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srm's review
dark
mysterious
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.5
A solid enough mystery, but I never got really excited about the plot or characters, although the reveal was quite clever.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Child abuse, Death, Violence, Murder, Torture, and Classism
sakisreads's review
challenging
dark
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
I’m not usually a murder mystery reader, but this one was great. My friend lent it to me and likened the detective to a Japanese Poirot, which I thought was quite fun 😊
A gruesome but still relatively easy read, this book encompasses all the difficulties of rich family dynamics and the SCANDALS!
I didn’t really attest it to her, but of COURSE it was Matsuko fucking up the family! Oh dear 🥲
Giving this 4 out of 5 stars, I’d recommend it to anyone wanting a murder mystery with twists and turns ✨ Thank you!
A gruesome but still relatively easy read, this book encompasses all the difficulties of rich family dynamics and the SCANDALS!
Giving this 4 out of 5 stars, I’d recommend it to anyone wanting a murder mystery with twists and turns ✨ Thank you!
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death, Death of parent, Torture, Blood, Body horror, War, and Infidelity
l_01001100's review
dark
mysterious
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.25
The mystery is very tightly written! It feels like the small details matter, and it rewards you for paying attention
Content Warnings
Moderate: Death, Blood, Murder, and Violence
Minor: War
linguaphile412's review
challenging
dark
sad
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.5
Content Warnings
Graphic: Murder, Body horror, Physical abuse, Blood, Death, Injury/Injury detail, Bullying, Child abuse, Emotional abuse, and Violence
Minor: War, Infidelity, Adult/minor relationship, Rape, Pregnancy, Sexual assault, Sexual violence, Suicide attempt, Mental illness, Classism, and Incest
alleelei's review
dark
mysterious
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
3.5
Content Warnings
Graphic: Misogyny, Death, and Death of parent
Moderate: Rape
Minor: Child abuse
snowwhitehatesapples's review
dark
emotional
reflective
sad
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? N/A
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
Review can also be found at Snow White Hates Apples.
Tragedy befalls another family in this Detective Kosuke Kindaichi book and this time, it’s the Inugami clan that’s even wealthier and more vicious than the Ichiyanagi family of The Honjin Murders . Here, the surviving members of the Inugami clan are knowingly pitted against each other by the deceased Sahei Inugami who has left them the most bizarre will anyone has ever seen, setting off a chain of events which leads to a series of deaths. But, unlike The Honjin Murders and it’s locked-room mystery, The Inugami Curse is more than just a murder mystery. It’s about how far one would go for the sake of their loved ones, and how fragile familial bonds can be.
Tragedy befalls another family in this Detective Kosuke Kindaichi book and this time, it’s the Inugami clan that’s even wealthier and more vicious than the Ichiyanagi family of The Honjin Murders . Here, the surviving members of the Inugami clan are knowingly pitted against each other by the deceased Sahei Inugami who has left them the most bizarre will anyone has ever seen, setting off a chain of events which leads to a series of deaths. But, unlike The Honjin Murders and it’s locked-room mystery, The Inugami Curse is more than just a murder mystery. It’s about how far one would go for the sake of their loved ones, and how fragile familial bonds can be.
“Let it be a lesson to us all that even good intentions can lead to great tragedy if not executed with the utmost care.”
Compared to The Honjin Murders, the writing is less meta and more active as the crimes are ongoing. The tone is still matter-of-fact and the murders are still wicked and clever, but it’s the characters that shine in The Inugami Curse. From sisters who normally hate enough other but will join hands in order to fight viciously against a common enemy, to sons who will do anything for their mothers, we have a wide cast of characters who are incredibly human and thus, flawed. They are the stars of this show and they definitely deserve to be.
Other than that, as much as I loved the revelations and how the story ended, I must admit that the story is a little drawn out and consequently lessened the impact of the final revelations for me. I think The Inugami Curse would’ve been utterly brilliant had it been a little more concise. Nevertheless, it’s still a great read.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death, Injury/Injury detail, Murder, and Toxic relationship
Moderate: Blood, Emotional abuse, Physical abuse, and Violence
amayya's review
adventurous
dark
mysterious
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
5.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Blood, Death, and Murder
Moderate: Sexual assault
abbie_'s review
dark
mysterious
medium-paced
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
Free review copy received from the publisher.
I know lots of people like to snuggle up with holiday-themed romances or cosy mysteries at this time of year, and usually I don't have any recommendations for this type of book... BUT. Now I do! I read The Inugami Curse by Seishi Yokomizo, translated by Yumiko Yamakazi, a couple of Saturdays ago and it was such a great read! I don't read that many straight-up mystery novels, so I really enjoyed trying (and failing) to puzzle out the mystery, catch clues, and guess the culprit. (I did not guess, Yokomizo was too clever for me.)
.
Now, this book was originally published in 1952 so there are a few places where you're like 'yep, this book is 70 years old.' The beauty of one of the main character's is very often referenced (she's RAVISHING), and there's a man with a facial injury who is not treated well at all. But overall, I didn't think it smacked of the 50s that much! The translation is quite recent and it reads very smoothly, while maintaining that classic cosy mystery vibe.
.
I really liked the method of storytelling. The detective is narrating the case after it's been solved, so he's constantly dropping hints that are both tantalising and frustrating! The kind of hints that make you go 'Oh go on then, I'll read ONE more chapter', even though your dinner is burning or your dog is glaring at you because it's five minutes past walkie time.
.
I haven't even mentioned what the plot is, but isn't that half the fun of a mystery novel? In short, there's a dead patriarch, a very confusing will and a bunch of gruesome murders. All the components you need for a page-turning mystery novel that's perfect for cosying up with on a winter's afternoon!
I know lots of people like to snuggle up with holiday-themed romances or cosy mysteries at this time of year, and usually I don't have any recommendations for this type of book... BUT. Now I do! I read The Inugami Curse by Seishi Yokomizo, translated by Yumiko Yamakazi, a couple of Saturdays ago and it was such a great read! I don't read that many straight-up mystery novels, so I really enjoyed trying (and failing) to puzzle out the mystery, catch clues, and guess the culprit. (I did not guess, Yokomizo was too clever for me.)
.
Now, this book was originally published in 1952 so there are a few places where you're like 'yep, this book is 70 years old.' The beauty of one of the main character's is very often referenced (she's RAVISHING), and there's a man with a facial injury who is not treated well at all. But overall, I didn't think it smacked of the 50s that much! The translation is quite recent and it reads very smoothly, while maintaining that classic cosy mystery vibe.
.
I really liked the method of storytelling. The detective is narrating the case after it's been solved, so he's constantly dropping hints that are both tantalising and frustrating! The kind of hints that make you go 'Oh go on then, I'll read ONE more chapter', even though your dinner is burning or your dog is glaring at you because it's five minutes past walkie time.
.
I haven't even mentioned what the plot is, but isn't that half the fun of a mystery novel? In short, there's a dead patriarch, a very confusing will and a bunch of gruesome murders. All the components you need for a page-turning mystery novel that's perfect for cosying up with on a winter's afternoon!
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death
Moderate: Ableism, Sexism, and Sexual assault
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