'An absolute classic, and a whole new world to explore ... irresistible' Lee Child
'Beautiful and melancholic, Inspector Imanishi Investigates is not just an ingenious and elegant mystery, but a fascinating window into 1960s Japan' Paula Hawkins
A thrilling crime classic, from the bestselling author of Tokyo Express
Tokyo, 1960. As the first rays of morning light hit the rails at Kamata Station, a man’s body is found on the tracks. With only two leads – a distinctive accent and a single word, ‘kameda’ – senior inspector Imanishi Eitaro is called in to solve the puzzle.
Setting aside his beloved bonsai and haikus, he must cross Japan in search of answers, from Osaka to Akita, accompanied by junior detective Yoshimura. At each new town, they encounter traces of the avant-garde Nouveau Group – young Tokyo artists who are bringing new ideas from the West. What to make of this modern collective? And how to stop another mysterious death occurring? Inspector Imanishi investigates…
A fascinating glimpse into Japanese society at a time of great change, this is one of Seicho Matsumoto’s best-loved novels – a riveting mystery from the master of Japanese crime.
Tokyo Express is a Japanese bestseller, with over 3.1 million copies sold [Data from bungakubu, October 2021]
Publisher: Penguin Books Ltd
ISBN: 9780241694701
Number of pages: 352
Weight: 359 g
Dimensions: 217 x 137 x 28 mm
Beautiful and melancholic, Inspector Imanishi Investigates is not just an ingenious and elegant mystery, but a fascinating window into 1960s Japan - Paula Hawkins
An absolute classic, and a whole new world to explore ... irresistible - Lee Child
In this 1960s crime novel, the setting is as enticing as the plot... thoroughly satisfying - Barry Turner, Daily Mail
Reminds me of [John le Carré's] writing . . . fascinating . . . It’s a moment of transition in Japan; new ideas are spreading, new contexts are forming. There’s traditional beauty still, but modernity is yammering to be let in . . . Highly recommended - Nick Harkaway, author of Titanium Noir
Seicho Matsumoto's Inspector Imanshi Investigates explores post-war Japan, its anxieties and struggles for a new identity. With an engaging older detective and an enthusiastic younger sidekick, this is a book lovers of traditional crime fiction will understand and enjoy - Ann Cleeves
A more considered work than Tokyo Express, although one similarly interested in train travel. Set in 1960, the writing brings up a Japan before high-speed trains, one that is more alive to differences, not least in dialect, between particular areas... A well-presented book... Deserves being in the library of all interested in detective fiction - Jeremy Black, Critic
The most intricate web of detection . . . A tantalizing double unveiling act . . . Belongs on your shelf next to Christie and Simenon, P.D. James and Robert Van Gulik. A superb thriller - LA Times
A stylish mystery novel written by one of Japan's most popular authors . . . First-rate storytelling . . . Inspector Imanishi deserves to be welcomed to the ranks of international crime fiction - New York Times
Patient, meticulous stories that offer an anatomy of a society as much as a picture of a crime - Economist
A blood-drop on a cherry blossom, an ageless masterwork from the master himself, Seicho Matsumoto paved the way for Japanese crime fiction with good reason. Inspector Imanishi Investigates is a beguiling omakase of a novel – a fascinating exploration of tradition versus modernity, a contemplation of human darkness and a silk-smooth murder mystery. As Imanishi investigates death, so too the reader investigates a post-war Japan in metamorphosis. Matsumoto etches himself in time with this elegy to the Japanese detective - Nicolás Obregón
'It's a real problem. There must be some way we can get the evidence,' Imanishi said.
'The closer it is to a perfect crime, the less clues there are.'
When translated fiction is at its...
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