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3.75 AVERAGE
3.75 AVERAGE
mysterious
slow-paced
mysterious
fast-paced
adventurous
mysterious
reflective
tense
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
If you’re a fan of Agatha Christie, you’ll probably enjoy this one!
It’s a classic old school murder mystery with all the herrings, the dramatic reveal and clues spread throughout the story!
I found it a bit slow to start with many characters introduced at once… I wish it was a bit less confusing in the beginning.
I would also advise to read the Honjin Murders before picking up this one as it is mentioned quite a few times in this book although they can be read easily as standalones!
Overall, I have not much to say about it except that it is a solid murder mystery!
I found it a bit slow to start with many characters introduced at once… I wish it was a bit less confusing in the beginning.
I would also advise to read the Honjin Murders before picking up this one as it is mentioned quite a few times in this book although they can be read easily as standalones!
Overall, I have not much to say about it except that it is a solid murder mystery!
adventurous
dark
mysterious
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:
Yes
adventurous
challenging
dark
mysterious
reflective
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No
Thank you to NetGalley and Pushkin Vertigo for allowing me to read this ARC!
Content Warning: death, violence, murder, misogyny, alcoholism, rape apologism.
During the war, the famed private detective Kosuke Kindaichi finds himself befriending a young man from a strange, isolated island called Gokumon-to -- Hell's Gate. When this man, Chimata Kito, sadly dies on their repatriation ship, he makes Kosuke vow that he will go to Gokumon and protect the lives of his three young sisters. Although there are rumors of the island's strangeness, Kosuke is surprised by how insular the community is, relying primarily on Chimata's family for their livelihoods. Welcomed by the island's Buddhist priest, Ryonen, Kosuke quickly discovers that this mysterious place holds many secrets -- and no one is eager to let them go...
Upon my initial request for this book, I didn't realize that it was actually the second in a series, and I was a bit concerned about how this might impact my reading. I didn't have the chance to fit the first in before I read this one, but I'm happy to report that while it certainly would make you more familiar with the characters, it doesn't seem to be necessary at all to understand or enjoy this installment!
Yokomizo is considered one of the finest Japanese mystery writers, one of many who thrived and, indeed, created Japan's Golden Age of detective fiction. This book is referred to as a "locked room mystery," but I think that's a bit misleading. This is heavily influenced by Agatha Christie's And Then There Were None, something I also saw in another revered Japanese classic, The Decagon House Murders. In spite of the fact that it's obviously inspired by Christie's work, this novel is decidedly its own, and its uniqueness is what made it work for me.
I'm afraid I have to admit that Yokomizo's famous detective, Kosuke, is not all that interesting (at least not in this book). He's a bit milquetoast, a kind of springboard for the brilliance of the criminals, but I was pleased that he's not so magnificently-minded that he never makes any mistakes. I warmed up to him over the course of the novel, but its true strength lies in the many side characters, full of eccentricities and described shrewdly and cleverly. The female characters in particular interested me, but they are, naturally, put on the backburner (and there's some rather aggravating misogyny to boot). This was written somewhere around 1947/1948, I believe, so it's not exactly surprising, but disappointing nonetheless.
The mystery itself kept me engaged, and while the writing style is dry, it has that classic Japanese feel that lends itself to both introspection and readability. It's only because of some very convoluted explanations that this doesn't quite get the full four stars, but readers of classic mysteries will find a lot to be pleased with in this intriguing story.
Recommended. It's entertaining and full of fascinating insights into Japanese culture, and I will definitely be looking into Yokomizo's other books!
Finding a specific sub-genre is a really cool thing, and I've recently found that in 1900s Japanese murder mysteries.
Death on Gokumon Island is the 4th installment of the Detective Kindaichi Mysteries series, but they can be read out of order. In this novel, Detective Kindaichi is sent to Gokumon Island by his dying friend with the request to save his three younger sisters from being murdered.
Overall, I did really enjoy this book. The writing was intriguing, it left me guessing as to who the murderer was. It's unlike anything I've read before. The parallels & connections made (without spoiling what they are) were very well done and seeing more of that in today's murder mysteries would be amazing. It's definitely a little bit creepy as well in how the murders are described, which adds to the mysterious atmosphere of a small island inhabited by an unknow murderer.
However, there are a few things that didn't draw me in and that are a bit dated & today are problematic. To start with what didn't draw me in, the set up was not very engaging, it took 20% before getting interesting, and until that point I had no pull to pick up the book. There's also a few instances where narration says "dear reader" and tells you directly something that happened in a previous book. It only served to pull me out of the story. And the problematic part is how mental illness is used as a plot device & many ableist terms are used.
This is a good 3 star read, but is limited to 3 stars from me because of the ableism. Without that, it would definitely move up to 4.
CW: murder, death details, ableist language, mental illness to aid plot
Rating system:
5 - absolutely love, little-to-no dislikes that did not impact my reading experience
4 - great book, minor dislikes that did have an impact on my reading experience
3 - good/decent book but for some reason did not hook me or there were some problematic things that just were not addressed or greatly impacted my reading experience
2 - is either a book I did not click with and did not enjoy, problematic aspects are not addressed and severely impacted my reading experience, or I DNF'd but think it has potential for others
1 - is very problematic, I would not recommend the book to anyone
Thank you to Netgalley & Pushkin Vertigo for an eARC in exchange for an honest review. Expected pub date: July 5, 2022.
Death on Gokumon Island is the 4th installment of the Detective Kindaichi Mysteries series, but they can be read out of order. In this novel, Detective Kindaichi is sent to Gokumon Island by his dying friend with the request to save his three younger sisters from being murdered.
Overall, I did really enjoy this book. The writing was intriguing, it left me guessing as to who the murderer was. It's unlike anything I've read before. The parallels & connections made (without spoiling what they are) were very well done and seeing more of that in today's murder mysteries would be amazing. It's definitely a little bit creepy as well in how the murders are described, which adds to the mysterious atmosphere of a small island inhabited by an unknow murderer.
However, there are a few things that didn't draw me in and that are a bit dated & today are problematic. To start with what didn't draw me in, the set up was not very engaging, it took 20% before getting interesting, and until that point I had no pull to pick up the book. There's also a few instances where narration says "dear reader" and tells you directly something that happened in a previous book. It only served to pull me out of the story. And the problematic part is how mental illness is used as a plot device & many ableist terms are used.
This is a good 3 star read, but is limited to 3 stars from me because of the ableism. Without that, it would definitely move up to 4.
CW: murder, death details, ableist language, mental illness to aid plot
Rating system:
5 - absolutely love, little-to-no dislikes that did not impact my reading experience
4 - great book, minor dislikes that did have an impact on my reading experience
3 - good/decent book but for some reason did not hook me or there were some problematic things that just were not addressed or greatly impacted my reading experience
2 - is either a book I did not click with and did not enjoy, problematic aspects are not addressed and severely impacted my reading experience, or I DNF'd but think it has potential for others
1 - is very problematic, I would not recommend the book to anyone
Thank you to Netgalley & Pushkin Vertigo for an eARC in exchange for an honest review. Expected pub date: July 5, 2022.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death, Murder
Moderate: Ableism
This mystery from one of Japan’s greatest crime writers was loosely inspired by Agatha Christie’s ‘And Then There None’. It has recently been translated into English by Louise Heal Kawai and the translated version is due for release on 30th June 2022.
The book is number four in a series of stories centring on famed private detective, Kosuke Kindaichi, and is set directly after World War II on an island in Japan’s Seto Inland Sea. Kosuke arrives on Gokumon Island to deliver a message to the family of his fallen comrade, Chimata. What happens next is chilling and presents an epic puzzle for Kosuke to piece together.
It’s a classic whodunnit and I had difficulty putting it down. Although it’s part of a series, I didn’t feel I lost anything having not read the other books yet. It works great as a stand-alone story.
The translation is seamless. It’s that perfect balance of having a natural and compelling flow in English, while retaining all the cultural references that ensure you don’t forget it’s a Japanese book.
The book is number four in a series of stories centring on famed private detective, Kosuke Kindaichi, and is set directly after World War II on an island in Japan’s Seto Inland Sea. Kosuke arrives on Gokumon Island to deliver a message to the family of his fallen comrade, Chimata. What happens next is chilling and presents an epic puzzle for Kosuke to piece together.
It’s a classic whodunnit and I had difficulty putting it down. Although it’s part of a series, I didn’t feel I lost anything having not read the other books yet. It works great as a stand-alone story.
The translation is seamless. It’s that perfect balance of having a natural and compelling flow in English, while retaining all the cultural references that ensure you don’t forget it’s a Japanese book.
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
N/A
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
mysterious
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
If you want Agatha Christie without the racist book titles, then this book is for you!
Detective Kosuke Kindaichi arrives on Gokuman Island with a mission. On a ship with Kindaichi back home from war, the son of the island’s most important family’s last words before death warn that his three sisters will be murdered and begs the detective to go save their lives. After Kindaichi gets there, a series of murders begins. Can he solve this mystery and save lives?
This is the first book I’ve read in this series, but it won’t be my last! I enjoyed this classic murder mystery! The premise was very intriguing and the story kept me interested. The atmosphere was great, and though there were lots of characters and lots of information to keep up with, I never got confused. The writing was very clear and straight to the point, so it was easy to keep up. I also found the reveal to be entertaining. I figured out some things, but definitely not everything!
My only real complaint is that I wish it had been more exciting. It was very slow paced, but I never got bored. This was slow paced done right! I just wanted the writing to be a little more engrossing.
I enjoyed this book and will definitely be picking up the other books in the series soon! This was a book that you can easily read without reading any of the previous novels. And it’s great for anyone who loves thought provoking murder mysteries!
Thank you NetGalley and Pushkin Vertigo for this arc! All opinions are my own.
TW for an unchecked “when women say no they really mean yes” conversation.
adventurous
challenging
mysterious
slow-paced
4. 25 stars
this is my first time reading Insp. Kindaichi's series and enjoyed the reading. maybe not to the utmost but mystery/thriller can never go wrong when it comes to the revelation.
first thing that i noticed in the story was the pace was quite slow. at some point i became lazy to continue but i still continue reading whenever i get the strength to do so. i heard a lot of good stuff about Kindaichi but as i only read one book, i can't depicted much about him but he's really calm, collected and humble throughtout the story. he looks smart too as he's some sort of haiku fans and can memorized and recognized the haiku's. he also was described as flawed as he was blind in seeing clues to solve which made him looks rlly humanize.
looking to the murder cases, that was very unpredicted. i was expecting other thing but result showed differently. the case might be more easier for those who were committed to understand properly the japanese vocab usage in this book. i was lazy to do so, so i used my simple imagination to grasp on the how the murder happened. nevertheless, the murders were perfectly plan. i would never thought the murders were committed by ......... the shocking elements in it, i would rate 4/5 because i'm not focusing much on the characters as they have a lot of chatacters in this book, don't really bother much to remember who's whose but still able recognize the main. a simple bloke like me wouldn't be able to nab the murders for sure. if i read this on physical copy, i'll be surely be a more dedicated reader.
no doubt this book would be enjoyed by mystery/thrillers lovers.
this is my first time reading Insp. Kindaichi's series and enjoyed the reading. maybe not to the utmost but mystery/thriller can never go wrong when it comes to the revelation.
first thing that i noticed in the story was the pace was quite slow. at some point i became lazy to continue but i still continue reading whenever i get the strength to do so. i heard a lot of good stuff about Kindaichi but as i only read one book, i can't depicted much about him but he's really calm, collected and humble throughtout the story. he looks smart too as he's some sort of haiku fans and can memorized and recognized the haiku's. he also was described as flawed as he was blind in seeing clues to solve which made him looks rlly humanize.
looking to the murder cases, that was very unpredicted. i was expecting other thing but result showed differently. the case might be more easier for those who were committed to understand properly the japanese vocab usage in this book. i was lazy to do so, so i used my simple imagination to grasp on the how the murder happened. nevertheless, the murders were perfectly plan. i would never thought the murders were committed by ......... the shocking elements in it, i would rate 4/5 because i'm not focusing much on the characters as they have a lot of chatacters in this book, don't really bother much to remember who's whose but still able recognize the main. a simple bloke like me wouldn't be able to nab the murders for sure. if i read this on physical copy, i'll be surely be a more dedicated reader.
no doubt this book would be enjoyed by mystery/thrillers lovers.