The Tokyo Zodiac Murders

I felt like I was being whirled round a hundred times over by this book while reading it.Oh boy what was that, I almost grew MAD by the mind-boggling array of details and intricacies and I'm not even exaggerating (!!). I don't know how authors come up with such brain-bending plots but WOW, I LOVED THIS BOOK. Sheer brilliance on the part of Soji Shimada.The translation is equally good, hats off.The manner of the crime committed in the the Tokyo zodiac murders is something I'd never heard of before. Okay I won't go ahead to spoil the story. I certainly want you to read it if you genuinely love Japanese crime fiction and in general, locked room mysteries.

A page turner murder mystery no doubt, harking back to the locked room genre. Surprising to see the author asking the reader to detect the murderer after having provided all the clues (or so the author says). I guess 99% readers couldn’t guess the culprit till having finished reading the last few chapters.Would have preferred to give this a solid 5 stars but I would settle for 4 primarily because I found too many characters (about 1/3rd) contributing nothing to the storyline except making the protagonist and primarily his sidekick go on a wild goose chase all across Japan laced with red herrings. I believe around 50 plus pages could have been truncated if these unnecessary characters had not been there.Nevertheless, an enjoyable read which will keep the reader hooked, an ingenious and diabolical plot and the traditional Japanese setting. A true gem worth reading from the pen of Soji Shimada San.

Arrived in perfect condition

I kind of like reading books more as they tend to pull you into that plot, somehow you become a part of the story. Talking about this one, this would be my first ever mystery novel, I plan to read agatha Christie, but will save that for later. The story spins well, and the climax was honestly kind of unexpected. But at time I felt that there was a deliberate attempt to confuse the audience, well I believe that’s a writer trick :).Read it truly enjoyable :)

Book received in perfect condition.A perfect Japanese murder mystery. Subtle, symbolic and gripping!!

Intriguing

Enjoyed it thoroughly.

What a dense, cryptic, labyrinthine and (at times) infuriating work!Unlike the classic locked room mysteries belonging to John Dickson Carr school, or their Japanese version mastered by Seishi Yokomizo, this book belonged to an altogether different level. It was unusually indirect. One may say, the narrative tried to remain true to its astrology-inclined nature— so that everything appeared to be close to truth. And yet, to say that the reality was different would be an understatement.It was also unusually gruesome and mature.Not a light read. Not to be taken lightly, as well.Recommended.

It was recommended as an example of a "locked room" mystery which it is. The ambiance is semi exotic and the characters quicky yet credible. The pace is pretty slow and deliberate so if you're looking for action look elsewhere. Overall enjoyable.

Esse livro é a primeira obra de Soji Shimada e é claramente inspirado na literatura policial tradicional (como os livros de Agatha Christie). O próprio Shimada-sensei afirma que foi influenciado por autores como S. S. Van Dine. Esse livro traz um mistério extremamente justo com o leitor e é possível solucionar o caso bizarro sem dificuldades.A edição, porém, não me agradou tanto por conta da qualidade do material. Ainda assim é imprescindível em coleções de literatura policial.

Dentro del libro, hay un momento en donde el autor detiene completamente la historia para decirte que ya debiste de haber resuelto el caso. Después de que yo pase esa advertencia, no toque el libro por una semana tratando de ver si lo podía resolver por mi cuenta. Eventualmente lo termine sin poder romper el caso.Es un caso con respuestas simples a preguntas muy complicadas. Muy bien escrito y aun mas recomendable.

This is one of a series of 20 or so classic crime 'who dunnit' thrillers from around the world published by Pushkin Vertigo.This story is set in Tokyo in 1979 when an amateur detective and his friend reinvestigate the series of murders from 1936 which included an artist and seven female members of his family, including 2 nieces, 3 step-daughters and 2 daughters. The youngest 6 women are discovered dismembered and buried across Japan at sites with some astrological significance in an incidence known as the 'Tokyo Zodiac Murders'. The artist had penned a bizarre treatise about carrying out such a plan for his own reasons, but he is murdered prior to the women, so he couldn't have done it, or could he?? His murder occurred in strange circumstances in a locked room. Kazume Ishioka asks his friend and amateur sleuth Kiyoshi Mitarai to investigate.The books is written almost as if it were a true event being re-opened rather than a novel, which it is. It starts with the rambling and very detailed astrological treatise and plan of the artist, Heikichi Umezawa, to recreate an ancient Japanese goddess from the body parts of his female family members. Mad stuff, but a compelling insight into the logic of his mind. It then details the murders and the reinvestigation. It is unsettling and gruesome in parts, but compelling nonetheless.The solution is clever, but the plot ultimately a bit contrived. However, it is still worthy of high praise because of its unique style and ingenuity. I definitely will read others in this series, and would recommend this to anyone with a devious mind and a strong stomach.

An original plot. A hard to believe outcome. A good translation.