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The Village of Eight Graves

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The Village of Eight Graves

By: Seishi Yokomizo, Bryan Karetnyk
Narrated by: Akira Matsumoto
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About this listen

Nestled deep in the mist-shrouded mountains, The Village of Eight Graves takes its name from a bloody legend. In the 16th century eight samurais, who had taken refuge there along with a secret treasure, were murdered by the inhabitants, bringing a terrible curse down upon their village.

Centuries later a mysterious young man named Tatsuya arrives in town, bringing a spate of deadly poisonings in his wake. The inimitably scruffy and brilliant Kosuke Kindaichi investigates.

©1971 Seishi YOKOMIZO. English translation Bryan Karetnyk 2021 (P)2021 Bolinda Publishing Modern Detectives Mystery Crime Murder Village Fiction Japanese Mystery
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The story is good with twists and turns as you would expect. The story is told from the viewpoint of one of the parties rather than the detective or police which is a little unusual and at times opaque.

Overall it was a good story and I enjoyed it.

The only negative was the reader’s accent. His strong Australian twang was initially quite intrusive but after a little while my ears adapted so if you were expecting Japanese accents don’t let the voice put you off.

Intricate but slightly claustrophobic

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Enjoyed this much more than the first story I listened to (Honjin Murders) and really put my detective cap on while listening to this one. Unlike other listeners I quite enjoy the VA work done by Akira Matsumoto and enjoy the personality he gives to each of the characters he reads as. I don't find his Aussie twang to be distracting at all which I think is just a silly complaint and find the quirks he gives each voice not only unique but helpful for being able to distinguish each character from the others.

Great story

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This would be a good Halloween read! The first part of the book is very gory with a high body count, although there are no really graphic descriptions, and then settles down as an adventure/mystery taking place a generation later.

I was on a roll after reading the first two in the series, and a bit wrong footed as Yokomizo’s detective doesn’t feature much until the later part of book. As in all this series, the treatment of women in Japanese society creates a jarring note for Western readers. What does also come through in this book is the impact on native Japanese society of the War, which is interesting to read. The reveal is fun.

Golden Age but far from cosy

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The series continues in another unique spin on the mystery Genre, with detective Kōsuke Kindaichi becoming a secondary character to the person at the centre of the gruesome murders. Allowing us to see the main character from an external perspective.

Another brilliant book in the series with plenty of twists, eerie characters, and wonderful descriptions of Japense culture and country.

A different approach

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However good the story may be, the awful narration ruined it for me. It just felt completely off. When performing the female parts, I noticed a considerable strain in the narrator’s voice, which was rather unpleasant to listen to. I also could have done without the lip-smacking.

Another nitpick: why does it take over 30 minutes to get through just 10 pages? It becomes such a slog that, for me, it kills all anticipation and mood.

I’ve finally reached the titular village and, frankly, I’m going to read this one myself. I know I’ll get through it a lot faster, and without my ears straining.

The Village of Eight Graves

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