Welcome to Litsy!

Immediately after the end of WWII, the patriarch of a rich Japanese family dies leaving a will designed to set his three grandsons and their mothers at odds with each other. The bodies of members of the family start piling up. Can Kosuke Kindaichi solve the case while there are still some heirs left?

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#teaandabook

I read the first chapter and realised I'm going to have to read it again and construct a family tree while reading it.

Excellent. A page-turner of mystery & mayhem after the head of the family dies leaving a will that soon has members of the family going after each other. History, layers of secrets, rivalries—this one has it all &, at least in my case, had me racing to the end to find out the truth. First published in Japan in the 70s, this book is another fantastic outing—I also really enjoyed The Honjin Murders—from one of Japan‘s most renowned mystery writers.

This morning‘s reading…

I bought this (quite a while ago) because of the cover. Then pulled it out because the head of our business unit at work seems to like Japanese mystery novels. So this was the July work book club pick. I would read more from this series. It has Agatha Christie vibes.

#BookSpinBingo @TheAromaofBooks

It's possible me and this book playing hookey today.

Today's book bestie is this gem we're reading for work book club.

Oh ho hoooo the melodrama! Tried to be twisty but dragged it out too long. Vicious people and sad people, various 'dirty secrets' that were only such because it was the 50s and earlier. People making other people miserable all over, at which point no reveal makes up for the overall mood. Tried to be gothic in description, just ended up overwrought. ⚠️Ableism, attempted SA, homophobia, misogyny, suicide

On the one hand, this book was a lot of fun, every bit as bonkers as the Honjin Murders. It also has a killer cover. On the other hand, the writing is pretty clunky at times. This book was 316 pages long, and you could easily have shaved off a hundred pages without losing anything. Detective Kindaichi's inner thoughts were mostly him reiterating events that had just occurred in the story, like a summary recap. Also, for a detective who's 👇

#FirstLineFridays @ShyBookOwl

In February 194_, Sahei Inugami - one of the leading businessmen of the Shinshu region, the founder of the Inugami Group, and the so-called Silk King of Japan - died at his lakeside villa in Nasu at the venerable age of eighty-one.

#Scarathalon #TeamSlaughter #DailyPrompt

Day 19 - Curse
Love this author

@Clwojick

Rearranging my bookshelves 🥰 It looks like I'm down to only 6 Japanese mysteries and thrillers...

The second Detective Kindaichi book translated into English... I'm hoping for another Golden Age inspired murder mystery...

Loving the bizarre cover. (And the red legs contrast with my yellow tights today).

#March Reads 2021

Another fab Japanese read, I‘ve learned that these are termed ‘Honkaku‘(orthodox) or ‘Shin Honkaku‘ (new orthodox) thanks to the Shedunnit Podcast. A disjointed and antagonistic family gather for the reading of an unusual will, bloodshed follows; the detective, Kindachai, must peel away the layers of animosity and lies to find the killer.

Starting well. In 1940s Japan, the autocratic head of the Inugami family has died, leaving behind a will that cause discord between the remaining members of the clan.

I enjoyed this installment in the Kosuke Kindaichi series. It‘s the 6th in Japanese but the 2nd to be translated into English. The murders are delightfully gruesome and there is at least one great nod to John Dickson Carr (specifically The Crooked Hinge).

The fact that they're confirming this guy's identity via handprint and the forensic analyst has said he will need about an hour to confirm the identity is giving me strong Crooked Hinge by John Dickson Carr vibes 🤓

Hey, the koto showed up in The Honjin Murders as well! Cool 😊I also know what it sounds like now after listening to a contemporary piece. I love learning new things from books 🤓

Another foreign classic murder mystery from #PushkinVertigo this time from Japan. The writing feels a bit clunky at times. There‘s some repetition and jolting changes in narrative perspective. I‘m not sure if this is the result of the translation, characteristics of Japanese mysteries, or poor editing. The story kicks into high gear in the final 100 pages. If only the first 200 were as engrossing. Still a good read for murder season! 🔪⛩

I think sometimes a book can have nothing wrong with it but something just doesn‘t connect with you. I wanted to like this and I‘m not sure why I didn‘t, but I kept finding my attention drifting badly and I lost track of people. When I found out who the murderer was I wasn‘t very interested. I don‘t think it was a bad book we just didn‘t vibe together.

#scarathlon2020 #teamharkness @StayCurious +6 pts

1940s set Japanese crime: atmospheric but a little long!

This started out slow, but before you can say chrysanthemum (you'll find out, lol) shit got weird & creepy! An isolated winter setting & a rich family seething with secrets. To top it off, an oddball private detective named Kindaichi, who first appeared in The Honjin Murders. Although these books are standalones, I'll definitely be reading that one too. Set in the 1940s, I loved the atmosphere & period details. I greatly enjoyed this. #NetGalley

Thanks for the tag @Tanisha_A 😘 #quarantinereadschallenge

1. Just started tagged book; NetGalley ARC
2. Today I'll say Villette :)
3. Kinokuniya & BookXcess
4. The Secret History
5. Today I'll say Sense & Sensibility :)
6. EVERYTHING
7. The world of the Wind in the Willows
8. Recently: A House and its Head #nyrbbookclub
9. Staying alive in all aspects
10. My comfy couch
11. Enid Blyton
12. @Leftcoastzen and @diovival if you'd like to play 🙂

Looking forward to this! https://www.theguardian.com/books/2020/feb/06/how-locked-room-mystery-king-seish...