An interesting read. I like the unique style of writing but I did find it a bit confusing as there are too many characters and too much happening all the time.
With that said, the translation was great and I would still like to read some of the author's other books.

This book presents two captivating stories that engage readers from start to finish. The main story is set in post-war Tokyo in 1947, when a police officer discovers the body of an unidentified woman and a dead black cat buried in the backyard of the Black Cat Café, a café also known for being a front for prostitution. Detective Kosuke Kindaichi investigates the case, unraveling a puzzle full of love, jealousy, and deception.

The second story offers a different narrative format yet remains equally intriguing. Readers have praised the plot for its surprising twists and satisfying resolutions, although some find certain parts slightly complex or too brief for detailed development. The simple, classic narrative style typical of Japanese Golden Age mysteries emphasizes clever puzzles over dramatic flair, making it ideal for those seeking an intelligent, concise read.

With a combination of a classic main story and a uniquely engaging bonus tale, this book is a perfect choice for mystery enthusiasts looking for a compact, intense, and puzzle-filled experience.

First of all I want to say a big thank you to NetGalley and Steerforth & Pushkin for this ARC in exchange for an honest review.

I think it’s important to note that Murder at the Black Cat Café by Seishi Yokomizo is the first murder mystery that I have read in a long time, and it’s not a genre that I often pick up.

There are two stories included in this book, one shares the title's name Murder at the Black Cat Café and seeks to turn the usual ‘faceless corpse’ mystery on its head and create a new twist ending. I felt quite pulled around by this story and I think to a certain extent, making sure that you didn’t know how it was done became the main focus of the novel, rather than the narrative. Having said that though, the timeline was easy to follow and although the characters were a bit hard to connect with, the overall tone was interesting.

The other short story was The Well Wheel Creaks which is told through a collection of letters and newspaper articles. I must admit that I enjoyed this half of the book more. I think altering the writing style to fit these new mediums made the story flow really well, and as you were only seeing snippets of the overall picture, it gave you room to theorise about the killer and their motives.

Overall, I think if you’re a fan of the mystery genre, and want a quick read that will keep you guessing, this would be a great edition to your list.

Murder at the Black Cat Café is a clever, atmospheric mystery set in post-war Tokyo, where nothing is quite what it seems. When a mutilated body and a dead black cat are found buried near a local café, detective Kosuke Kindaichi is called in to solve a case that’s as eerie as it is puzzling.

Kindaichi is a unique and memorable detective—scruffy, brilliant, and always a step ahead. His investigation takes him deep into a web of secrets, jealousy, and hidden relationships, and the way he slowly unravels the mystery is deeply satisfying. The clues are laid out fairly, and I enjoyed the sense that I could try to piece it together alongside him.

Yokomizo’s writing really shines in the way it brings the setting to life. The story takes place in 1947, and the atmosphere of a recovering Tokyo adds a lot of depth and mood to the mystery. There’s a real sense of unease throughout, with plenty of twists and surprises that kept me hooked.

I also appreciated the bonus short story included in this edition—it was a nice extra and gave another taste of Yokomizo’s classic style.

This is a must-read for fans of traditional whodunits with a Japanese twist. Intriguing, immersive, and smartly plotted, Murder at the Black Cat Café is a great entry point into the world of Kosuke Kindaichi.

This edition has two short stories. One with the same title as the book, the other is The Well Wheel Creaks.

Before I begin with my reviews of each story, let me just talk a bit about the cover, because even though it is beautiful, I’m disappointed that it does not match the rest of Kindaichi series. There’s a note from the publisher explaining away their decision to use this sort of cover. Essentially to attract a different type of readers, which I had already suspected. So, again I am disappointed because they are clearly trying to appeal to the cat and café novels that are quite popular these days. The problem is, those tropes are usually “healing” books, but nothing about this book is healing. In fact, the story was the opposite of healing, being dark and tense. And despite the title, the story barely touched on cat or café. Its focus, as is usually the case with Kindaichi mysteries, was on the murder case.

On to the reviews. Murder at the Black Cat Café was interesting and on par as to what you could expect from a Kindaichi mystery. Somebody was found digging behind what used to be the Black Cat Café. A body of a woman with a mangled face was unearthed. Who was the victim? Who was the perpetrator? Was it the digger? The owner of the café who just moved elsewhere with his wife? And why? The truth was probably not what you expected. Overall, it was an interesting read. However, it did have a boring part in the middle – a bit unnecessarily detailed. But it did pick up and ended well.

The second story was much shorter but in my opinion, also much more exciting and satisfying. The Well Wheel Creaks is essentially about 3 different families and their fight for wealth and control. It is a story about revenge and superstitions. I thought it was done very well, but for such a short story, it had so many characters that I kept having to go back to be reminded who was who. The ending was a chef’s kiss level fulfilling. I loved it, subtle but pronounced.

I recommend this book to mystery lovers, particularly fans of the Kindaichi mysteries.

This Japanese murder mystery was the classic story narration style of murder mystery, written from a writer's perspective looking into a police case.
However, unlike the traditional style of following a detective's investigation or the suspects, or even the killer's narrative, we simply follow the case.

There is a little disappointment to be expected, as the characters were wrenched about, neither fully focused on, nor left out; neither any detective shines, nor any killer. What shines is the mystery behind the identity of the dead. The books has no cozy vibes. There is a small group solving the case from beginning to middle and another one running the show from middle to end. What I could truly rely on on was the corpse and its killer/killers.

I have very mild feelings about the story. The narration style was not too my taste. At first we follow the investigators, characters of interest and intrigue but then we are thrown a bone of a late arriving hero with a grand solution.

If you love a murder mystery for it's mystery and wouldn't be too hung up about the detectives, you will enjoy this very much.

If you like to follow a detective and their particular style, like me, there is a irregularity in this sorry that might not be for you

Thank you NetGalley and Steerforth & Pushkin for this ARC in exchange for my honest opinion.

Murder at the Black Cat Café by Seishi Yokomizo had all the ingredients for a deliciously dark mystery - a café, an air of superstition, and of course, a trail of murder. The vibes were spot on, the atmosphere eerie, and I was ready to be swept away.

But… the story didn’t quite live up to the promise. The pacing dragged, the characters felt a little flat, and I kept waiting for that “aha!” moment that never really came. It’s one of those books where you want to love it but end up feeling like you’re on the outside looking in.

Still, if you’re a die-hard fan of classic Japanese mysteries, you might appreciate the vintage style more than I did. For me though, this one just missed the mark.

This book is one of the finest that I have read this year. My very first time taking a try with a Japanese mystery book, and it was mind blowing 🤯🤯🤯
I sat for like 2 minutes in complete silence to allow my brain to process what I have just read 🧠
Everything in this book is very logically constructed. It's like a fast bullet train passing you on a station. One minute you are reading about something, you can feel the foreboding coming and the next it's just explosions everywhere💥
I have read good mystery books, but this is surely one of a kind. I tried to analyse the whole thing upside down, but every suspicion that I had was wrong 😵‍💫😵
I have to write this review without giving out any spoilers, but it's so hard.
The whole experience was rewarding and I can't ask for anymore from this book.
It's like quick sand. It will consume you and literally spit you on the other side 🤯🐈‍⬛🤌🏻🤌🏻💥

It included a bonus story called Why Did The Well Wheel Creek?
This was a bonus story included with this book. Another banger murder mystery in this series. This story unfolds through letters, bringing back that essence of former days. The pre-story and the character backgrounds are explained first. Before you start the story, you get a general idea of who's who and how they are related. This made me understand the characters more deeply and also of course the motive too.
It has a more eerie setting than the Black cat cafe story. There were very few characters so keeping up with the story was easier. The whole experience is weirdly creepy but at the same time exhilarating! I loved that it was fast paced. It kept me wanting to go back to read the story until it reached a conclusion.
But I have to say that these two stories, even though they had chaos, were very calming. Ironic isn't it?
The twist at the end was twisty 🪢. I have a habit of trying to over analyze stories and strip them down to the plot. And this time too, I wasn't even close. So maybe Japanese thrillers are my new obsession. We will see.

A moody, atmospheric mystery that delivers everything I love about Yokomizo’s work—an eccentric detective, a web of secrets, and a puzzle that’s as strange as it is compelling. Set in post-war Tokyo, the story blends intrigue with a touch of melancholy, making the unraveling of the café’s dark past all the more gripping. A must-read for fans of classic Golden Age–style mysteries with a Japanese twist.

As always, extremely logical and atmospheric;
I've already read several books from this series, and this case also exudes that typical, unique charm and special atmosphere. The setting in the capital region of post-war Japan is interesting, and you learn a lot about the lives of those involved. The case has a manageable number of characters, but is still very mysterious. The author doesn't make a fuss; you're right in the middle of the action, with no unnecessary details; logic dominates everything. The solution, provided by private detective Kosuke Kindaichi, is logical and deduced meticulously from the described clues. I've always liked that in all cases, but in this very short case, I found the resolution to be a bit too dominant in relation to the description of the case, and the case to be extremely contrived. Nevertheless, it's a very interesting and entertaining crime novel that would have earned four stars from me on its own. As a bonus, there's a short story about the fate of the Honiden family to keep the book at a reasonable length. Kosuke Kindaichi only appears in passing, but the story is very exciting and interesting, a bit scary, yet still very relatable. Since I really enjoyed it, I give both stories together five stars.

First of all I would like to thank NetGalley, Steerforth & Pushkin for early access to this ARC!

This book contains not one but two murders mysteries. One is written from the perspective of police officers running the case and the other is told between letters from a sister and brother as well as newspaper clippings.

This book is apart of Koisuke Kindaichi mysteries (which I haven’t read). Although, not a necessary prerequisite for this book!

These mysteries are both interesting, short and with great twists - you could easily read in one sitting. As it is set in ~1940s post war Japan - you may have to look up terms you aren’t familiar with. A great book for lovers of Japanese literature. As well as being fast paced they also have a melancholic feel to it to, especially the second one.

I usually don’t read murder mysteries - and I had a blast - would love to continue with more of his work!

Murder at the Black Cat Cafe is a Kosuke Kendaichi case which is, as Kendaichi himself says, a faceless corpse murder with a twist.

A man is found in the grounds of the deserted Black Cat Cafe digging. When a body is exhumed it is clear that it is a young woman but who? The owners decamped months before having sold the cafe and land. They've been seen since. So who is the mystery woman.

The local police have their suspicions - in fact several theories crop up before another character calls in Kendaichi to solve the mystery.

This first story is a typical Kendaichi mystery where he seems to do very little before he unravels a case but he's always so goodnatured about showing up the cops that they all like him.

My copy had a second story which echoes the first, in that it is also a "faceless" corpse mystery. Kendaichi does not appear in it and I did get a bit lost, at times, trying to work out all the characters but it was enjoyable all the same.

You always know what you're getting with the master, Seishi Yokomizo. Plots are invariably complicated with lots of characters but he sticks to a winning mystery novel formula after twisting it to breaking point.

If youve read Yokomizo before you'll love this but any fan of classic mysteries (especially Japanese ones) will enjoy Black Cat.

Thankyou to Netgalley and Pushkin Vertigo for the advance review copy.

This was my first read from this author. The book does include 2 stories - the main murder mystery at the Black Cat Cafe and also a 2nd tale called The Well Wheel Creaks.

Murder at the Black Cat Cafe is full of unexpected twists and turns. Some parts got a little confusing - especially during the final, big reveal - but the suspense definitely kept me hooked. In other areas of the Black Cat Cafe, I found myself skipping/scanning the page. I found that some elements of the murder mystery itself were repeated too often.

The bonus tale was a bit slow for me, personally. However, I did like the format of the letters.

ˏˋ°•*⁀➷ ** ᴛʜᴀɴᴋ ʏᴏᴜ ᴛᴏ ɴᴇᴛɢᴀʟʟᴇʏ ᴀɴᴅ ᴘᴜsʜᴋɪɴ ᴠᴇʀᴛɪɢᴏ ғᴏʀ ᴛʜɪs ᴀʀᴄ ɪɴ ᴇxᴄʜᴀɴɢᴇ ғᴏʀ ᴀɴ ʜᴏɴᴇsᴛ ʀᴇᴠɪᴇᴡ ** ⋅˚₊‧ ୨୧ ‧₊˚ ⋅

I could not get into this book, unfortunately. Perhaps I've read too many mysteries or too many Japanese-authored mysteries but I just could not get into it. It fell flat for me and I think I made it about 25-30 pages in before I chose to DNF it.

A clever, twisted dive into post-war Tokyo mysteries.

Seishi Yokomizo’s Murder at the Black Cat Café is a compact but unforgettable journey into the dark corners of human nature, love, jealousy, and betrayal. As one of Japan’s greatest crime writers, Yokomizo demonstrates his mastery of suspense, pacing, and clever plotting—even within the novella format.

The book opens with the discovery of a gruesome scene in post-war Tokyo: a woman’s disfigured body buried in the garden of The Black Cat Café, alongside a dead black cat that, strangely enough, seems alive. The legendary, scruffy detective Kosuke Kindaichi is called to unravel this baffling case, revealing that nothing about the café—or its enigmatic madam, Oshima—is as it seems. From the outset, Yokomizo plays with expectations, turning the familiar tropes of Japanese detective fiction on their head. The “faceless corpse” mystery alone is a testament to his ingenuity, challenging readers to think beyond traditional locked-room puzzles.

The pacing of the first story is brisk, but every twist lands with precision. Despite the novella’s brevity, Yokomizo crafts a layered tale full of cruelty, cunning, and surprising revelations. The violent nature of the murder and the ominous presence of the black cat add an unsettling tension that lingers long after the final page.

The second story, When You Hear the Wheel Creak, is a masterclass in family drama intertwined with mystery. Told through letters from a younger sister to her brother in a sanatorium, it explores strained relationships, wartime trauma, and the heavy weight of secrets. This story is quieter in action but equally powerful, with a sense of foreboding and heartbreak that underscores Yokomizo’s versatility as a writer. Unlike the first story, Kindaichi is absent, allowing the focus to shift to human emotion, vulnerability, and the inevitable tragedies that befall the family. The letters build a suspenseful intimacy, making the eventual resolution both poignant and devastating.

Overall, Murder at the Black Cat Café serves as a brilliant interlude or prelude to Yokomizo’s larger body of work. It provides glimpses into his recurring motifs—clever puzzles, moral ambiguity, and layered characters—while offering standalone stories that are both satisfying and haunting. Fans of Japanese mystery, classic detective fiction, or tightly crafted suspense will find themselves absorbed from start to finish, captivated by the elegance, darkness, and ingenuity of Yokomizo’s storytelling.

Seishi Yokomizo delivers another atmospheric entry in his Kindaichi Kosuke series with Murder at the Black Cat Café, a collection of two twisty novellas set in post-war Japan. The titular story opens with a faceless corpse and a black cat buried in a café garden, prompting scruffy detective Kindaichi to untangle a web of love, jealousy, and secrets. The plot is clever, full of surprises, and framed as a recollection narrated by a writer who records Kindaichi’s investigation, giving it a unique perspective reminiscent of classic Golden Age mysteries.

The second story, Why Did the Well Wheel Creak?, is a shorter, family-centered mystery with half-brothers, complex village dynamics, and the classic Kindaichi twists. Though less intricate than the first, it retains the signature suspense and period atmosphere.

Readers praise Yokomizo’s elegant and immersive writing, which vividly captures post-war Tokyo and small-town settings. The mysteries are engaging, with solutions that are surprising yet satisfyingly explained. While some may find the second story slightly confusing due to the many characters and family ties, it still maintains the charm of classic detective fiction.

Overall, this is a compelling, atmospheric read—perfect for fans of traditional whodunits and Japanese crime fiction, and ideal for a cozy, single-sitting read.

japanesefictionlove

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Murder at the Black Cat Cafe by Seishi Yokomizo

Within are two short stories, the first set in 1940's Tokyo in a recently sold Cafe's backyard where a buried body is found. Its face is disfigured and the Detective recognises it as a 'faceless corpse' mystery. There are many suspects to follow and be diverted by, meetings and timings to keep track of as well as a black cat of course! With a heavy tense atmosphere, this is a mystery with intriguing characters and a fast-pace. A lot of the action was at night which added to the mysterious vibes and whenever we were in the backyard it felt like I was there right with the detectives helping them to solve it.

The second story is told through letters and newspaper clippings which I love. It enables you to be at the heart of the action, living it through as a character in the story.

These are a couple of fun, mysterious reads for autumn and the upcoming spooky season. This is my first read of Yokomizo and it wont be my last, as I intend to add his other works to my TBR.

Thanks to pushkin press and netgalley for the eARC

This was a really interesting book format. In this book we have two separate stories that involve solving crimes during the WW2.

In the first one a monk is found digging a body, then they discover that the owners of the Black Cat Café (that gives the name to this book) have rapidly sold the café and are gone. The police officers start an investigation and Kosuke Kindaichi comes to help them solve the mistery. TAlthough Kindaichi makes it sound super simple to resolve, I thought it to be mindblowing.

In the second one we have the rivalry between two families, which I really enjoyed. We follow Tsuruyo one of the daughters of a wealthy family. In the past, her father was said to have had an affair, has a result to young man Goichi and Daisuke were born. Goichi as the illegitimate child has lived in jelaousy watching how Daisuke lives with all the amenities he wishes for himself. They are both send to fight in the war but only Daisuke comes back. Tsuruyo sees that her brother's character has changed and so she starts suspecting that he might not be Daisuke afterall. Which made this story so special was that it was written in an epistolary format which makes it more interesting as you get to figure out what's going on from a character's own experiences.

Overall, I found it to be a really enjoyable read, the chapters are short and very well written.

3.5 star

A fast-paced slice of classic cosy mystery that pulls you straight into its smoky, noir-inspired world and keeps you turning the pages

The Murder at the Black Cat Café appealed to me for its cosy mystery feel. I was drawn in immediately, the writing style engaged me and took me to a period which I love for a good detective novel, a time before technology, the speed of the present day and the lack of communication we have. Similarly, I have The Honjin Murders sitting on my physical TBR screaming at me to read it.

A Strong Start & Cosy Noir Atmosphere

The novella, as I came to find, starts out so strong and is wickedly fast paced. We are introduced to an abundance of characters with the revelation of a dead body on the property of the Black Cat café early on. There’s not beating around the bush. Seishi Yokomizo’s framing narrative is wonderfully done, interweaving the narrator into the story. The setting is deeply noir-inspired, and most of the storyline is a surprise to the reader, which for a mystery, is essential. There was one character I was a little suspicious about from early on, and I was right to be, but that didn’t play a significant part in the punchline at all.

The exposition for the last quarter of the novella, was not to my liking, though I know it is a common device of old detective stories and therefore, relevant and in keeping with the genre. I just think it perhaps was a bit too much for me. So saying, I couldn’t put it down. I was turning page after page, I wanted to know what happened next. I genuinely feel that Yokomizo could have fleshed this out, maintaining the cosy mystery feel, and made it into a book of its own. Yet, ‘The Murder at the Black Cat Café’ is not simply the one story but has been coupled with another short story ‘Memorandum concerning the Honiden Family’ to make up The Murder at the Black Cat Café novel.

A Note on the Bonus Story

My review and rating reflect ‘The Murder at the Black Cat Café’ only. I chose not to read this story as the tone is quite different, and as a mood reader, the change in tone jarred for me a little. This is no reflection of the story, and that I may return to it at a later date.

NB This review will appear on my sites and social media, as well as stores like Waterstones and Amazon around publication date

Thank you to netgalley and the publisher for an arc of the book.

This was a short but enjoyable read and my introduction to Seishi Yokomizo known as japanese Agatha Christie.

The only thing I wish was that the story was a bit longer, I feel like it was a bit too fast paced, specialy if compared to Chriestie’s cadence.