While the plot was intricate and clever, the format of this book did not appeal to me. I felt it lacked narrative flow and I didn't find the main characters very appealing. It was the author's first, so I may try another to see if I feel he developed more to my taste ( )

This is a spoiler, but this is basically murderous Cinderella. I do enjoy the puzzle set out for us here, and was able to piece it together by the time the taped money was mentioned. This duo certainly has a Sherlock/Watson dynamic, though I don't think they're quite as endearing. ( )

Wow. This was one of the best locked room mysteries I have ever read. Throughly enjoyable, and a well done head scratcher. ( )

Mid 4/5

didn't expect that, good read. it kinda get boring in the middle though.

Edit : After reading Murder at The Crooked House, I can now appreciate this book even more. ( )

(19) Another of this sub-genre of Japanese "locked-room" or golden age mysteries where the authors follow a set of rules and even reach out to the reader at times. All the clues to solve the murders are in the narrative - there is no deus-ex-machina or last minute revelations. The reader is however, subject to whatever extraneous info the amateur detectives come across as well - so red herrings abound. My son and I have read now 3 such books - this one I fear had a bit more sex and violence in it than the others and he read it before I could censor it; but what can you do? An eccentric artist conceives of a plan to build the perfect woman from various perfect body parts of other women - each must have certain astrological qualifications and be killed in buried in a certain way for the "Azoth" to come to life and save Japan from itself. (This took place between the two World Wars - 1936) In his suicide note he admits his devious plan and that the girls are his 6 daughters/step-daughters, nieces, but ... he is found dead in his locked studio and it is only a month after his confirmed death that the girls disappear and die; their bodies found each without a certain body part.... So who committed these heinous crimes? Was the initial murder staged and an imposter actually killed? Did the same criminal commit them all? To make matters more mysterious - an older divorced step-daughter of the artist is also found bludgeoned, killed, raped and her house robbed around this time. How could this possibly fit in?

To say this book is weird and intriguing is to put it mildly. It is compulsively readable, though. Despite being turned off by the whole opening with the astrology and the longitudes and attitudes - it quickly kicks in to high gear when the two amateur detectives begin to investigate (40 years later after the trail has gone cold) receiving an additional clue not available to the police and general public. This translation is not nearly as stilted as 'The Decagon Murders' and 'The Moai Island Mystery.' It tended to be a bit maudlin and foreign sounding in parts. Overall, the diction and sentiment didn't sound as silly as the others. Did I guess it? No, not really. Towards the end, I suspected; but more based on hunch. I certainly didn't figure the clever deception that allowed the murderer to get away with it.

A fun sub-genre that maybe feels a bit better to me than reading about true crime. I am enjoying my little trip through the golden age mysteries: Christie; the Japanese writers, and I am finishing a Dorothy Sayers. Right now in my life, I need this type of novel. I am having difficulty making room for classics and introspective modern masterpieces. I will return to "serious" literature when I have the bandwidth to commit. This was a fabulous classic locked-room whodunnit with a Japan twist; cherry-blossoms and all. ( )