Seicho Matsumoto was born in 1909 in Fukuoka, Japan. Self-educated, Matsumoto published his first book when he was forty years old and he quickly established himself as a master of crime fiction. His exploration of human psychology and Japanese post-war malaise, coupled with the creation of twisting, dark mysteries, made him one of the most acclaimed and best-selling writers in Japan. He received the prestigious Akutagawa Literary Prize in 1950 and the Kikuchi Kan Prize in 1970. He died in 1992. Jesse Kirkwood is a literary translator working from Japanese into English. The recipient of the 2020 Harvill Secker Young Translators’ Prize, his translations include Tokyo Express by Seicho Matsumoto, Sympathy Tower Tokyo by Rie Qudan and A Perfect Day to Be Alone by Nanae Aoyama.

Tokyo Express is an irresistible Hitchcockian gem: a fiendishly-plotted crime novel told in crisp, elegant prose

1. 5/5

   Seichō Matsumoto är en av världens bästa kriminalförfattare. Komplexitet, spänning, atmosfär; allt är av högsta klass hos Matsumoto. Stor lycka varje gång jag hittar en översättning till engelska av någon av hans böcker jag ännu inte har läst. Skulle önska det fanns fler översättningar till svenska också!

   Bianca

   15 augusti 2026