Review: 'The Honjin Murders' (Detective Kosuke Kindaichi #1) by Seishi Yokomizo, trans. by Louise Heal Kawai, narr. by Akira Matsumoto

A wedding between the heir of an important family and a school teacher should have been the talk of the town, except that the wedding night became a massacre. Since then, the so-called Honjin Murders have captivated the entire town. Now, our narrator is here to reveal the mystery to us and introduce us the scattered, but charmingly odd, detective Kosuke Kindaiche. I absolutely adored this audiobook, narrated by Akira Matsumoto. 

Audiobook Pub. Date: 9/1/2021
Publisher: Bolinda Publishing

One of Japan's greatest classic murder mysteries, introducing their best loved detective, translated into English for the first time.

In the winter of 1937, the village of Okamura is abuzz with excitement over the forthcoming wedding of a son of the grand Ichiyanagi family. But amid the gossip over the approaching festivities, there is also a worrying rumour - it seems a sinister masked man has been asking questions around the village.

Then, on the night of the wedding, the Ichiyanagi household are woken by a terrible scream, followed by the sound of eerie music. Death has come to Okamura, leaving no trace but a bloody samurai sword, thrust into the pristine snow outside the house. 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?

Last year my first book was a Japanese locked-room mystery and I decided to make it a tradition and do the same this year, except I did it with an audiobook. I read one of Yokomizo's Kosuke Kindaichi mysteries, Death on Gokumon Island, before and decided to start at the beginning of the series this time with The Honjin Murders. When I read my first locked-room mystery I was, honestly, a bit befuddled. I'd never really read them before so the format was new to me, as was the style of Japanese thriller writing. I became immensely intrigued by it though and enjoyed how weirdly interpersonal the writing is. In the first chapter of The Honjin Murders, we get the narrator telling us about his fascination with this case, how it reminded him of other crime stories he has read, how he collected his material and scoped out the locations himself. Those first pages build up such a personal connection, while also immediately making you suspicious of everything. These suspicions are confirmed at the end when the narrator reveals certain nuances of his own writing. Everything is a clue in these books!! And they are delivered to you as clear clues, pointed out to the reader with a blinking sign saying "this is important", except that you have no idea why. Honestly, these Japanese locked-room mysteries are an absolute treat and everyone should give them a go.

Our narrator has a locked-room mystery to share with us, a tale of bloody death and secrets, and he's honestly quite excited to tell us about it. He has collected all the relevant information and parcels it out carefully to make sure we have everything necessary to figure out the mystery for ourselves. On their wedding night, the eldest son of the Ichiyanagi family and his bride are found covered in their own blood in the annexe. The shutters and doors were locked and there are no footprints to be found on the snow-covered ground. What happened? Who did it? Earlier that day a stranger has asked about the family's house, a stranger with only three fingers. A bloody handprint with only three fingers is also found at the scene, making him an immediate suspect. The police is stumped, however, as more information is revealed. Enter Kosuke Kindaichi, a young detective with a love for thrillers and an eye for detail. Not only will he notice what no one else has seen, but he will also ferret out the motivations and secrets of the entire family. I mightily enjoyed this mystery and loved getting Kindaichi's background story in this novel as well. 

In The Honjin Murders Seishi Yokomizo explores a Japan before World War II and before globalisation. With his tale set in the Japanese countryside, he takes his time to explore the social structures, power imbalances, and hierarchies which were at play during the late 1930s. It is also worth noting he wrote this book in the 1940s, and as such this work is also an insight into the culture of the time. While this information might feel superfluous, it is incredibly important in allowing you to understand the crime. I was quite shocked by the eventual reason for the murder, in part because it is stated so clearly and because it feels like something from a different age. But it is contextualised by the rest of the novel and is condemned, even if perhaps modern readers would like a more explicit condemnation. Getting an insight into Japan's history through these novels is incredibly interesting. Also, I love the intertextuality of this book, how Yokomizo plays with the thriller/detective genre and our expectations. Louise Heal Kawai does another brilliant job translating this novel, making sure to keep the tone of Yokomizo and the way in which he describes Japan, while also making it accessible to Western readers.  Akira Matsumoto, or Akira Bradley, is an excellent narrator for these audiobooks. His different voices for the characters and his careful reading of all the different facts and pieces of information mean that it is a little easier to follow the  mystery along. He grew up in Japan but moved to Australia in his teens, and his Australian accent is absolutely delightful to listen to.

I give this novel...

4 Universes!

The Honjin Murders is a fascinating locked-room mystery which doesn't just thrill but also informs. After reading this first book I can totally see why Yokomizo gained such a fan-following in Japan and why his Kosuke is so beloved. I can't wait to read his other books!