Tomoko, born and raised on Gekkin Island, has turned eighteen and is bound to leave her home. As she prepares for the journey, a terrifying letter arrives with a mysterious prophecy: 'the blood of countless men will run before her'.Famed detective Kosuke Kindaichi is no bodyguard, but he agrees to accompany Tomoko and get to the bottom of this ominous warning. When one of Tomoko's lovelorn suitors is found murdered in their hotel, terror spreads. And as more family secrets come to light, Kindaichi must act fast before the killer strikes again.



Seishi Yokomizo (1902-81) was one of Japan's most famous and beloved mystery writers, best known for creating the legendary detective Kosuke Kindaichi, who featured in more than 70 stories, many of which were adapted for stage and television in Japan. The Honjin Murders, The Inugami Curse, The Village of Eight Graves, Death on Gokumon Island, The Devil's Flute Murders, The Little Sparrow Murders, Murder at the Black Cat Cafe and She Walks at Night are also available or forthcoming from Pushkin Vertigo.



-- PRAISE FOR SEISHI YOKOMIZO



With a reputation in Japan to rival Agatha Christie's, the master of ingenious plotting is finally on the case for anglophone readers



The Japanese Agatha Christie



This is Golden Age crime at its best, complete with red herrings, blind alleys and twists and turns galore... A testament to the power of the simple murder mystery and its enduring appeal



Atmospheric, exciting and knotty whodunits. The covers alone are enough to get any fan of the genre salivating



Playful puzzles solved by a brilliant, laconic sleuth



The diabolically twisted plotting is top-notch



Readers will delight in the blind turns, red herrings and dubious alibis... Ingenious and compelling



A dizzyingly clever rediscovered gem of Japanese Golden Age crime



Japan has a wonderful history of crime writing, and Yokomizo is one of their finest authors



It's steeped in the traditions of locked-room mystery, and is one of the most fiendish examples of the 'impossible murder' I've read



An absolute hoot



For lovers of classic mystery and mayhem, these newly translated offerings are a must



The perfect gift for any fan of classic crime fiction or locked room mysteries



Think you got a Sherlock Holmes knack for crime puzzles? Then have a try at Yokomizo's clever mystery riddle



A wickedly fun time. Its short length, quirky cast of characters, engaging mystery, and theatrical setting and plot make for a fantastic murder mystery tale



His novels are the literary equivalent of a Rubik's cube: all the bits of the puzzle are there, but it's up to you to get them in the right place



Seishi Yokomizo has been likened to Agatha Christie, and Murder at the Black Cat Cafe [is] impeccably plotted



The story is as spare and streamlined as any of Inspector Maigret's investigations, and as fiendishly complicated as a Sherlock Holmes puzzler