The Honjin Murders
The Honjin Murders
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by Seishi Yokomizo
by Seishi Yokomizo
Goodreads Synopsis:
Goodreads Synopsis:
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?
My Rating:
☆☆☆☆
Dates Read: April 26-7 2023
Initial Publication Date: January 1946
Translation Published: December 2019
Author Origin: Japan (Hyogo)
Writing Style (via NovelistPlus): Richly Detailed
Major Characters:
Detective Kosuke Kindaichi
The Ichiyanagi family, particularly the three brothers Kenzo, Ryuji, and Saburo
Detective Inspector Tsunejiro Isokawa
The "Three-Fingered Man"
Personal Notes:
Personal Notes:
"The Honjin Murders is packed with references to crime writers, both Japanese and European; [Yokomizo's grandson] said that this was a deliberate attempt by his grandfather to cultivate an international pedigree for the honkaku mystery. “He really wants to show not just that he’s knowledgable, but that he wants Japanese people to open their minds. Not only the small-island mindset, but also to open their minds to other countries." (Source)
The Honjin Murders presents the debut of Yokomizo's famous detective character, Kosuke Kindaichi, who would go on to become something of a pop culture icon in Japan.
This novel really did have the feel of a 'classic' mystery, even more so than Yokomizo's The Inugami Curse or The Village of Eight Graves. It was also a pretty short read, clocking in with less than 200 pages. Looking back on the story after the fact, I'm surprised I didn't catch on sooner to the solution, given the foreshadowing (which I most definitely dismissed as a red herring).
The article to the right is a very good read, examining both the honkaku genre and Yokomizo's works in detail.
"Honkaku stories have more in common with a game of chess than some modern thrillers, which can be filled with surprise twists and sudden reveals. In honkaku, everything is transparent: no villains suddenly appear in the last chapter, no key clues are withheld until the final page. Honkaku writers were scrupulous about 'playing fair', so clues and suspects were woven through the plot, giving the reader a fair chance of solving the mystery before the detective does."
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