From the Bookshelf of Reading the Detectives…

The Honjin Murders (Detective Kosuke Kindaichi, #1)

Seishi Yokomizo,

Louise Heal Kawai (Translator)

Start date: September 1, 2023

Finish date: September 30, 2023

Discussion: Group Challenges

Why we're reading this: Next in our Scenes of Classic Crime challenge.
[close] Next in our Scenes of Classic Crime challenge.

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Group Discussions About This Book

Showing 2 of 168 topics — 7,797 comments total

Group Challenges

* Sept 25: The Mystery of the Blue Train (1928) by Agatha Christie
By Susan · 16 posts · 18 views

last updated Sep 12, 2025 08:12PM

* Sept 25: The Mystery of the Blue Train (1928) - SPOILER Thread
By Susan · 13 posts · 22 views

last updated Sep 16, 2025 12:58PM

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What Members Thought

Sep 11, 2023 Teri-K rated it liked it

Shelves: short-story-novella, classic, mystery-golden-age, zz-2023-my-book-club

Written in Japan in 1946, the first of 71 books in the series, this novella is apparently considered a classic there. However, it didn't get translated and published here until 2020, and that caused a bit of a problem for me. The story, set in 1937 rural Japan, is told in the first person, but the translation sounds very modern. I suppose it's really too much to expect someone to be able to translate a book into another language and make it sound like it was written almost 80 years earlier, but ...more

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Aug 06, 2021 Frances rated it liked it

2.5 to 3 stars. A Japanese traditional locked room mystery, with lots of references to European golden age and earlier detectives/mysteries, but I found it a little too self-referential as a mystery-the narrator often seemed to be speaking in asides to the reader-and the resolution somewhat unsatisfactory.

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Sep 16, 2023 Vanessa rated it really liked it

Shelves: mystery, 1940s

This went on my tbr list for the setting, and it really delivered. The narrator has a reporterly style, which makes it really easy for the translator to incorporate explanations for unfamiliar terms or cultural differences. I'm intrigued by Detective Kosuke Kindaichi. He has an interesting backstory and connection to the characters, but I think I need to read another entry before deciding if he can carry a series. ...more

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Feb 05, 2024 Pranit rated it really liked it

A wonderful, easy and fun read. I was fascinated to read this book since more than a year ago! Loved the different narrative style of the author and the Japanese 🇯🇵 traditions of the day.

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