Jiro Akagawa: A Gameof Cat and Killer Wednesday, Sep 30 2026 

Award winning novelist and complex mystery and Continued series winner and police procedural , , , , , , Auntie M Writes Crime 1:30 pm

One of Japan’s most read novelists, Jiro Akagawa’s A Game of Cat and Killer is the first in his long-running series first published in Japan in 1978, and now translated into English for the first time.

The cat in question is named Holmes, and while he’s not a talking cat, the feline does have an unusual way of bringing clues to his owners’ attention. After reluctantly adopting Holmes, Detective Yoshitaro Katayama takes a while to realize how Holmes can help him, but once he figures it out, he accepts the cat will be a welcome helper.

Katayama is a shy man with many fears, and it’s only his good instincts and dogged attention to detail that allows him to solve crimes. In this first in the series, he’s called to a woman’s college to investigate when a young female student is found murdered.

Soon he’s mired in more than one investigation, and while his aunt distracts him with matchaking, he’s drawn to a comely student instead.

The writig is sharp, with sprightly dialogue, while the plot is nicely twisted. It’s a heartwarming read from a multiple literary award winner, with sales of his books making him the highest of any Japanese author.

A new series for readers to investigate~

 

Keigo Higashino: Under the Midnight Sun Sunday, Nov 20 2016 

Uncategorized , , , Auntie M Writes Crime 12:39 am

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Higashino’s mysteries are intricate puzzles, and that proves true with his latest, Under the Midnight Sun, which spans decades as one dedicated detective just can’t let that unsolved case go.

A murdered pawnbroker’s body is found in an abandoned building. Despite several leads, Det. Sasagaki can’t pin down the murderer, and several clues at the site keep him wondering. The murdered man’s son, Ryo, is one of the main characters, and seen through a succession of other character’s eyes.

So, too, do we learn of the life of another teen, Yuhiko, whose mother may or may not have committed suicide. Taken in by her aunt, the young woman exudes a natural grace and turns heads. Her growth is also tracked by a succession of character’s throughout the years.

And then there is the detective, who finds himself finally at retirement age, yet he can’t let this one case go unsolved. The story is told by this succession of characters as the years pass, creating the effect of a Gordonian Knot that must be untied.

Higashino’s art is this type of complex psychological mystery, where the attitudes and actions of the people are not always what they seem. Yet there are no tricks, and all of the information is there for the reader. At over 550 pages, and spanning two decades, this is the kind of compelling and contemporary mystery that exudes twists and turns, and yet makes a perfect kind of haunting sense.