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adventurous
challenging
dark
mysterious
reflective
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated
I've only just started reading the honkaku genre and I love it so much! I'm seriously dense and definitely not a detective but it's still such a fun and intense read.
The writing was great and the mystery was excellent. I did have trouble keeping up with all of the characters and names.
The writing was great and the mystery was excellent. I did have trouble keeping up with all of the characters and names.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Bullying, Death, Emotional abuse, Gore, Infidelity, Misogyny, Rape, Self harm, Sexual assault, Suicide, Violence, Blood, Grief, Death of parent, Murder, Pregnancy, Gaslighting
challenging
dark
mysterious
sad
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No
Sōji Shimada’s honkaku masterpiece, “The Tokyo Zodiac Murders,” is a mesmerizing blend of cerebral intrigue and macabre fascination.
Set in 1936 during the Shōwa period in pre-World War II Japan, Heikichi Umezawa, the eccentric artist, stands at the center of this twisted tale. His confession drips with madness: he plans to kill his six daughters and nieces to assemble their bodies into the perfect woman, Azoth. Astrological alignments guide his blade, and alchemical metals mark their resting places. But before Umezawa can carry out his macabre plan, he is found murdered in his locked private studio, skull shattered—a classic locked-room mystery. And then, Kazue Kanemoto, the daughter he meant to spare, meets a similar fate—violated, her head crushed.
As the days unfold, Umezawa’s horrifying vision materializes. His six daughters and nieces, dismembered, their lives stolen to create Azoth. The question echoes: Who committed these atrocities, and why?
"My greatest fear is that I might already have told you too much about the case! But I dared to do that both for the sake of fairness of the game, and, of course, to provide you with a little help.
Let me throw down the gauntlet: I challenge you to solve the mystery before the final chapters!"
—Excerpt from The Tokyo Zodiac Murders, Sōji Shimada
Shimada challenges readers to think critically, question assumptions, and appreciate the beauty of deduction. His prose, like a blade poised above our hearts, reveals clues with surgical precision. Every clue necessary for unraveling the web of intrigue is meticulously included in the text, along with dramatis personae, maps, charts, and illustrations—no unfair advantages, no hidden tricks. As you turn each page, you're both observer and participant, piecing together the puzzle with a sense of urgency.
What makes “The Tokyo Zodiac Murders” stand out is not just its intricate plot but also its masterstroke of misdirection. The story's originality lies in its ability to weave an elaborate tale that keeps readers on the edge of their seats. Just when certainty blooms, doubt creeps in. Shadows shift, and we question our assumptions. Even though I happened to solve the mystery early on—largely due to having encountered “inspired” plots in other thrillers (Kindaichi Case Files vol 2 - The Ijinkan Village Murder Case and 少年包青天 / Young Justice Bao)—the novel's relentless pacing and palpable tension ensured that I remained captivated throughout the 252 pages.
For those who relish intellectual challenges and the satisfaction of piecing together a complex puzzle, "The Tokyo Zodiac Murders" is an unmissable triumph—a literary gauntlet flung down, daring us to solve the case before the final revelation, and it is a dare well worth accepting.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Body horror, Murder
challenging
dark
mysterious
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No
Content Warnings
Moderate: Alcoholism, Death, Murder
adventurous
challenging
mysterious
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
Content Warnings
Moderate: Body horror, Gore, Murder
dark
mysterious
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No
Setelah membaca Pembunuhan di Rumah Miring, aku dibuat penasaran sama Detektif Mitarai. Akhirnya beberapa hari lalu dapet slot untuk baca lewat iJakarta.
The Tokyo Zodiac Murders – kita akan disambut dengan surat wasiat yang ditulis Heikichi seorang seniman di bagian awal. Lewat surat tsb., Heikichi menjelaskan bagaimana seluk beluk kehidupannya, keluarganya, perjalanannya, sampai ambisinya untuk membuat Azoth (dalam pemahamanku Azoth adalah boneka yang dibentuk dari potongan korban Heikichi ). Namun, ternyata Heichi ditemukan meninggal lebih dulu daripada korban-korbannya yang terdiri dari anak-anak dan keponakannya. Lantas, apa yang sebenarnya terjadi? Lebih dari 40 tahun kasus ini berusaha dikuak.
Aku menemukan kalau cerita yang diangkat cukup unik. Bagian surat wasiat membuatku lebih mengenal Heikichi juga perjalanannya. Aku juga dibuat amazed karena cerita di sini banyak membahas tentang zodiak. Ya, gak dalam artian yang menjustifikasi zodiak ini begitu zodiak itu begini. Terus juga di beberapa bagian juga terdapat ilustrasi denah serta korban-korban dari kasus yang terjadi.
Sayangnya, aku kerap ngerasa lost dan bingung karena pembahasannya yang fokus ke hal lain. Misal di bagian pertengahan ngomongin Sherlock Holmes. Meskipun begitu, pengalaman membacaku untuk buku ini cukup menyenangkan walau banyak pusingnya. Bolak-balik lihat catatanku yang isinya tokoh-tokoh dalam cerita ini saking banyaknya.
The Tokyo Zodiac Murders – kita akan disambut dengan surat wasiat yang ditulis Heikichi seorang seniman di bagian awal. Lewat surat tsb., Heikichi menjelaskan bagaimana seluk beluk kehidupannya, keluarganya, perjalanannya, sampai ambisinya untuk membuat Azoth (
Aku menemukan kalau cerita yang diangkat cukup unik. Bagian surat wasiat membuatku lebih mengenal Heikichi juga perjalanannya. Aku juga dibuat amazed karena cerita di sini banyak membahas tentang zodiak. Ya, gak dalam artian yang menjustifikasi zodiak ini begitu zodiak itu begini. Terus juga di beberapa bagian juga terdapat ilustrasi denah serta korban-korban dari kasus yang terjadi.
Sayangnya, aku kerap ngerasa lost dan bingung karena pembahasannya yang fokus ke hal lain. Misal di bagian pertengahan ngomongin Sherlock Holmes. Meskipun begitu, pengalaman membacaku untuk buku ini cukup menyenangkan walau banyak pusingnya. Bolak-balik lihat catatanku yang isinya tokoh-tokoh dalam cerita ini saking banyaknya.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death, Violence, Murder
Minor: Rape, Death of parent
challenging
dark
mysterious
reflective
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
The mystery was interesting. I read through the book in a day and a half just because I wanted to know the answer.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death, Murder
Moderate: Emotional abuse, Suicidal thoughts, Suicide, Violence
challenging
dark
funny
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Complicated
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death, Emotional abuse, Gore, Sexual content, Violence, Murder, Injury/Injury detail
adventurous
mysterious
relaxing
tense
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Content Warnings
Moderate: Death, Suicide, Murder
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
It has a slow beginning but once kiyoshi and kazumi get out of Tokyo, it starts to pick up. Kiyoshi and Kazumi’s dynamic is also pretty entertaining and adds some humor to a book about disemboweled women.
While I didn’t guess the correct culprit, I was able to get where Shimada was going. It was pretty satisfying to be even half-way right.
I did get lost in the discussions of longitudes and latitudes. The little diagrams where a nice way to give visuals to some of the more complex/wordy explanations. So I wasn’t totally lost and able to piece some of the clues together.
While I didn’t guess the correct culprit, I was able to get where Shimada was going. It was pretty satisfying to be even half-way right.
I did get lost in the discussions of longitudes and latitudes. The little diagrams where a nice way to give visuals to some of the more complex/wordy explanations. So I wasn’t totally lost and able to piece some of the clues together.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Body horror, Death
Minor: Rape, Murder
challenging
dark
informative
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Complicated
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated
Content Warnings
Graphic: Body horror, Death, Gore, Torture, Violence, Murder, Injury/Injury detail
Minor: Sexual assault, Suicidal thoughts