Death on Gokumon Island (Paperback)
Seishi Yokomizo (author)Published: 30/06/2022
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.
Publisher: Pushkin Press
ISBN: 9781782277415
Number of pages: 320
Dimensions: 198 x 129 mm
MEDIA REVIEWS
'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' - Sarah Weinman
'One of the best mystery, thriller, and true crime books out in June' -Bookriot
'This fiendish mystery... will appeal to all lovers of the Golden Age of crime fiction' - The Times and Sunday Times Crime Club
'A fascinating insight into Japanese culture and behaviour more than 70 years ago' - Irish Independent
'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' -Publishers Weekly
'Seishi Yokomizo was the king of the locked-room mystery, and there's nothing more cut off than an island.' - CrimeReads.com
'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' - Daily Mail
You may also be interested in...
“Golden age crime”
Death on Gokumon Island is the second novel in the Kosuke Kindaichi series. First published in Japan in 1948 it is set in 1946, nine years after the events of the first novel, the Honjin Murders. Returning from the... More
“I adore this quirky series of 1940s Japanese mysteries featuring Detective Kosuke Kindaichi”
“At the very end, gasping for breath, he had repeated the same words over and over. “I don’t want to die. I… I… don’t want to die. I have to get home. My three sisters will be murdered. But… but… I’m done for.... More
“Classic Japanese Whodunit”
Another classic Japanese murder mystery with Kosuke who reminds me a lot of TV detective Columbo is that he is always described as scruffy and those people who are guilty are derisive of his keen mind.
Tells the...
More
Please sign in to write a review
Sign In / Register
Sign In
Download the Waterstones App
Would you like to proceed to the App store to download the Waterstones App?