Death on Gokumon Island
Ratings11
Average rating4
A fiendish, classic locked room murder mystery, from one of Japan's greatest crime writers, that’s perfect for fans of Lucy Foley and Ruth Ware “An exceptional whodunit... The brilliant and intricate plot will keep readers turning the pages.” --Publishers Weekly, starred review “Seishi Yokomizo took a pinch of John Dickson Carr and a dash of Agatha Christie in creating Kosuke Kindaichi, solver of impossible crimes... Kosuke’s arrival [on Gokumon Island] coincides with a string of bizarre and gruesome murders. As deaths mount, the quirky, endearing detective strings together the clues to solve this fiendish puzzle.” -- Sarah Weinman, New York Times Detective Kosuke Kindaichi arrives on the remote Gokumon Island bearing tragic news—his friend and fellow soldier, 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 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. Loosely inspired by Agatha Christie's And Then There Were None, the sensational second outing of Japan’s most famous detective is perhaps the most highly regarded of all the great Seishi Yokomizo's classic Japanese mysteries.
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5 primary booksDetective Kosuke Kindaichi
Detective Kosuke Kindaichi is a 5-book series with 5 primary works first released in 1946 with contributions by Seishi Yokomizo.
Series
5 primary booksDetective Kosuke Kindaichi (English Translation Order)
Detective Kosuke Kindaichi (English Translation Order) is a 5-book series with 5 primary works first released in 1946 with contributions by Seishi Yokomizo.
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An enjoyable read. Nothing amazing, but he paints a decent picture of his setting. At times it got a bit melodramatic, but then so did Columbo, and Kosuke Kindaichi is basically Japanese Columbo by the author's own admission, so I can't really call that a fault.
First published in Japan in 1951, it gets a ton of leeway in my reading. It's akin to the badly dubbed, Sunday afternoon, kung-fu movies of my youth that I absolutely loved in all their over-the-top, cheesy glory. The book can be a tad extra - I mean there's just so much nervous sweating going on! Every other chapter is the literary equivalent of the dramatic hamster meme turning his head in wide-eyed wonder accompanied by a musical sting. The author never tires of reminding us how beautiful young Tamayo is and even as the story resolved I admit I'm still not exactly sure what Sahei had in mind with his will. But it doesn't matter! It was a distracting and fun romp.
You have the incredibly wealthy Silk King of Japan, Sahei Inugami, who has died. Detective Kosuke Kindaichi has been called to the reading of the will which will surely will be an “event soaked in blood” according to on of the estate's lawyers Toyoichiro Wakabayashi ...who is immediately discovered dead from poison. Dun, dun, duuuuunn.
It's yet another intriguing case for Kosuke Kindaichi who has been featured in over 75 novels and feels like a progenitor to Columbo with his disheveled attire, wild hair, which he is prone to nervously scratching, while stuttering from excitement. And the plot is very Knives Out as the extended family descend like vultures vying for the family wealth. The body count mounts and we are left to wonder who will be the last one standing? It's got that old school, Agatha Christie classic mystery vibe but at the same time it just goes for it. What's not to like?
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
