'Ingenious' The Critic

A classic Japanese mystery from the author of The Honjin Murders and Murder at the Black Cat Cafe

A dissolute aristocratic family. A sleepwalking heiress. A headless corpse. Can Detective Kindaichi untangle this macabre mystery?

Fear looms over the luxurious Furugami estate. The beautiful, young Yachiyo Furugami, plagued by episodes of sleepwalking, receives a series of cryptic letters culminating in an ominous warning: 'Walk not at night'.

Then a body is discovered, decapitated with a centuries-old samurai sword. The police are baffled, so the famous sleuth Kosuke Kindaichi is called upon to solve the mystery, but before he can do so, the killer strikes again. Can Kindaichi get to the truth before the Furugami family is destroyed by its own secrets?

PRAISE FOR SEISHI YOKOMIZO

'The diabolically twisted plotting is top-notch' - New York Times

'Readers will delight in the blind turns, red herrings and dubious alibis... Ingenious and compelling' - Economist

'With a reputation in Japan to rival Agatha Christie's, the master of ingenious plotting is finally on the case for anglophone readers' - Guardian

'This is Golden Age crime at its best, complete with red herrings, blind alleys and twists and turns galore... A testament to the power of the simple murder mystery and its enduring appeal' - Spectator

'Plenty of golden age ingredients... with a truly ingenious solution' - Guardian, Best New Crime Novels

'Truly ingenious' Guardian

'The king of the locked-room mystery' CrimeReads

'The Japanese Agatha Christie' Sara Cox, Between the Covers

'Fiendishly complex and wonderfully atmospheric' S.J. Bennett, author of Murder Most Royal

'The Japanese Agatha Christie' Sarah Cox, on BBC2's Between the Covers

'The master of ingenious plotting' Guardian

'Dazzling' New York Times

FROM THE FATHER OF JAPANESE CRIME

In the winter of 1937, the village of Okamura is abuzz with excitement over the forthcoming wedding of a son of the grand Ichiyanagi family. But amid the gossip over the approaching festivities, there is also a worrying rumour - it seems a sinister masked man has been asking questions about the Ichiyanagis around the village.

Then, on the night of the wedding, the Ichiyanagi family are woken by a terrible scream, followed by the sound of eerie music - death has come to Okamura, leaving no trace but a bloody samurai sword, thrust into the pristine snow outside the house. The murder seems impossible, but amateur detective Kosuke Kindaichi is determined to get to the bottom of it.

A Times No.1 and Sunday Times Top 10 bestseller

A classic Japanese mystery, from the author of The Honjin Murders

A faceless corpse is discovered near a notorious Tokyo brothel. Detective Kindaichi plunges into the seedy backstreets to investigate.

The Pink Labyrinth is one of the bomb-scarred city's most shady neighbourhoods. There, in the dead of night a patrolling policeman catches a young Buddhist monk digging in the back yard of The Black Cat Cafe, a notorious brothel. In the shallow grave at his feet lie the dead body of a woman, her face disfigured beyond recognition, and the corpse of a black cat.

Who is the murdered woman, and how was she connected to the infamous establishment? And where did the dead cat come from, given that the cafe's feline mascot seems to be alive and well? The brilliant sleuth Kosuke Kindaichi investigates, but as he draws closer to the truth, he finds himself in grave danger...

PRAISE FOR SEISHI YOKOMIZO

'The diabolically twisted plotting is top-notch' - New York Times

'Readers will delight in the blind turns, red herrings and dubious alibis... Ingenious and compelling' - Economist

'With a reputation in Japan to rival Agatha Christie's, the master of ingenious plotting is finally on the case for anglophone readers' - Guardian

'This is Golden Age crime at its best, complete with red herrings, blind alleys and twists and turns galore... A testament to the power of the simple murder mystery and its enduring appeal' - Spectator

'Plenty of golden age ingredients... with a truly ingenious solution' - Guardian, Best New Crime Novels

'Truly ingenious' Guardian

'The king of the locked-room mystery' CrimeReads

'The Japanese Agatha Christie' Sara Cox, Between the Covers

'Fiendishly complex and wonderfully atmospheric' S.J. Bennett, author of Murder Most Royal

'The Japanese Agatha Christie' Sara Cox, on BBC2's Between the Covers

A classic Japanese mystery from the author of The Honjin Murders and Murder at the Black Cat Cafe

A tycoon's twisted will leads to a family feud and a string of bloody murders.

In 1940s Japan, the wealthy head of the Inugami Clan dies, and his family eagerly await the reading of the will. But no sooner are its strange details revealed than a series of bizarre, gruesome murders begins.

Detective Kindaichi must unravel the clan's terrible secrets of forbidden liaisons, monstrous cruelty, and hidden identities to find the murderer and lift the curse wreaking its bloody revenge on the Inugamis.

The Inugami Curse is a fiendish, intricately plotted classic mystery from a giant of Japanese crime writing, starring the legendary detective Kosuke Kindaichi.

PRAISE FOR SEISHI YOKOMIZO

'The diabolically twisted plotting is top-notch' - New York Times

'Readers will delight in the blind turns, red herrings and dubious alibis... Ingenious and compelling' - Economist

'With a reputation in Japan to rival Agatha Christie's, the master of ingenious plotting is finally on the case for anglophone readers' - Guardian

'This is Golden Age crime at its best, complete with red herrings, blind alleys and twists and turns galore... A testament to the power of the simple murder mystery and its enduring appeal' - Spectator

'Plenty of golden age ingredients... with a truly ingenious solution' - Guardian, Best New Crime Novels

'Truly ingenious' Guardian

'The king of the locked-room mystery' CrimeReads

'The Japanese Agatha Christie' Sara Cox, Between the Covers

'Fiendishly complex and wonderfully atmospheric' S.J. Bennett, author of Murder Most Royal

A classic Japanese mystery, from the author of The Honjin Murders

'The Japanese Agatha Christie' Sara Cox, Between the Covers

Tokyo, 1947.

The Pink Labyrinth is one of the bomb-scarred city's most shady neighbourhoods. There, in the dead of night a patrolling policeman catches a young Buddhist monk digging in the back yard of The Black Cat Cafe, a notorious brothel. In the shallow grave at his feet lie the dead body of a woman, her face disfigured beyond recognition, and the corpse of a black cat.

Who is the murdered woman, and how was she connected to the infamous establishment? And where did the dead cat come from, given that the cafe's feline mascot seems to be alive and well? The brilliant sleuth Kosuke Kindaichi investigates, but as he draws closer to the truth, he finds himself in grave danger...

PRAISE FOR SEISHI YOKOMIZO

'The diabolically twisted plotting is top-notch' - New York Times

'Readers will delight in the blind turns, red herrings and dubious alibis... Ingenious and compelling' - Economist

'With a reputation in Japan to rival Agatha Christie's, the master of ingenious plotting is finally on the case for anglophone readers' - Guardian

'This is Golden Age crime at its best, complete with red herrings, blind alleys and twists and turns galore... A testament to the power of the simple murder mystery and its enduring appeal' - Spectator

'Plenty of golden age ingredients... with a truly ingenious solution' - Guardian, Best New Crime Novels

'Truly ingenious' Guardian

'The king of the locked-room mystery' CrimeReads

'The Japanese Agatha Christie' Sara Cox, Between the Covers

'Fiendishly complex and wonderfully atmospheric' S.J. Bennett, author of Murder Most Royal

'A bloody feast of multiple murders in a terrorized mountain community' Sarah Weinman, New York Times

A classic Japanese mystery from the author of The Honjin Murders and Murder at the Black Cat Cafe

A remote mountain village is struck by a series of gruesome murders, eerily mirroring the lines of a local nursery rhyme.

Kosuke Kindaichi comes to remote Onikobe expecting a peaceful mountain retreat, but finds death stalking him at every turn. No sooner has the famous sleuth learnt of a decades-old murder haunting the village than a new series of killings strikes the community. This time the victims' bodies are eerily arranged to allude to the lyrics of a children's song.

As the scruffy sleuth investigates, the murders continue, with a sinister, stooped old woman appearing before every new death. Kindaichi must unravel a tangled tale of broken hearts and blackmail to get to the truth.

Can he do so before the killer reaches the final verse?

PRAISE FOR SEISHI YOKOMIZO

'The diabolically twisted plotting is top-notch' - New York Times

'Readers will delight in the blind turns, red herrings and dubious alibis... Ingenious and compelling' - Economist

'With a reputation in Japan to rival Agatha Christie's, the master of ingenious plotting is finally on the case for anglophone readers' - Guardian

'This is Golden Age crime at its best, complete with red herrings, blind alleys and twists and turns galore... A testament to the power of the simple murder mystery and its enduring appeal' - Spectator

'Plenty of golden age ingredients... with a truly ingenious solution' - Guardian, Best New Crime Novels

'Truly ingenious' Guardian

'The king of the locked-room mystery' CrimeReads

'The Japanese Agatha Christie' Sara Cox, Between the Covers

'Fiendishly complex and wonderfully atmospheric' S.J. Bennett, author of Murder Most Royal

An ingenious and highly atmospheric classic whodunit from Japan's master of crime.

Amid the rubble of post-war Tokyo, inside the grand Tsubaki house, a once-noble family is in mourning.

The old viscount Tsubaki, a brooding, troubled composer, has been found dead.

When the family gather for a divination to conjure the spirit of their departed patriarch, death visits the house once more, and the brilliant Kosuke Kindaichi is called in to investigate.

But before he can get to the truth Kindaichi must uncover the Tsubakis' most disturbing secrets, while the gruesome murders continue...

PRAISE FOR SEISHI YOKOMIZO

'The diabolically twisted plotted is top-notch' New York Times

Readers will delight in the blind turns, red herrings and dubious alibis... Ingenious and compelling' Economist

'Plenty of golden age ingredients... with a truly ingenious solution' Guardian, Best New Crime Novels

Murder Most Royal

A classic Japanese mystery from the author of The Honjin Murders and Murder at the Black Cat Cafe

Amid the rubble of post-war Tokyo, inside the grand Tsubaki house, a once-noble family is in mourning.

The old viscount Tsubaki, a brooding, troubled composer, has been found dead.

When the family gather for a divination to conjure the spirit of their departed patriarch, death visits the house once more, and the brilliant Kosuke Kindaichi is called in to investigate.

But before he can get to the truth Kindaichi must uncover the Tsubakis' most disturbing secrets, while the gruesome murders continue...

PRAISE FOR SEISHI YOKOMIZO

'The diabolically twisted plotting is top-notch' - New York Times

'Readers will delight in the blind turns, red herrings and dubious alibis... Ingenious and compelling' - Economist

'With a reputation in Japan to rival Agatha Christie's, the master of ingenious plotting is finally on the case for anglophone readers' - Guardian

'This is Golden Age crime at its best, complete with red herrings, blind alleys and twists and turns galore... A testament to the power of the simple murder mystery and its enduring appeal' - Spectator

'Plenty of golden age ingredients... with a truly ingenious solution' - Guardian, Best New Crime Novels

'Truly ingenious' Guardian

'The king of the locked-room mystery' CrimeReads

'The Japanese Agatha Christie' Sara Cox, Between the Covers

'Fiendishly complex and wonderfully atmospheric' S.J. Bennett, author of Murder Most Royal

'The master of ingenious plotting' Guardian

A classic Japanese mystery from the author of The Honjin Murders and Murder at the Black Cat Cafe

An heir arrives in a remote mountain village to claim his inheritance, but has he awakened a deadly, ancient curse?

Nestled deep in the mountains of Japan, the hamlet of Eight Graves takes its name from a centuries-old massacre. Ever since that bloody day, people say, a terrible curse has hung over the village.

When young Tatsuya arrives from the city to claim a mysterious inheritance, death follows close behind. After a series of gruesome poisonings, the villagers' suspicion quickly falls on the newcomer.

With the help of the famous Kosuke Kindaichi, Tatsuya must race to uncover the murderer and save his own life before the inhabitants of Eight Graves take justice into their own hands.

PRAISE FOR SEISHI YOKOMIZO

'The diabolically twisted plotting is top-notch' - New York Times

'Readers will delight in the blind turns, red herrings and dubious alibis... Ingenious and compelling' - Economist

'With a reputation in Japan to rival Agatha Christie's, the master of ingenious plotting is finally on the case for anglophone readers' - Guardian

'This is Golden Age crime at its best, complete with red herrings, blind alleys and twists and turns galore... A testament to the power of the simple murder mystery and its enduring appeal' - Spectator

'Plenty of golden age ingredients... with a truly ingenious solution' - Guardian, Best New Crime Novels

'Truly ingenious' Guardian

'The king of the locked-room mystery' CrimeReads

'The Japanese Agatha Christie' Sara Cox, Between the Covers

'Fiendishly complex and wonderfully atmospheric' S.J. Bennett, author of Murder Most Royal

'The Japanese Agatha Christie' Sarah Cox, on BBC2's Between the Covers

'The master of ingenious plotting' Guardian

'Dazzling' New York Times

FROM THE FATHER OF JAPANESE CRIME

In the winter of 1937, the village of Okamura is abuzz with excitement over the forthcoming wedding of a son of the grand Ichiyanagi family. But amid the gossip over the approaching festivities, there is also a worrying rumour - it seems a sinister masked man has been asking questions about the Ichiyanagis around the village.

Then, on the night of the wedding, the Ichiyanagi family are woken by a terrible scream, followed by the sound of eerie music - death has come to Okamura, leaving no trace but a bloody samurai sword, thrust into the pristine snow outside the house. The murder seems impossible, but amateur detective Kosuke Kindaichi is determined to get to the bottom of it.

'Truly ingenious' Guardian

Japan's greatest classic mystery, from the author of Murder at the Black Cat Cafe

A pair of newlyweds are brutally murdered on their wedding night. Their bedroom was locked from the inside. A samurai sword thrust into the snow is the only clue.

One freezing night in the winter of 1937, the Ichiyanagi household is woken by a terrible scream, followed by the sound of eerie music. Death has come to the village of Okamura, leaving no trace but a bloody samurai sword thrust into the pristine snow.

Soon, amateur detective Kosuke Kindaichi is on the scene to investigate what will become a legendary murder case, but can this scruffy sleuth solve a seemingly impossible crime?

PRAISE FOR SEISHI YOKOMIZO

'The diabolically twisted plotting is top-notch' - New York Times

'Readers will delight in the blind turns, red herrings and dubious alibis... Ingenious and compelling' - Economist

'With a reputation in Japan to rival Agatha Christie's, the master of ingenious plotting is finally on the case for anglophone readers' - Guardian

'This is Golden Age crime at its best, complete with red herrings, blind alleys and twists and turns galore... A testament to the power of the simple murder mystery and its enduring appeal' - Spectator

'Plenty of golden age ingredients... with a truly ingenious solution' - Guardian, Best New Crime Novels

'Truly ingenious' Guardian

'The king of the locked-room mystery' CrimeReads

'The Japanese Agatha Christie' Sara Cox, Between the Covers

'Fiendishly complex and wonderfully atmospheric' S.J. Bennett, author of Murder Most Royal

'Ingenious' The Critic

A classic Japanese mystery from the author of The Honjin Murders and Murder at the Black Cat Cafe

A dissolute aristocratic family. A sleepwalking heiress. A headless corpse. Can Detective Kindaichi untangle this macabre mystery?

Fear looms over the luxurious Furugami estate. The beautiful, young Yachiyo Furugami, plagued by episodes of sleepwalking, receives a series of cryptic letters culminating in an ominous warning: 'Walk not at night'.

Then a body is discovered, decapitated with a centuries-old samurai sword. The police are baffled, so the famous sleuth Kosuke Kindaichi is called upon to solve the mystery, but before he can do so, the killer strikes again. Can Kindaichi get to the truth before the Furugami family is destroyed by its own secrets?

PRAISE FOR SEISHI YOKOMIZO

'The diabolically twisted plotting is top-notch' - New York Times

'Readers will delight in the blind turns, red herrings and dubious alibis... Ingenious and compelling' - Economist

'With a reputation in Japan to rival Agatha Christie's, the master of ingenious plotting is finally on the case for anglophone readers' - Guardian

'This is Golden Age crime at its best, complete with red herrings, blind alleys and twists and turns galore... A testament to the power of the simple murder mystery and its enduring appeal' - Spectator

'Plenty of golden age ingredients... with a truly ingenious solution' - Guardian, Best New Crime Novels

'Truly ingenious' Guardian

'The king of the locked-room mystery' CrimeReads

'The Japanese Agatha Christie' Sara Cox, Between the Covers

'Fiendishly complex and wonderfully atmospheric' S.J. Bennett, author of Murder Most Royal

'The Japanese Agatha Christie' Sarah Cox, on BBC2's Between the Covers

'The master of ingenious plotting' Guardian

'Dazzling' New York Times

FROM THE FATHER OF JAPANESE CRIME

In the winter of 1937, the village of Okamura is abuzz with excitement over the forthcoming wedding of a son of the grand Ichiyanagi family. But amid the gossip over the approaching festivities, there is also a worrying rumour - it seems a sinister masked man has been asking questions about the Ichiyanagis around the village.

Then, on the night of the wedding, the Ichiyanagi family are woken by a terrible scream, followed by the sound of eerie music - death has come to Okamura, leaving no trace but a bloody samurai sword, thrust into the pristine snow outside the house. The murder seems impossible, but amateur detective Kosuke Kindaichi is determined to get to the bottom of it.

A Times No.1 and Sunday Times Top 10 bestseller

A classic Japanese mystery, from the author of The Honjin Murders

A faceless corpse is discovered near a notorious Tokyo brothel. Detective Kindaichi plunges into the seedy backstreets to investigate.

The Pink Labyrinth is one of the bomb-scarred city's most shady neighbourhoods. There, in the dead of night a patrolling policeman catches a young Buddhist monk digging in the back yard of The Black Cat Cafe, a notorious brothel. In the shallow grave at his feet lie the dead body of a woman, her face disfigured beyond recognition, and the corpse of a black cat.

Who is the murdered woman, and how was she connected to the infamous establishment? And where did the dead cat come from, given that the cafe's feline mascot seems to be alive and well? The brilliant sleuth Kosuke Kindaichi investigates, but as he draws closer to the truth, he finds himself in grave danger...

PRAISE FOR SEISHI YOKOMIZO

'The diabolically twisted plotting is top-notch' - New York Times

'Readers will delight in the blind turns, red herrings and dubious alibis... Ingenious and compelling' - Economist

'With a reputation in Japan to rival Agatha Christie's, the master of ingenious plotting is finally on the case for anglophone readers' - Guardian

'This is Golden Age crime at its best, complete with red herrings, blind alleys and twists and turns galore... A testament to the power of the simple murder mystery and its enduring appeal' - Spectator

'Plenty of golden age ingredients... with a truly ingenious solution' - Guardian, Best New Crime Novels

'Truly ingenious' Guardian

'The king of the locked-room mystery' CrimeReads

'The Japanese Agatha Christie' Sara Cox, Between the Covers

'Fiendishly complex and wonderfully atmospheric' S.J. Bennett, author of Murder Most Royal

'The Japanese Agatha Christie' Sara Cox, on BBC2's Between the Covers

A classic Japanese mystery from the author of The Honjin Murders and Murder at the Black Cat Cafe

A tycoon's twisted will leads to a family feud and a string of bloody murders.

In 1940s Japan, the wealthy head of the Inugami Clan dies, and his family eagerly await the reading of the will. But no sooner are its strange details revealed than a series of bizarre, gruesome murders begins.

Detective Kindaichi must unravel the clan's terrible secrets of forbidden liaisons, monstrous cruelty, and hidden identities to find the murderer and lift the curse wreaking its bloody revenge on the Inugamis.

The Inugami Curse is a fiendish, intricately plotted classic mystery from a giant of Japanese crime writing, starring the legendary detective Kosuke Kindaichi.

PRAISE FOR SEISHI YOKOMIZO

'The diabolically twisted plotting is top-notch' - New York Times

'Readers will delight in the blind turns, red herrings and dubious alibis... Ingenious and compelling' - Economist

'With a reputation in Japan to rival Agatha Christie's, the master of ingenious plotting is finally on the case for anglophone readers' - Guardian

'This is Golden Age crime at its best, complete with red herrings, blind alleys and twists and turns galore... A testament to the power of the simple murder mystery and its enduring appeal' - Spectator

'Plenty of golden age ingredients... with a truly ingenious solution' - Guardian, Best New Crime Novels

'Truly ingenious' Guardian

'The king of the locked-room mystery' CrimeReads

'The Japanese Agatha Christie' Sara Cox, Between the Covers

'Fiendishly complex and wonderfully atmospheric' S.J. Bennett, author of Murder Most Royal

A classic Japanese mystery, from the author of The Honjin Murders

'The Japanese Agatha Christie' Sara Cox, Between the Covers

Tokyo, 1947.

The Pink Labyrinth is one of the bomb-scarred city's most shady neighbourhoods. There, in the dead of night a patrolling policeman catches a young Buddhist monk digging in the back yard of The Black Cat Cafe, a notorious brothel. In the shallow grave at his feet lie the dead body of a woman, her face disfigured beyond recognition, and the corpse of a black cat.

Who is the murdered woman, and how was she connected to the infamous establishment? And where did the dead cat come from, given that the cafe's feline mascot seems to be alive and well? The brilliant sleuth Kosuke Kindaichi investigates, but as he draws closer to the truth, he finds himself in grave danger...

PRAISE FOR SEISHI YOKOMIZO

'The diabolically twisted plotting is top-notch' - New York Times

'Readers will delight in the blind turns, red herrings and dubious alibis... Ingenious and compelling' - Economist

'With a reputation in Japan to rival Agatha Christie's, the master of ingenious plotting is finally on the case for anglophone readers' - Guardian

'This is Golden Age crime at its best, complete with red herrings, blind alleys and twists and turns galore... A testament to the power of the simple murder mystery and its enduring appeal' - Spectator

'Plenty of golden age ingredients... with a truly ingenious solution' - Guardian, Best New Crime Novels

'Truly ingenious' Guardian

'The king of the locked-room mystery' CrimeReads

'The Japanese Agatha Christie' Sara Cox, Between the Covers

'Fiendishly complex and wonderfully atmospheric' S.J. Bennett, author of Murder Most Royal

'A bloody feast of multiple murders in a terrorized mountain community' Sarah Weinman, New York Times

A classic Japanese mystery from the author of The Honjin Murders and Murder at the Black Cat Cafe

A remote mountain village is struck by a series of gruesome murders, eerily mirroring the lines of a local nursery rhyme.

Kosuke Kindaichi comes to remote Onikobe expecting a peaceful mountain retreat, but finds death stalking him at every turn. No sooner has the famous sleuth learnt of a decades-old murder haunting the village than a new series of killings strikes the community. This time the victims' bodies are eerily arranged to allude to the lyrics of a children's song.

As the scruffy sleuth investigates, the murders continue, with a sinister, stooped old woman appearing before every new death. Kindaichi must unravel a tangled tale of broken hearts and blackmail to get to the truth.

Can he do so before the killer reaches the final verse?

PRAISE FOR SEISHI YOKOMIZO

'The diabolically twisted plotting is top-notch' - New York Times

'Readers will delight in the blind turns, red herrings and dubious alibis... Ingenious and compelling' - Economist

'With a reputation in Japan to rival Agatha Christie's, the master of ingenious plotting is finally on the case for anglophone readers' - Guardian

'This is Golden Age crime at its best, complete with red herrings, blind alleys and twists and turns galore... A testament to the power of the simple murder mystery and its enduring appeal' - Spectator

'Plenty of golden age ingredients... with a truly ingenious solution' - Guardian, Best New Crime Novels

'Truly ingenious' Guardian

'The king of the locked-room mystery' CrimeReads

'The Japanese Agatha Christie' Sara Cox, Between the Covers

'Fiendishly complex and wonderfully atmospheric' S.J. Bennett, author of Murder Most Royal

An ingenious and highly atmospheric classic whodunit from Japan's master of crime.

Amid the rubble of post-war Tokyo, inside the grand Tsubaki house, a once-noble family is in mourning.

The old viscount Tsubaki, a brooding, troubled composer, has been found dead.

When the family gather for a divination to conjure the spirit of their departed patriarch, death visits the house once more, and the brilliant Kosuke Kindaichi is called in to investigate.

But before he can get to the truth Kindaichi must uncover the Tsubakis' most disturbing secrets, while the gruesome murders continue...

PRAISE FOR SEISHI YOKOMIZO

'The diabolically twisted plotted is top-notch' New York Times

Readers will delight in the blind turns, red herrings and dubious alibis... Ingenious and compelling' Economist

'Plenty of golden age ingredients... with a truly ingenious solution' Guardian, Best New Crime Novels

Murder Most Royal

A classic Japanese mystery from the author of The Honjin Murders and Murder at the Black Cat Cafe

Amid the rubble of post-war Tokyo, inside the grand Tsubaki house, a once-noble family is in mourning.

The old viscount Tsubaki, a brooding, troubled composer, has been found dead.

When the family gather for a divination to conjure the spirit of their departed patriarch, death visits the house once more, and the brilliant Kosuke Kindaichi is called in to investigate.

But before he can get to the truth Kindaichi must uncover the Tsubakis' most disturbing secrets, while the gruesome murders continue...

PRAISE FOR SEISHI YOKOMIZO

'The diabolically twisted plotting is top-notch' - New York Times

'Readers will delight in the blind turns, red herrings and dubious alibis... Ingenious and compelling' - Economist

'With a reputation in Japan to rival Agatha Christie's, the master of ingenious plotting is finally on the case for anglophone readers' - Guardian

'This is Golden Age crime at its best, complete with red herrings, blind alleys and twists and turns galore... A testament to the power of the simple murder mystery and its enduring appeal' - Spectator

'Plenty of golden age ingredients... with a truly ingenious solution' - Guardian, Best New Crime Novels

'Truly ingenious' Guardian

'The king of the locked-room mystery' CrimeReads

'The Japanese Agatha Christie' Sara Cox, Between the Covers

'Fiendishly complex and wonderfully atmospheric' S.J. Bennett, author of Murder Most Royal

'The master of ingenious plotting' Guardian

A classic Japanese mystery from the author of The Honjin Murders and Murder at the Black Cat Cafe

An heir arrives in a remote mountain village to claim his inheritance, but has he awakened a deadly, ancient curse?

Nestled deep in the mountains of Japan, the hamlet of Eight Graves takes its name from a centuries-old massacre. Ever since that bloody day, people say, a terrible curse has hung over the village.

When young Tatsuya arrives from the city to claim a mysterious inheritance, death follows close behind. After a series of gruesome poisonings, the villagers' suspicion quickly falls on the newcomer.

With the help of the famous Kosuke Kindaichi, Tatsuya must race to uncover the murderer and save his own life before the inhabitants of Eight Graves take justice into their own hands.

PRAISE FOR SEISHI YOKOMIZO

'The diabolically twisted plotting is top-notch' - New York Times

'Readers will delight in the blind turns, red herrings and dubious alibis... Ingenious and compelling' - Economist

'With a reputation in Japan to rival Agatha Christie's, the master of ingenious plotting is finally on the case for anglophone readers' - Guardian

'This is Golden Age crime at its best, complete with red herrings, blind alleys and twists and turns galore... A testament to the power of the simple murder mystery and its enduring appeal' - Spectator

'Plenty of golden age ingredients... with a truly ingenious solution' - Guardian, Best New Crime Novels

'Truly ingenious' Guardian

'The king of the locked-room mystery' CrimeReads

'The Japanese Agatha Christie' Sara Cox, Between the Covers

'Fiendishly complex and wonderfully atmospheric' S.J. Bennett, author of Murder Most Royal

'The Japanese Agatha Christie' Sarah Cox, on BBC2's Between the Covers

'The master of ingenious plotting' Guardian

'Dazzling' New York Times

FROM THE FATHER OF JAPANESE CRIME

In the winter of 1937, the village of Okamura is abuzz with excitement over the forthcoming wedding of a son of the grand Ichiyanagi family. But amid the gossip over the approaching festivities, there is also a worrying rumour - it seems a sinister masked man has been asking questions about the Ichiyanagis around the village.

Then, on the night of the wedding, the Ichiyanagi family are woken by a terrible scream, followed by the sound of eerie music - death has come to Okamura, leaving no trace but a bloody samurai sword, thrust into the pristine snow outside the house. The murder seems impossible, but amateur detective Kosuke Kindaichi is determined to get to the bottom of it.

'Truly ingenious' Guardian

Japan's greatest classic mystery, from the author of Murder at the Black Cat Cafe

A pair of newlyweds are brutally murdered on their wedding night. Their bedroom was locked from the inside. A samurai sword thrust into the snow is the only clue.

One freezing night in the winter of 1937, the Ichiyanagi household is woken by a terrible scream, followed by the sound of eerie music. Death has come to the village of Okamura, leaving no trace but a bloody samurai sword thrust into the pristine snow.

Soon, amateur detective Kosuke Kindaichi is on the scene to investigate what will become a legendary murder case, but can this scruffy sleuth solve a seemingly impossible crime?

PRAISE FOR SEISHI YOKOMIZO

'The diabolically twisted plotting is top-notch' - New York Times

'Readers will delight in the blind turns, red herrings and dubious alibis... Ingenious and compelling' - Economist

'With a reputation in Japan to rival Agatha Christie's, the master of ingenious plotting is finally on the case for anglophone readers' - Guardian

'This is Golden Age crime at its best, complete with red herrings, blind alleys and twists and turns galore... A testament to the power of the simple murder mystery and its enduring appeal' - Spectator

'Plenty of golden age ingredients... with a truly ingenious solution' - Guardian, Best New Crime Novels

'Truly ingenious' Guardian

'The king of the locked-room mystery' CrimeReads

'The Japanese Agatha Christie' Sara Cox, Between the Covers

'Fiendishly complex and wonderfully atmospheric' S.J. Bennett, author of Murder Most Royal