A review by purplelorikeet
The Village of Eight Graves by Seishi Yokomizo

4.0

Tatsuya was born in the Village of Eight Graves but left with his mother as a young child after his father went on a homicidal rampage in the village. Years later, he is invited back to the village by two aunties who see him as the heir to the family estate. A series of murders occur as he returns, putting him in the spotlight, both as the child of a murderer and as having some connection to the current murders. Famous detective Kosuke Kindaichi arrives in the village and helps investigate the current murder mystery. At the same time, Tatasuya is trying to find answers and is assisted by some of his new acquaintances.

Kosuke Kindaichi is a well-known character in Japanese detective fiction. This is the third story in the series and it's just as enjoyable as the first one. Kindaichi is less central to this story than in the first one. It seems to be assumed he is working on this all along but his appearances are fairly limited until the end. Instead the focus is on Tatsuya as he figures out a lot for himself. There aren't just the mysteries of the murders but also about himself and his place in the family. As expected in series like this, there's a good ending that explains everything.

Overall, I rate this a 3.5 stars. I would like to thank Edelweiss for sharing an advanced reader copy. This review is provided voluntarily.