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The Tokyo Zodiac Murders

Soji Shimada author Ross Mackenzie translator Shika Mackenzie translator

Format:Paperback

Publisher:Pushkin Press

Published:17th Sep '15

Should be back in stock very soon

The Tokyo Zodiac Murders cover

'If you like your crime stories to be bloody and bizarre, then this one may be for you. The winner of several major awards... the solution is one of the most original that I've ever read' Anthony Horowitz


A bestselling and internationally-acclaimed masterpiece of the locked-room mystery genre


Japan, 1936. An old eccentric artist living with seven women has been found dead - in a room locked from the inside. His diaries reveal alchemy, astrology and a complicated plan to kill all seven women. Shortly afterwards, the plan is carried out: the women are found dismembered and buried across rural Japan.


By 1979, these Tokyo Zodiac Murders have been obsessing a nation for decades, but not one of them has been solved. A mystery-obsessed illustrator and a talented astrologer set off around the country - and you follow, carrying the enigma of the Zodiac murderer through madness, missed leads and magic tricks. You have all the clues, but can you solve the mystery before they do?

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

ISBN: 9781782271383

Dimensions: unknown

Weight: unknown

320 pages