Kosuke Kindaichi arrives on the remote Gokumon Island bearing tragic news - the son of one of the island's most important families has died, on a troop transport ship bringing him back home after the Second World War. But Kindaichi has not come merely as a messenger - with his last words, the dying man warned that his three step-sisters' lives would now be in danger. The scruffy detective is determined to get to the bottom of this mysterious prophesy, and to protect the three women if he can.

As Kosuke Kindaichi attempts to unravel the island's secrets, a series of gruesome murders begins. He investigates, but soon finds himself in mortal danger from both the unknown killer and the clannish locals, who resent this outsider meddling in their affairs.

Loosely inspired by Agatha Christie's And Then There Were None, the fiendish Death on Gokumon Island is perhaps the most highly regarded of all the great Seishi Yokomizo's classic Japanese mysteries.



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 first Kosuke Kindaichi novel, is regarded as one of Japan's great mystery novels and won the inaugural Mystery Writers of Japan Award in 1948. 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.



An exceptional whodunit... The brilliant and intricate plot will keep readers turning the pages. Golden age fans will hope for more translations of this gifted author



A succession of grotesque murders has the endearingly dishevelled Kindaichi forever scratching his head... exposing family rivalries and ancient superstitions which defy outside interference. The truth, when it emerges, is as bizarre as it is chilling



An intricately plotted murder mystery that really brings post-World War II Japan to life. If you're at all a fan of traditional mystery novels, and are ready to explore a terrain far removed from the usual Western setting and perspective then you must check out this series



This fiendish mystery ... will appeal to all lovers of the Golden Age of crime fiction.



Seishi Yokomizo was the king of the locked-room mystery, and there's nothing more cut off than an island... [This is] Yokomizo's ode to And Then There Were None



Praise for Seishi Yokomizo's classic mysteries:



The diabolically twisted plotting is top-notch



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



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



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



Plenty of golden age ingredients... with a truly ingenious solution



A classic murder mystery Comparisons with Holmes are justified, both in the character of Kindaichi and Yokomizo's approach to storytelling mixing clues, red herrings and fascinating social insight before drawing back the curtain to reveal the truth



At once familiar and tantalisingly strange... It's an absolute pleasure to see his work translated at last in these beautifully produced English editions



Has a touch of Agatha Christie but with so much added spice. There are plenty of twists, red herrings, and suspects in this monkey puzzle of a story. Japan has a wonderful history of crime writing, and Yokomizo is one of their finest authors



Another legendary Yokomizo book... A campy and delightful detective novel



A gory tale of family greed, honour, revenge and loyalty with plenty of red herrings. Full of action and with a detective like no other



A delightfully entertaining locked room murder mystery... There are plenty of twists, red herrings, and suspects in this monkey puzzle of a story... An ideal book to curl up with on a winter's night



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



Seishi Yokomizo took a pinch of John Dickson Carr and a dash of Agatha Christie in creating Kosuke Kindaichi, solver of impossible crimes... Kosuke's arrival [on Gokumon Island] coincides with a string of bizarre and gruesome murders. As deaths mount, the quirky, endearing detective strings together the clues to solve this fiendish puzzle