi is the oldest son of Itoko and perhaps the brightest but has suffered from ill-health in the past causing him to return to his family home and become somewhat of a recluse although he does still occasionally lecture and provides guidance to those in a similar field to himself.

During periods away from home, he met and became attracted to his young bride, Katsuko, a school teacher from Okayama City. What started more as a mutual appreciation for literature soon turned into a blossoming relationship.

Unfortunately, this marriage was not destined to last, with tragedy striking the night of their wedding.
After a small wedding consisting of just a few family members, Kenzo and Katsuko head to their own little haven on the ancestral estate to consummate their marriage to one another. In the early hours of the following morning, however, guests are woken by what they perceive to be screams followed by the noise of a Koto being played. Both sides of the family rush to make sure all is ok, only to find that they can neither gain access to the property nor rouse the newly-weds.

After what seems like forever, and with no easy access to the property, Katsuko’s uncle, Ginzo, decides that they need to break in because surely if they were ok they would have responded. The scene that greets them, however, is something that I am not sure any of them are fully prepared for. Laying in front of them, entwined together are bride and groom covered in blood and no longer breathing.

Who could do such a thing? And on their wedding night?

Looking at the bloodshed in front of them, it soon becomes clear that things are complicated. For a start, it would appear that no-one has entered or left the premises. Thanks to a flurry of snow earlier, it would have made it impossible for an intruder to exit unnoticed. The difficulty, however, is that the murder weapon is outside and all the doors are locked. How could the weapon that killed the pair have got outside after both died? Someone clever must have been able to get in and out without detection, but how?

Soon the area is flooded by police but they are none the wiser which leads to Ginzo contacting the one person he believes could help.

“There was a famous and quite bizarre in San Francisco’s Japanese community that had remained unsolved for a long time. And when a certain young drug addict by the name of Kosuke Kindaichi stumbled upon the case, he succeeded in solving it once and for all.”

Kosuke Kindaichi is a young man whom Ginzo long ago saved from a life of the streets. In return for his generosity, Kosuke is extremely close to Ginzo and so drops everything to catch the next available train to help solve this crime.

Kosuke has become quite famous for the way he solves cases that others find impossible, and so when he arrives everyone is slightly shocked by his scruffy appearance and his prominent stutter. Is he really capable of solving this particular murder case?

Eager to find out the truth though, he is soon in the thick of it, seeking out unlikely clues that others have easily overlooked, asking questions that appear completely random and unrelated at times and appearing to go off on a tangent frequently.

Is he completely mad or a genius though?

With his love of mystery writers, he is soon explaining to both the inspector in charge and the horrified family that this is what is known as a ‘locked room mystery’.

“It’s what you call a murder that has happened in a room where all the doors and windows are locked from the inside. The killer had no possible escape route. Mystery writers call it ‘an impossible crime.”

Will he be able to solve this particular homicide though? Can he see what others have failed to notice?

My Thoughts on The Honjin Murders

I always worry about reading a translated text because if done badly, the whole story loses pace and any meaning behind it is lost. The Honjin Murders, however, is well interpreted. Obviously, I don’t read Japanese so I cannot tell you for certain that the novel I have read is an exact copy of the original but I appreciate the skill involved in recreating someone’s words for a new audience.

The Honjin Murders is a locked room murder mystery set in 1937 Japan. It has only recently been translated into English.

The book has an old world feel to it. The language and attitudes felt very appropriate for the time period the book is set in and put me in mind of Agatha Christie and Arthur Conan Doyle.

The book does mention that the detective in the novel, Kosuke Kindaichi, and one of the characters are fans of murder mystery novels and it felt like this book was very much paying homage to writers like Christie and Doyle. Kosuke Kindaichi came across as very much a Japanese Poirot to me.

The book has plenty of drama, the murders that take place are of a newly married couple on their wedding night, there is a mysterious 3 fingered man and the groom's family provide plenty of background colour and a glimpse into the honjin lifestyle of a well to do family.

The resolution to the mystery of the locked room was compelling and interesting. If I have any criticism of the book, it was that it felt a bit slow to start, but once Kondaichi arrived, it really picked up.

I enjoyed the book and it was an insight into Japanese life and attitudes in the 1930's.

The Honjin Murders is a splendid intriguing mystery novel. I recommend this book highly. The setting, the detective and the era--Japan pre WWII--are uncommon in Western crime and mystery fiction. The plot is labyrinthine and complex. It utilizes Japanese history and cultural patterns in the construction of an ornate crime and the crime's resolution.. The unorthodox detective, Kosuke Kindaichi, is delightfully ingenious. Certain details of the murder are at first reading a tad outlandish--the kind of classic crime twists no longer in fashion-- but because of the skill of the writer and construction of the plot are woven together to become essential to the successful crime conclusion. The perspective of the narrator and the shifts in voice are especially effective. I look forward to being able to read more translations of mysteries by this author, Seishi Yokomizo, long celebrated and lauded--including even films made from his books-- in his native Japan but. sadly, not known in the West.

An intriguing locked room murder mystery featuring a sinister three-fingered man and a wedding party full of suspects..how could I resist? In the best tradition of sleuthing novels, the dishevelled and seemingly harmless Kosuke Kindaichi shows up and piece by piece manages to unravel the plot that led to a bloody wedding night.

This is a perfect late night winter read...the snow lies deep across the ground and I picked up similarities to some of favourites, The Nightingale Floor, Columbo and Agatha Christie (who even gets a mention!)

Not a cosy mystery as such, but one that will keep you turning the pages.

As a lover of Japanese literature, I had never really read a mystery by a Japanese author before so this was also a new experience for me and I was pleasently surprised and thoroughly enjoyed following along with the detective to try and figure out this murder mystery. The format of slowly unraveling the case kept me hooked and I think I will be reading more books in this series..

Set in the winter of 1937, but first published in 1946, this is an interesting experience, providing the reader with a lot that is familiar from British and American detective fiction of the Golden Age but in a Japanese context.

An ingenious if overly complex locked room double death is at the heart of the first in what was to become a long running series featuring the Colombo-like detective Kosuke Kindaichi.

My main quibble is with the structure of the plot as, in a relatively short book, the explanation of the crime took up about one-quarter of the chapters.

Overall, a fascinating novel, with lots of insights into the social structure of pre-WW2 Japan and a chunk of homage to European and American interwar detective fiction.

The prose flows without awkwardness, so thanks to the translator for a smooth read. I will certainly look out for further instalments.

Thank you to NetGalley and Pushkin Press for the digital review copy.

I found the elements of this book that are uniquely Japanese fascinating - the house, garden and everything in it, the way of life in Japan just before WWII, the formality and feudalism that persisted until then. The locked-room murder mystery, though cleverly conceived, left me cold and the reason for it…. what can I say, only in Japan perhaps. The plot was structured effectively for me - well paced and the several different narrators’ perspectives on events mixed it up nicely.

A quick, absorbing read but not one I’d care to repeat or particularly recommend. I’m guessing I’m not enough of a crime mystery devotee for this and others will enjoy its foreshadowing of more recent authors’ offerings.

I've found the Japanese Columbo! This is the first of the many cases featuring the scruffy looking Kosuke Kindaichi and I will definately be reading more. The translation is very good and it flows. With many cultural nuances and expressions needing some extra information, this was all included in the novel so it really didn't feel like a strict translation which was very nice.

This is also the Japanese version of Agatha Christie! A locked room mystery with the detective summing up at the end with plenty of twists and turns along the way. There are a few pointers to follow but some you only realise were pointers when you look back. Now that's clever. It was hard to guess and see where the story was going and there's not many detective novels that do that nowawdays! With the cultural differences, this was a mystery, a piece of intrigue and locked room fun all in one.

We are taken to a remote, rural Japanese village where a man of the most powerful family in the village is getting married to a beautiful young bride. However, on the wedding night, terrible screams can be heard coming from the bedroom. Once they break down the door, finding the windows still shut, they find the couple murdered in their bed. Impossible right?

The plot was quite ingenious I have to say even if it was a bit gruesome when all is said and done. It's the kind of book that you have to read carefully, try to guess and find the clues and nod to Agatha and Columbo whilst you do it.

I hope Pushkin Vertigo publishes more of Yokomizo Seishi's work in the future.

This book was easy to read as the English translation was simple.

The identity of the murderer shocked me. Never saw that coming; I think it was an interesting concept to a lock room mystery. This is a fast-paced story and it wasn't a thick book so it can be a fast read in two seatings.

Before you read this book do a bit of research as to what is a koto, a koto pick, and a katana and how it works and how it looks like as these are the weapons used to commit the crime. You would be able to visualize and relate to the story better.

How the crime was committed is a bit complex and you need to read slowly and it wasn't an easy visualization. I was not able to comprehend fully but is a crucial part of the murder or so it seemed. My advice is to take your time to read this book slowly. Remember the details of it as it would help you to relate to the story better.

How the private detective Kindachi was able to deduce the motives behind the murder was a bit far-fetched and was based on a lot of guessing and not all of how the deductions were being derived were explained.

Generally, the ending part was very similar to Agatha Christie's novels where the smart detective begins to narrate how the murder was committed and the driven motives behind it. I find the three fingers man being thrown in as part of the plot was brilliant. Was he the murderer? He might very well be. You have to read on and guess. This portion of the plot about him reminded me of Agatha Christie's 'The ABC murders'.

Nevertheless, this book is still an interesting read and I would give it 3.8 stars as it was fast-paced and everything was tied up neatly even though many were based on assumptions.

Thank you to Netgalley and Pushkin Press for the advance copy! What can I say? I love Pushkin’s Vertigo titles and this was no exception. The Honjin Murders is a classic locked room mystery in the tradition of Britain’s golden age of detective fiction. Yokomizo has a self-aware style, even going so far as to making Doyle, Christie, and Gardner a clue his detective picks up. I do think readers should go in with an understanding of the time period and culture this book comes out of. When I first started reading I wanted to shout at the author, “show, don’t tell!” But.once I got used to the style I found both the detective and the locked room puzzle delightful.

A perfect read for this cold weather. The writing is clever and reminded me of the works by Arthur Conan Doyle and Agatha Christie. The engaging plot makes for a fantastic murder mystery.

Great to read this translation of Yokomizo’s ‘Honjin Murders’. As a fan of the golden age of detective fiction, it was enlightening to add this text to the canon, as well as it simply being a pleasure to read. I particularly enjoyed the cultural lens through which the locked room murder was enacted; koto strings and katanas rather than curtain pulls and ice picks. Well done to Pushkin Press for this gem and to Louise Heal Kawai for her fluent, compelling translation.

Yokomizo Seishi (1902-1981) was a Japanese mystery novelist. He’s especially known for his series of stories featuring young detective Kosuke Kindaichi (77 total). His influence can still be seen today in many authors. Among them, Kanari Yozaburo who took inspiration for his manga (and anime) series Kindaichi Shōnen no Jikenbo (featuring the fictitious grandson of Kosuke Kindaichi) or Aoyama Gosho, author of the Metantei Conan series.

In spite of his influence, he has seldom been translated. Part of his works have been published in French, but none in English as far as I know, until now.

The Case of the Honjin Murders is the first story featuring Kosuke Kindaichi, and is considered a classic.

In 1937, at the large mansion of the Ichiyanagi family, the wedding of the eldest son and heir, Kenzo, is being prepared. Meanwhile, a strange vagrant missing two fingers on one hand is seen at a nearby village.

Several members of the family are present at the ceremony, during which the koto, a 13 string musical instrument, is played, as it is traditional in the family. The ceremony then ends with a celebration of the couple by the locals.

Later that night, a cacophony of koto and screams is heard across the mansion. Members of the family rush outside to the annex in which the couple’s bedroom is located. As it is locked from the inside, they have to force their way in, and they discover the couple brutally murdered. The katana used to commit the crime is found outside, in the middle of the garden, on a coat of snow, with no footprints around.

A perfect locked room mystery.

While the police looks for the vagrant, the late bride’s suspicious uncle calls for his protégé, young detective Kosuke Kindaichi.

The book was a great read. It has been translated in English in quite an adequate style by Louise Heal Kawai. We can feel the contagious enthusiasm of the young detective jump from the pages, and share the bafflement of the police and other protagonists while he unravels the intricate mystery.

The story is narrated after the fact by an « author of detective novels », allowing Yokomizo Seishi to introduce us to his own influences from occidental and Japanese mystery authors.

This is a book that will be enjoyed both by Agatha Christie lovers, and fans of mystery manga and anime such as those I’ve referenced above. I hope Pushkin Press will continue their effort in adapting all further entries in the series.

Thanks to Pushkin Press and Netgalley for the ARC in exchange for this unbiased review.

A classic Japanese golden age locked room murder mystery, with logical but complex plotting and traditional private detective elements.
Excellent translation from Japanese into English, with attention to detail and explanation regarding specific Japanese cultural elements that built the context. It felt as if it had been originally written with translation in mind.
I really enjoyed the narrator and narrative style which utilised different points of view seamlessly.

What a delightful mystery.

I was instantly intrigued by the great cover. I had never heard of Seishi Yokomizo but a Japanese locked room mystery set during winter sounded perfect and I’m so glad I got the chance to read this novel, it’s a delight from start to finish. The tone is pleasant and light hearted, the translation by Louise Heal Kawai is wonderful.

If you love a cozy murder mystery in the style of Agatha Christie but in a Japanese setting, this is the book for you.

I would like to thank Netgalley and Pushkin Press for a review copy of The Honjin Murders, the first novel to feature Private Detective Kosuke Kindaichi, originally published in Japanese in 1948.

In the winter of 1937 head of the family Kenzo Ichiyanagi marries Katsuko Kubo despite opposition from the rest of his family because the bride doesn’t come from an illustrious enough family. On the wedding night the sound of a koto can be heard and then a terrible scream. Kenzo and Katsuko are dead in a locked room.

The Honjin Murders has a very clever and intricate plot and is a masterclass in distraction but I can’t really say that I enjoyed it as my mind doesn’t work the right way to get really involved. It is detail orientated and requires a fair amount of visualisation that, due to illness, is beyond my capabilities. As a result of this incapacity I am a broad brush strokes kind of gal and that doesn’t cut it with this novel.

Nevertheless I was able to admire the thought and ingenuosity that went into it and I really liked the format which, while being unusual, suited the novel. The novel is narrated in the first person by an unidentified author who has been evacuated to the region and is recounting events years later. It is clever in that it allows the author to explain the background and later insert his/her commentary on the facts as they unfold while letting the plot and events revert back to 1937 and mostly be told in real time. I like these little commentaries as they try to point the reader towards clues and the final solution although it was fairly pointless in my case.

I imagine that translating from Japanese requires a bit more effort than from from Western languages as the cultural nuances and traditions will require more explanation. Ms Heal Kawai has done a sterling job of explaining both in a readable manner and with little distraction to the plot.

I’m glad that I read The Honjin Murders as I’m always on the lookout for new fictional adventures. It’s not a good fit for me but I can recommend it to any reader who relates to detail and enjoys a good puzzle.

This book as my first encounter with the Seishi Yokomizo style of writing, and whilst I had a small issue with names, it soon became a book and mystery which I countn't put down easily. The story is narrated, in most, by a third person, and a retrospect style which I very much enjoyed. The solution of the mystery was reasonable, abet a little unusual. It is a locked-room mystery and it follows true to form.
I certainly will be on the look out for more of these translated mysteries.

Pushkin Vertigo are doing a fine job bringing to our attention some of the great forgotten crime novels from around the world.

The Honjin Murders is the first in the Kosuke Kindaichi novels which was originally published in 1946. The setting is an isolated rural village in Japan, the oldest son of a wealthy family is marrying, however on the night of the wedding he and his bride are murdered. The bride's uncle contacts Kosuke Kindaichi, a well known private detective whose inspiration is Sherlock Holmes, and other classic detective novels.

At the heart of this novel is the classic locked room murder mystery, when reading it you must keep in mind that this novel was written over 70 years ago. A must for fans of golden age crime writing.

The Honjin Murders was a fun tale from start to finish. I was caught up in the mystery of what had happened and did not guess the full truth ahead of the final reveal. The prose is easy-going, quick reading, so I finished within two nights. The characters, though only briefly sketched in some respects, all came across as individual and memorable, and the inclusion of the visual of the house layout, with key elements marked, was a nice touch. I am not a big murder-mystery reader and requested this title more on the basis of my current fascination with everything Japanese; however, I really enjoyed reading it and would definitely pick up further books from this author.