'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
