Scan barcode
emilydillamore's review against another edition
adventurous
mysterious
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.0
jackmatthews's review against another edition
informative
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
3.5
tequilatallulah's review against another edition
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
2.5
Ripe with misogyny!
Interesting meditation on post-war Japan and tattoo culture but overall think the translation really poor.
Interesting meditation on post-war Japan and tattoo culture but overall think the translation really poor.
dolcifusa's review against another edition
3.0
Questo giallo parte piano, con l'introduzione di questa figura carismatica tatuata, ti prende per mano e ti presenta tutti i personaggi principali; poi, a fattaccio avvenuto, ti guida fra le varie ipotesi possibili, ti lascia intuire già da metà libro il mistero e il colpevole (almeno per me, è successo così) disseminando indizi e frasi non a caso e poi ti mostra come risolvere l'enigma in modo "scientifico" attraverso la (fin troppo) brillante mente analitica di Kamizu Kyosuke.
Sono avvezza ai ritmi un po' lenti dei gialli giapponesi, così come alla presenza del genio un po' tormentato/trasandato che con il suo intuito straordinario risolve il caso complicatissimo in cui i poliziotti (tutti beoti a quanto pare) non sanno raccapezzarsi.
La prosa è lineare, gradevole e coerente con i ritmi del testo, così come la narratrice nella versione audio, che ha saputo destreggiarsi con scioltezza fra i vari nomi e registri.
Personalmente, non posso dare più di tre stelle: è un buon libro passatempo, ma niente di più.
Sono avvezza ai ritmi un po' lenti dei gialli giapponesi, così come alla presenza del genio un po' tormentato/trasandato che con il suo intuito straordinario risolve il caso complicatissimo in cui i poliziotti (tutti beoti a quanto pare) non sanno raccapezzarsi.
La prosa è lineare, gradevole e coerente con i ritmi del testo, così come la narratrice nella versione audio, che ha saputo destreggiarsi con scioltezza fra i vari nomi e registri.
Personalmente, non posso dare più di tre stelle: è un buon libro passatempo, ma niente di più.
shihangh's review against another edition
4.0
3.5 stars.
A murder mystery that is interesting for its sympathetic and seemingly knowledgeable portrayal of the world of Japanese tattoos, and the people who were obsessed by them.
The main character Kenzo is drawn into a mysterious locked room murder, when the femme fatale Kinue Nomura, owner of an enrapturing full body tattoo of the Japanese sorcerer Orochimaru seems to be murdered and dismembered in her own home. Her beautiful tattoo, which is desired by many tattoo enthusiasts, has disappeared because her torso was missing. Two-thirds of the way into the book, he meets his old friend Kyosuke Kamizu, a childhood genius, who cracks the case.
For experienced mystery fans, this was not the hardest case to crack. If you are a Detective Conan fan for example, you might have guessed at some kind of mechanical contraption which creates the locked room. The fact that the torso is not present in the first murder but present in the third murder seemed to also hint that the body may not be that of Kinue. And of course, the second murder being the murder of focus is a plot device from the ABC murders. I wondered also if the woman was not actually the missing sister Tamae at all but a prostitute that resembles her; that seemed more believable than her surviving a blast in Hiroshima.
All in all, a fun read, especially for fans of the Japanese puzzle-type mystery novel.
A murder mystery that is interesting for its sympathetic and seemingly knowledgeable portrayal of the world of Japanese tattoos, and the people who were obsessed by them.
The main character Kenzo is drawn into a mysterious locked room murder, when the femme fatale Kinue Nomura, owner of an enrapturing full body tattoo of the Japanese sorcerer Orochimaru seems to be murdered and dismembered in her own home. Her beautiful tattoo, which is desired by many tattoo enthusiasts, has disappeared because her torso was missing. Two-thirds of the way into the book, he meets his old friend Kyosuke Kamizu, a childhood genius, who cracks the case.
For experienced mystery fans, this was not the hardest case to crack. If you are a Detective Conan fan for example, you might have guessed at some kind of mechanical contraption which creates the locked room. The fact that the torso is not present in the first murder but present in the third murder seemed to also hint that the body may not be that of Kinue. And of course, the second murder being the murder of focus is a plot device from the ABC murders. I wondered also if the woman was not actually the missing sister Tamae at all but a prostitute that resembles her; that seemed more believable than her surviving a blast in Hiroshima.
All in all, a fun read, especially for fans of the Japanese puzzle-type mystery novel.
ewalkergrace's review against another edition
adventurous
mysterious
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.25
kaela_readsnwrites's review against another edition
dark
mysterious
reflective
tense
medium-paced
3.5
Set in post-war Tokyo, the story follows Kenzo as he's pulled into a murder investigation after being seduced by the beautiful tattooed lady, Kinue.
The case seems near impossible to solve with the body, or parts of it, found within a locked bathroom. Thankfully, Kenzo's old school friend, Kyosuke, returns to Tokyo to help solve the case and as his nickname was the 'boy genius', he's got the brains to go up against the calculated killer.
I enjoyed this mystery, and it was interesting to read and learn about post-war Japan. I had no clue that tattoos were outlawed in Japan, and it came as a surprise considering their history of stunning artistry in the field. The folklore behind tattoos was interesting too & I would like to learn more about it.
Parts of the story very much reminded me of Christie's work with Kenzo being the bumbling, naive Hastings and Kyosuke, the highly intellectual Poirot. However, having spent so much time with Kenzo and his tribulations, it would have been nice to see him solve the crime and redeem himself. Instead, we see him languishing and Kyosuke suddenly appearing in the story to solve everything for him.
I'm not sure if it's because I've read so much crime fiction (and watched it) that I was able to figure out the twists and ultimately, the killer making the ending feel a little anticlimactic and predictable. I didn't solve the locked room part, but I think without visual aids that would be pretty hard.
It's important to note this was written in 1948 and this needs to be taken into consideration when reading with concerns to some views expressed and the very male centric leaning of the story as a whole.
Overall, I did enjoy the story and I was finding it hard to put down as it continued. I am definitely going to look at reading more Japanese mysteries like The Tattoo Murder, including more from this author. I would say if you enjoy reading Agatha Christie but are looking for something new with a different cultural perspective, then give this a try.
The case seems near impossible to solve with the body, or parts of it, found within a locked bathroom. Thankfully, Kenzo's old school friend, Kyosuke, returns to Tokyo to help solve the case and as his nickname was the 'boy genius', he's got the brains to go up against the calculated killer.
I enjoyed this mystery, and it was interesting to read and learn about post-war Japan. I had no clue that tattoos were outlawed in Japan, and it came as a surprise considering their history of stunning artistry in the field. The folklore behind tattoos was interesting too & I would like to learn more about it.
Parts of the story very much reminded me of Christie's work with Kenzo being the bumbling, naive Hastings and Kyosuke, the highly intellectual Poirot. However, having spent so much time with Kenzo and his tribulations, it would have been nice to see him solve the crime and redeem himself. Instead, we see him languishing and Kyosuke suddenly appearing in the story to solve everything for him.
I'm not sure if it's because I've read so much crime fiction (and watched it) that I was able to figure out the twists and ultimately, the killer making the ending feel a little anticlimactic and predictable. I didn't solve the locked room part, but I think without visual aids that would be pretty hard.
It's important to note this was written in 1948 and this needs to be taken into consideration when reading with concerns to some views expressed and the very male centric leaning of the story as a whole.
Overall, I did enjoy the story and I was finding it hard to put down as it continued. I am definitely going to look at reading more Japanese mysteries like The Tattoo Murder, including more from this author. I would say if you enjoy reading Agatha Christie but are looking for something new with a different cultural perspective, then give this a try.
hannalliem's review against another edition
mysterious
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
3.0