Tokyo Zodiac Murders

Born in 1948 in Hiroshima prefecture, Soji Shimada has been dubbed the 'God of Mystery' by international audiences. A novelist, essayist and short-story writer, he made his literary debut in 1981 with The Tokyo Zodiac Murders, which was shortlisted for the Edogawa Rampo Prize. Blending classical detective fiction with grisly violence and elements of the occult, he has gone on to publish several highly acclaimed series of mystery fiction, including the casebooks of Kiyoshi Mitarai and Takeshi Yoshiki. He is the author of 100+ works in total.In 2009 Shimada received the prestigious Japan Mystery Literature Award in recognition of his life's work.

Ignites the mind Huffington Post Shimada's novel is a classic of the popular Japanese honkaku or "authentic" subgenre of crime fiction, which prioritises tight plots and carefully scattered clues The National An intricate, compelling, violent, and exciting [read]. Full of hints, it's a budding Sherlock's dream; Shimada encourages the reader to be as much of a detective as his protagonist. Crime Scene A wonderful example of excellent plotting and characterization, with a brilliant sense of the mysterious and the bizarre At the Scene of the Crime Intricately constructed and entertainingly exotic Japan Times Both gory and intelligent Japan Visitor An elaborate puzzle that should appeal to the readers of Keigo Higashino. We Love this Book Intricate and utterly fascinating Austcrime Groundbreaking... Shimada's expansive novel of forensic detection is something entirely original At the Scene of the Crime For those who enjoy the whodunit type of crime novel, the Tokyo Zodiac Murders represents a touch of the exotic while at the same time being a fairly straightforward puzzle. Crime Review