Download or read book The Tokyo Zodiac Murders written by Soji Shimada and published by Pushkin Vertigo. This book was released on 2015-09-15 with total page 320 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Astrologer, fortuneteller, and self-styled detective Kiyoshi Mitarai must in one week solve a macabre murder mystery that has baffled Japan for 40 years. Who murdered the artist Umezawa, raped and killed his daughter, and then chopped up the bodies of six others to create Azoth, the supreme woman? With maps, charts, and other illustrations, this story of magic and illusion, pieced together like a great stage tragedy, challenges the reader to unravel the mystery before the final curtain.

Download or read book The Lady Killer written by Masako Togawa and published by Pushkin Vertigo. This book was released on 2018-10-30 with total page 192 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: A dizzying tale of lust, mystery, and murder—from a beloved Japanese crime fiction author and LGBT icon The Lady Killer leads a double life in Tokyo's shadowy underworld. By day, he is a devoted husband and hard worker; by night, he cruises cabaret bars and nightclubs in search of lonely single women to seduce. But now the hunter is being hunted, and in his wake lies a trail of gruesome murders. Who is the culprit? The answer lies tangled in a web of clues—and to find it, he must accept that nothing is what it seems. The Lady Killer pulls from author Masako Togawa’s vibrant personal life as a cabaret performer for Tokyo’s gay nightclub scene during the ‘50s and ‘60s. Throughout her writing career, Togawa continued to champion the LGBT community as a queer woman—sealing her reputation as one of Japan’s most prominent crime fiction authors and LGBT heroines.

Download or read book Confessions of a Yakuza written by Dr. Junichi Saga and published by Kodansha USA. This book was released on 2010-08-05 with total page 187 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: This is the true story, as told to the doctor who looked after him just before he died, of the life of one of the last traditional yakuza in Japan. It wasn’t a "good" life, in either sense of the word, but it was an adventurous one; and the tale he has to tell presents an honest and oddly attractive picture of an insider in that separate, unofficial world. In his low, hoarse voice, he describes the random events that led the son of a prosperous country shopkeeper to become a member, and ultimately the leader, of a gang organizing illegal dice games in Tokyo's liveliest entertainment area. He talks about his first police raid, and the brutal interrogation and imprisonment that followed it. He remembers his first love affair, and the girl he ran away with, and the weeks they spent wandering about the countryside together. Briefly, and matter-of-factly, he describes how he cut off the little finger of his left hand as a ritual gesture of apology. He explains how the games were run and the profits spent; why the ties between members of "the brotherhood" were so important; and how he came to kill a man who worked for him. What emerges is a contradictory personality: tough but not unsentimental; stubborn yet willing to take life more or less as it comes; impulsive but careful to observe the rules of the business he had joined. And in the end, when his tale is finished, you feel you would probably have liked him if you'd met him in person. Fortunately, Dr. Saga's record of his long conversations with him provides a wonderful substitute for that meeting.

Download or read book The Tattoo Murder Case written by Akimitsu Takagi and published by Soho Press. This book was released on 2003-07-01 with total page 353 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Kinue Nomura survived World War II only to be murdered in Tokyo, her severed limbs discovered in a room locked from the inside. Gone is the part of her that bore one of the most beautiful full-body tattoos ever rendered. Kenzo Matsushita, a young doctor who was first to discover the crime scene, feels compelled to assist his detective brother, who is in charge of the case. But Kenzo has a secret: he was Kinue’s lover, and soon his involvement in the investigation becomes as twisted and complex as the writhing snakes that once adorned Kinue’s torso. The Tattoo Murder Case was originally published in 1948; this is the first English translation.

Download or read book Murder in the Crooked House written by Soji Shimada and published by Pushkin Press. This book was released on 2019-01-31 with total page 343 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: The sequel to the acclaimed Tokyo Zodiac Murders – a fiendish locked room mystery from the Japanese master of the genre The Crooked House sits on a snowbound cliff at the remote northern tip of Japan. A curious place to build a house, but even more curious is the house itself – a maze of sloping floors and strange staircases, full of bloodcurdling masks and uncanny dolls. When a guest is found murdered in seemingly impossible circumstances, the police are called. But they are unable to solve the puzzle, and more bizarre deaths follow. Enter Kiyoshi Mitarai, the renowned sleuth. Surely if anyone can crack these cryptic murders it is him. But you have all the clues too - can you solve the mystery of the murders in The Crooked House first? 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. 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.

Download or read book A Kind of Catharsis written by Ann Chapman and published by . This book was released on 2020-08-06 with total page 258 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: A dark story of justice, morality, and murder when a family seeks justice for the unexplained and unexpected death of a loved one. The family is devastated which drives their determination. The police are suspicious but there is no evidence. They are impotent. Set in the wintry, misty city of Invercargill, New Zealand's most southern city, the Gothic tones of the story fit the surroundings beautifully. The body count rises as the family sets out to confirm their suspicions, solve a murder and obtain justice. They must keep ahead of the gang, the murderer and the police as they extract their vengeance. But will justice, morality or murder win out as the family wrestles with their own beliefs? Will the doctor be bound by his Hippocratic Oath or will his thirst for vengeance get the better of him? They seek their own answers in the face of a defiant Rob. Will they risk all, their reputations and their freedom to find the truth. And when they do which will win out -justice, morality, or murder? Over five days, amid many cups of coffee and glasses of fine Central Otago Riesling, truth and justice is found. Fast paced and a page turner this story will challenge the reader to examine their own beliefs in justice.

Download or read book Most Evil written by Steve Hodel and published by Penguin. This book was released on 2009-09-22 with total page 366 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: From the New York Times bestselling author of Black Dahlia Avenger Former LAPD detective Steve Hodel compiles never-before-seen evidence that reveals his father as a serial killer who may have been responsible for some of the most infamous murders of the last century- including the Zodiac killings.

Download or read book Girl 11 written by Amy Suiter Clarke and published by Houghton Mifflin. This book was released on 2021 with total page 353 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: In this debut thriller for fans of Riley Sager and Karin Slaughter, a social worker turned true crime podcaster investigates a decades-old serial killer cold case only to unwittingly create new victims.

Download or read book The Honjin Murders written by Seishi Yokomizo and published by Pushkin Vertigo. This book was released on 2020-08-04 with total page 193 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: One of Japan's greatest classic murder mysteries, introducing their best loved detective, translated into English for the first time 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 around the village. Then, on the night of the wedding, the Ichiyanagi household 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. 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?

Download or read book The Marlow Murder Club written by Robert Thorogood and published by Sourcebooks, Inc.. This book was released on 2022-05-03 with total page 360 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: 2023 EDGAR AWARD NOMINEE, LILIAN JACKSON BRAUN AWARD "An absolute joy to read. Funny, entertaining, and beautifully written." —B. A. Paris, New York Times bestselling author A delightfully clever new mystery from creator of BBC One's hilarious murder mystery series Death in Paradise Meet Judith: a seventy-seven-year-old whiskey drinking, crossword puzzle author living her best life in a dilapidated mansion on the outskirts of Marlow. Nothing ever happens in Marlow. That is, until Judith hears her neighbor shot while skinny-dipping in the Thames. The local police don't believe her story. It's an open and shut case, of course. Ha! Stefan can't be left for dead like that. Judith investigates and picks up a crew of sidekicks: Suzie the dogwalker and Becks the vicar's wife. Together, they are the Marlow Murder Club. When another body turns up, they realize they have a real-life serial killer on their hands. And the puzzle they set out to solve has become a trap from which they might never escape... Robert Thorogood, has turned the Christie-mystery on its head with this ever-so-sly cozy perfect for readers who love Richard Osmond's Thursday Murder Club and An Elderly Lady is Up to No Good. "Lightweight but no-nonsense and genuinely brainy"—Kirkus Reviews "Damn right funny and heartwarming...great fun"—Crime Time "I love Robert Thorogood's writing."—Peter James, international bestselling author

Download or read book The Plague Court Murders written by John Dickson Carr and published by Penzler Publishers. This book was released on 2021-02-02 with total page 240 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: When a spiritual medium is murdered in a locked hut on a haunted estate, Sir Henry Merrivale seeks a logical solution to a ghostly crime. Plague Court is old and crumbling, long neglected after its lord, hangman’s assistant Louis Playge, fell victim to the black death hundreds of years before. Famously haunted by Playge’s ghost, the property finally has a new owner and banishing the spirit is the first order of business. And when the medium employed with this task is found stabbed to death in a locked stone hut on the grounds, surrounded by an untouched circle of mud, the other guests at Plague Court have every reason to fear an act of supernatural violence—for who among them would be diabolical and calculating enough to orchestrate such an impossible execution? Enter Sir Henry Merrivale, an amateur sleuth of many talents with deductive powers strong enough to unspool even the most baffling crimes. But in the creepy, atmospheric setting of Plague Court, where every indication suggests intervention from the afterlife, he encounters a seemingly-illogical murder scene unlike anything he’s ever encountered before . . . Reissued for the first time in years, The Plague Court Murders is the first novel in the Sir Henry Merrivale series. Originally published under the name Carter Dickson, it is a masterful example of the “impossible crime” novel for which John Dickson Carr is known. “Very few detective stories baffle me nowadays, but Mr. Carr’s always do.” —Agatha Christie

Download or read book Inspector Imanishi Investigates written by Seicho Matsumoto and published by Soho Press. This book was released on 2003-07-01 with total page 361 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: In the wee hours of a 1960s Tokyo morning, a dead body is found under the rails of a train, and the victim's face is so badly damaged that police have a hard time figuring out the victim’s identity. Only two clues surface: an old man, overheard talking in a distinctive accent to a young man, and the word “kameda.” Inspector Imanishi leaves his beloved bonsai and his haiku and goes off to investigate—and runs up against a blank wall. Months pass in fruitless questioning, in following up leads, until the case is closed, unsolved. But Imanishi is dissatisfied, and a series of coincidences lead him back to the case. Why did a young woman scatter pieces of white paper out of the window of a train? Why did a bar girl leave for home right after Imanishi spoke to her? Why did an actor, on the verge of telling Imanishi something important, drop dead of a heart attack? What can a group of nouveau young artists possibly have to do with the murder of a quiet and “saintly” provincial old ex-policemen? Inspector Imanishi investigates.

Download or read book All She was Worth written by Miyuki Miyabe and published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt. This book was released on 1999 with total page 304 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Tokyo's Inspector Shunsake Honma investigates the case of a woman who may have murdered another in order to take her identity. A tale of credit cards and debt and rampant consumerism in today's Japan.

Download or read book The Tokyo Zodiac Murders written by Sōji Shimada and published by Stone Bridge Press. This book was released on 2004 with total page 251 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: A gripping tale of magic and illusion by Japan's master mystery storyteller.

Download or read book The Aosawa Murders written by Riku Onda and published by Bitter Lemon Press. This book was released on 2020-01-03 with total page 201 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Selected by NYT as one of MOST NOTABLE BOOKS of 2020. On a stormy summer day the Aosawas, owners of a prominent local hospital, host a large birthday party. The occasion turns into tragedy when 17 people die from cyanide in their drinks. The only surviving links to what might have happened are a cryptic verse that could be the killer's, and the physician's bewitching blind daughter, Hisako, the only person spared injury. But the youth who emerges as the prime suspect commits suicide that October, effectively sealing his guilt while consigning his motives to mystery. The police are convinced that Hisako had a role in the crime, as are many in the town, including the author of a bestselling book about the murders written a decade after the incident, who was herself a childhood friend of Hisako’ and witness to the discovery of the murders. The truth is revealed through a skilful juggling of testimony by different voices: family members, witnesses and neighbours, police investigators and of course the mesmerizing Hisako herself.

Download or read book The Decagon House Murders written by Yukito Ayatsuji and published by Pushkin Vertigo. This book was released on 2021-05-25 with total page 289 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: "Ayatsuji's brilliant and richly atmospheric puzzle will appeal to fans of golden age whodunits... Every word counts, leading up to a jaw-dropping but logical reveal" — Publishers Weekly A hugely enjoyable, page-turning murder mystery sure to appeal to fans of Elly Griffiths, Anthony Horowitz, and Agatha Christie, with one of the best and most-satisfying conclusions you'll ever read. A classic in Japan, available in English for the first time. From The New York Times Book Review: "Read Yukito Ayatsuji’s landmark mystery, The Decagon House Murders, and discover a real depth of feeling beneath the fiendish foul play. Taking its cues from Agatha Christie’s locked-room classic And Then There Were None, the setup is this: The members of a university detective-fiction club, each nicknamed for a favorite crime writer (Poe, Carr, Orczy, Van Queen, Leroux and — yes — Christie), spend a week on remote Tsunojima Island, attracted to the place, and its eerie 10-sided house, because of a spate of murders that transpired the year before. That collective curiosity will, of course, be their undoing. As the students approach Tsunojima in a hired fishing boat, 'the sunlight shining down turned the rippling waves to silver. The island lay ahead of them, wrapped in a misty veil of dust,' its sheer, dark cliffs rising straight out of the sea, accessible by one small inlet. There is no electricity on the island, and no telephones, either. A fresh round of violent deaths begins, and Ayatsuji’s skillful, furious pacing propels the narrative. As the students are picked off one by one, he weaves in the story of the mainland investigation of the earlier murders. This is a homage to Golden Age detective fiction, but it’s also unabashed entertainment."

Download or read book The Crimson Fog written by Paul Halter and published by Createspace Independent Publishing Platform. This book was released on 2013-11-16 with total page 0 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: #2 in Publisher's Weekly Top Mysteries of 2013http: //best-books.publishersweekly.com/pw/best-books/2013/mystery.In this fascinating novel, one of the masters of impossible crime fiction takes on one of the greatest criminals of all time. Sticking scrupulously to the facts, Paul Halter explores the Jack the Ripper murders and offers his own theories about the identity of the monster, what drove him, and how he was able to vanish under the noses of the police during the spree of escalating horror which sent the citizens of fog-ridden London into paroxysms of fear in the autumn of 1888..But the year before "Saucy Jacky" began his reign of terror, someone started to investigate an astonishing impossible murder committed in the country village of Blackfield nine years earlier. That, too, involved a monstrous murderer who slaughtered witnesses and vanished under the noses of his pursuers. Is there a connection with the Ripper cases which followed?Publisher's Weekly named The Crimson Fog as one of the Top Mysteries of 2013, awarding it a starred review on October 4, 2013: 'First published in France in 1988, this brilliant fair-play mystery from impossible crime master Halter (The Seventh Hypothesis) showcases his ingenuity at misdirecting the reader and his unique approach to the Jack the Ripper murders of 1888. In the first part, set in 1887, an openly unreliable narrator, Sidney Miles, returns to his hometown of Blackfield in disguise to solve a murder that "no one, absolutely no one, could have committed." The stabbing death of Richard Morstan as he was preparing a magic trick behind a curtain has spawned legends of a phantom killer. Miles's inquiries stir the pot, and other baffling murders follow. This section sets the stage for a suspenseful and historically accurate retelling of the Whitechapel slayings that focuses on the killer's seemingly supernatural ability to disappear after committing his butcheries. As in the best whodunits, the solution is both logical and surprising. Golden Age fans encountering Halter for the first time will want to seek out his other, equally artful puzzles.'Paul Halter, who has been fascinated by Jack the Ripper from a tender age, won the coveted French Prix du Roman d'Aventures in 1988 and the prestigious Japanese Hunkaku Mystery Award 2005 for Le Brouillard Rouge (The Crimson Fog).For further information about Paul Halter books, other locked room mysteries and signed- and- lettered copies, please visit our website and blog at: www.lockedroominternational.co