The Tokyo Zodiac Murders
(Author) Soji ShimadaOne of The Guardian’s “Top 10 Locked Room Mysteries” An amateur detective races to solve a decades-old murder mystery in this “bloody and bizarre” Japanese crime novel with a twist hailed as “one of the most original” (Daily Mail). Astrologer, fortune teller, and self-styled detective Kiyoshi Mitarai must solve a macabre murder mystery that has baffled Japan for 40 years—in just one week. With the help of his freelance illustrator friend, Kiyoshi sets out to answer the questions that have haunted the country ever since: Who murdered the artist Umezawa, raped and killed his daughter, and then chopped up the bodies of six others to create Azoth, ‘the perfect woman’? With maps, charts, and other illustrations, this story of magic and illusion—pieced together like a great stage tragedy—challenges the reader to unravel the mystery before the final curtain falls. This quintessential Japanese “logic mystery”—eerie, gory, and intriguing—combines the puzzle-solving of Golden Age Western detective fiction with elements of shocking horror and dark humor.
Soji Shimada
Soji Shimada is a Japanese mystery writer known for his intricate and complex plots that often involve locked room mysteries and impossible crimes. His most notable work is "The Tokyo Zodiac Murders," which has been hailed as a masterpiece of the genre. Shimada's writing style is characterized by its meticulous attention to detail and carefully constructed puzzles that keep readers guessing until the very end. He has had a significant impact on the mystery genre in Japan and has inspired a new generation of writers to push the boundaries of the genre.
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