I loved this classic mystery from 1957 Japan. It was very noir and atmospheric, like an old movie. I also found it very interesting and a great look into 1950s Japan. The mystery itself is incredibly intricate and not so much a who-done-it but a how-done-it. I found it so entertaining.
I thought the very talented Jesse Kirkwood did an excellent job translating this mystery, too. I've read many of the books he's translated. Now I want to read more books by Seicho Matsumoto!
Thank you to Net Galley and Random House Modern Library for the oppourtunity to read this vintage ARC.

An entertaining mystery with a compelling premise and solid pacing. I enjoyed watching the detectives piece everything together; it made for an engaging read. That said, I found the characters a bit underdeveloped. Some moments felt like opportunities to explore them more deeply, but those threads weren’t fully pursued, which left it feeling a little flat to me.
I can recognize the strength of the writing and the author’s ability to craft an intriguing storyline. While this one didn’t fully click for me, I can see it appealing to readers who enjoy mysteries with thorough narration.

This is my second novel by Seicho Matsumoto (the first being, Suspicion—an atmospheric suspense drama with crafty character and setting development, an amazing read) and I can understand why Seicho Matsumoto is so revered in the world of literature. After a looooooong time I read a mystery where the detectives are built on their own merits without borrowing anything from fictional heroes like Sherlock Holmes. Though I am a FAN of SH and Agatha Christie's works, it is tedious to read the same mannerisms or tactics in other detectives.

In Tokyo Express, at first we meet Inspector Torigai, a battered veteran working in a provincial police station. He is in Kashii beach, where a couple has been discovered dead, poison being the suspected means of this double suicide. Originally published in Japanese in 1958, this double suicide (Shinju) has lots of political and socio cultural context...there is a Japanese belief from Edo era that lovers who depart together meet again in the after life, and then during WW2, mass/double suicide was quite a pattern in Japanese society, with there being definite names to better specify the relationship between the deads. This context is not at all explained in the novel (probably was not necessary to explain in 1950's Japan, it was a prevalent occurrence then there), but it has great significance in the plot of the novel because once the conclusion is reached that the two people on Kashii beach has died by Lover's suicide, the case was closed. But inspector Torigai had his doubt and then he meets Detective Mihara from Tokyo who shares his doubt.

The rest of the story is an intricate road map of their detective drill, combining both leg work and analytical deduction and what we get is a superb read, which doesn't fall short in any way, whether it be in terms of a clever antagonist, plot and character building, pace setting or intrigue maintenance. And as I said before, loved this very original pair of detectives: Torigai and Mihara and now am going to check out more books by Seicho Matsumoto.

My thanks to NetGalley and publisher for a copy of this book. My enthusiastic opinion here is unbiased and a true reflection of my amazing reading experience.

If you love train schedules you’ll love this book. It was interesting how the mystery unfolded. But it was also good it was short, the mystery didn’t compel any further kength

When a man and woman are found dead in an apparent double suicide on a beach near the bay, with implications going back to a bribery investigation at the ministry, it's up to the efforts of a seasoned local detective and a hotshot young Tokyo detective to solve the mysterious deaths.
Though a short book, it was an intriguing and complex mystery tied in to Japanese railway schedules at the time of its writing. The story kept you guessing as the detectives are stymied every time they think they've made progress, though I early on figured out the major rationale behind the deaths (which was so obvious it's astounding the police never even had a hint about it) and one of the other twists before it was revealed. The one real disappointment in the book was the fact that when the main detective finally made major headway in solving the mystery, everything that happened next took place off the page and was summarized in a long exposition letter rather than any scenes showing what transpired. Very entertaining if you don't think about that too much, but a let down with the wrap up. 3.5/5*