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Death on Gokumon Island

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Death on Gokumon Island

By: Seishi Yokomizo
Narrated by: Akira Matsumoto
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A fiendish classic locked room murder mystery, from one of Japan’s greatest crime writers, Seishi Yokomizo.

Kosuke Kindaichi arrives on the remote Gokumon Island bearing tragic news—the son of one of the island’s most important families has died, on a troop transport ship bringing him back home after the Second World War. But Kindaichi has not come merely as a messenger—with his last words, the dying man warned that his three step-sisters’ lives would now be in danger. The scruffy detective is determined to get to the bottom of this mysterious prophesy, and to protect the three women if he can.

As Kosuke Kindaichi attempts to unravel the island’s secrets, a series of gruesome murders begins. He investigates, but soon finds himself in mortal danger from both the unknown killer and the clannish locals, who resent this outsider meddling in their affairs.

©2022 Seishi Yokomizo (P)2022 Bolinda Publishing Cosy Crime International Mystery & Crime Mystery Murder Fiction Suspense
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A murder(s) mystery with twists and turns which engages the attention while offering insights into post-war Japan and the human psyche; with interesting references to haiku😊

The narration is brilliant

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The Detective Kosuke Kindaichi has become one of my favourites mystery series quickly. This second book in the series is packed with the same sense of brilliant, dark mystery to unravel and beautiful romantic descriptions of the world in which the mystery unfolds.

Something about the matter of fact approach to the story really resonates and I’m eager to continue the series.

A brilliant detective series

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I think this book within the series is best read in sequence, after others, as this time you’re asked to understand Japanese culture and then factor in how an isolated community might work differently from modern urban society.

The plot is clever, possibly a bit too clever. As in all the books I’ve read in this series, there were jarring notes relating to the treatment of women, plus in this one the care of a deranged man. There’s a ‘build’ to the final murder though, that keeps you turning the page, and I really wanted to know how the scruffy detective would react to the part he had played in the tragedy.

I think the narrator does a great job to differentiate characters and city/rural types - and I’ve either got used to his kiwi accent or he has toned it down. However there’s one word he must surely be mispronouncing. You’ll spot it when it comes - I can forgive him this!

More Golden Age Japanese mystery

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