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3.75 AVERAGE
3.75 AVERAGE
adventurous
dark
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
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:
No
It's been so much fun, as a lifelong fan of whodunits and detective novels (and someone who doesn't know Japanese) to have these translations of Seishi Yokomizo's classics available! I've loved getting to see the classic puzzle mystery (and boy are they puzzles) in this midcentury Japanese setting, though sometimes the writing feels detached and quite stilted in a way that might be a translation issue, or might be reflective of the original text. (I would usually lean toward the former, but there are some specific aspects of the story that would have been especially tricky to translate and which seem quite natural in English, so kudos to the translator for that!)
As for the plot, I always feel that the mark of a great mystery is when the reader figures out some elements of the solution but not everything, and that everything they haven't worked out for themselves makes them feel like "Ah, of course, I should have gotten that!" Death on Gokumon Island gets some of this - I worked out a bit but certainly not all (more the who, much less of the how), though the answers ultimately given didn't all feel like things I reasonably could have worked out as a reader. Still, the less than plausible complexity is in keeping with the genre, and does hold together in the end. (It's definitely a fair play solution, with no sly narrative tricks up the author's sleeve.)
It's a surprisingly slow-feeling pace for a story that's both fairly short and has more than its share of bodies piling up, but by the end, the atmosphere, situations, and solutions were eerie, chilling, and definitely intriguing. Fans of Agatha Christie and other Golden Age mystery novels should certainly check out Yokomizo's work, and be grateful for the new English editions being put out by Pushkin Vertigo!
Thank you to the publisher for an advance copy in exchange for an honest review.
As for the plot, I always feel that the mark of a great mystery is when the reader figures out some elements of the solution but not everything, and that everything they haven't worked out for themselves makes them feel like "Ah, of course, I should have gotten that!" Death on Gokumon Island gets some of this - I worked out a bit but certainly not all (more the who, much less of the how), though the answers ultimately given didn't all feel like things I reasonably could have worked out as a reader. Still, the less than plausible complexity is in keeping with the genre, and does hold together in the end. (It's definitely a fair play solution, with no sly narrative tricks up the author's sleeve.)
It's a surprisingly slow-feeling pace for a story that's both fairly short and has more than its share of bodies piling up, but by the end, the atmosphere, situations, and solutions were eerie, chilling, and definitely intriguing. Fans of Agatha Christie and other Golden Age mystery novels should certainly check out Yokomizo's work, and be grateful for the new English editions being put out by Pushkin Vertigo!
Thank you to the publisher for an advance copy in exchange for an honest review.
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:
Yes
The style of storytelling here grew on me with this one, and I found the end of the mystery great!
One thing in particular that I'm absolutely loving about this series is the cultural information regarding life for Japanese citizens and soldiers before, during, and after WWII. It's not hugely prevalent, but in each book the war has played a role in the setting, or the changing times and lives of whichever town it's set in. I never expected to encounter that in a mystery, and I would love for more mysteries like this to be translated in the future. I need to find them!
One thing in particular that I'm absolutely loving about this series is the cultural information regarding life for Japanese citizens and soldiers before, during, and after WWII. It's not hugely prevalent, but in each book the war has played a role in the setting, or the changing times and lives of whichever town it's set in. I never expected to encounter that in a mystery, and I would love for more mysteries like this to be translated in the future. I need to find them!
dark
mysterious
fast-paced
challenging
dark
mysterious
sad
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
Content Warnings
Moderate: Child death, Death, Mental illness, Violence, Murder, War, Injury/Injury detail
Minor: Alcoholism, Sexism, Grief, Alcohol
I find it hard to rate this book just because out of all the Kosuke Kindaichi stories, the plot of this one is so far my favorite. However, the translation is my least favorite. Confusion is me.
adventurous
challenging
dark
mysterious
sad
tense
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No
adventurous
challenging
mysterious
tense
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
N/A
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
N/A
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated
Review can also be found at Snow White Hates Apples.
Another well-written addition to the Detective Kosuke Kindaichi series, Death on Gokumon Island is set after World War 2 on the remote titular island whose name means ‘Hell’s Gate Island’ in English (and that’s plenty ominous on its own). First inhabited by pirates, then convicts and now, the descendants of both that form an insular community of fisherfolk ruled by two fishing chiefs, one belonging to the main family and the other, to the branch family.
Having been tasked with bringing the news of his comrade and friend Chimata’s death and to prevent the death of his three stepsisters, Kosuke visits the island. But, as he tries to understand the workings of the island and its inhabitants, murder strikes and Kosuke has failed to prevent the death of one of Chimata’s stepsisters. Is it the branch family targeting the main family to wipe out all the heirs after Chimata? Is it Chimata’s father who has been locked away after losing his mind years ago? Could it be a runaway pirate, a repatriated soldier, or worse?
Amidst the confusion, suspicions and increasing number of murders, Kosuke races against time to find the killers before it’s too late. However, despite the urgency, Death on Gokumon Island can get draggy. Yokomizo has incorporated a lot of culture here while providing us with a look at how a closed-off, clannish community of those times could appear. There’s a lot to unpack and understand in order to properly appreciate how clever and complex the mystery of this book is.
Nevertheless, I think it’s all worth it in the end. The deceptions, the revelations—they were stunning because everything including the culture had a part in the web that is Death on Gokumon Island. Plus, this book has the most human Kosuke Kindaichi that I’ve read thus far, showing more of his flaws and weaknesses than the other three presently published English translations of the books. This has provided our protagonist with new depths and definitely made the story better as he’s not as infallible as made out to be in the other books.
If you’re looking for a Japanese mystery to read, the Detective Kosuke Kindaichi series is one you’ve got to try. You don’t have to read any of the books in order of publication or translation as there are no significant throwbacks in any of the books thus far (I’ve read all four of the English translations so far and read them out of order too). So, pick up any that’s of interest to you and give it a go!
Another well-written addition to the Detective Kosuke Kindaichi series, Death on Gokumon Island is set after World War 2 on the remote titular island whose name means ‘Hell’s Gate Island’ in English (and that’s plenty ominous on its own). First inhabited by pirates, then convicts and now, the descendants of both that form an insular community of fisherfolk ruled by two fishing chiefs, one belonging to the main family and the other, to the branch family.
Having been tasked with bringing the news of his comrade and friend Chimata’s death and to prevent the death of his three stepsisters, Kosuke visits the island. But, as he tries to understand the workings of the island and its inhabitants, murder strikes and Kosuke has failed to prevent the death of one of Chimata’s stepsisters. Is it the branch family targeting the main family to wipe out all the heirs after Chimata? Is it Chimata’s father who has been locked away after losing his mind years ago? Could it be a runaway pirate, a repatriated soldier, or worse?
Amidst the confusion, suspicions and increasing number of murders, Kosuke races against time to find the killers before it’s too late. However, despite the urgency, Death on Gokumon Island can get draggy. Yokomizo has incorporated a lot of culture here while providing us with a look at how a closed-off, clannish community of those times could appear. There’s a lot to unpack and understand in order to properly appreciate how clever and complex the mystery of this book is.
Nevertheless, I think it’s all worth it in the end. The deceptions, the revelations—they were stunning because everything including the culture had a part in the web that is Death on Gokumon Island. Plus, this book has the most human Kosuke Kindaichi that I’ve read thus far, showing more of his flaws and weaknesses than the other three presently published English translations of the books. This has provided our protagonist with new depths and definitely made the story better as he’s not as infallible as made out to be in the other books.
If you’re looking for a Japanese mystery to read, the Detective Kosuke Kindaichi series is one you’ve got to try. You don’t have to read any of the books in order of publication or translation as there are no significant throwbacks in any of the books thus far (I’ve read all four of the English translations so far and read them out of order too). So, pick up any that’s of interest to you and give it a go!
Content Warnings
Moderate: Death, Murder
Minor: Violence