In the wee hours of a 1960s Tokyo morning, a dead body is found under the rails of a train, and the victim's face is so badly damaged that police have a hard time figuring out the victim’s identity. Only two clues surface: an old man, overheard talking in a distinctive accent to a young man, and the word “kameda.” Inspector Imanishi leaves his beloved bonsai and his haiku and goes off to investigate—and runs up against a blank wall. Months pass in fruitless questioning, in following up leads, until the case is closed, unsolved. But Imanishi is dissatisfied, and a series of coincidences lead him back to the case. Why did a young woman scatter pieces of white paper out of the window of a train? Why did a bar girl leave for home right after Imanishi spoke to her? Why did an actor, on the verge of telling Imanishi something important, drop dead of a heart attack? What can a group of nouveau young artists possibly have to do with the murder of a quiet and “saintly” provincial old ex-policemen? Inspector Imanishi investigates.

In a police procedural by Japan's foremost master of mystery, Inspector Imanishi Eitaro, a typically Japanese detective fond of gardening and haiku, must follow a killer's trail across the social strata of Japan. Copyright © Libri GmbH. All rights reserved.

'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.

Presents extended reviews of noteworthy books, short reviews, essays and articles on topics and trends in publishing, literature, culture and the arts. Includes lists of best sellers (hardcover and paperback).

A reference and overview of the genre of crime fiction, primarily covering the 1950s onwards, although major earlier writers, such as Agatha Christie and Raymond Chandler, also have entries.

This essential sourcebook to the police procedural offers mystery fans fully annotated entries on 1,115 titles by 271 authors in the genre. The perfect guide to classic novels by Lawrence Treat, Ngaio Marsh, and John Creasey, the volume also covers more recent works by such leading writers as Patricia Cornwell, Ed McBain, and Tony Hillerman. As with previous volumes in this series detailed cross-reference listings, including Pseudonyms, Creators and Series Characters, and Periods, Locations, and Setting of the stories, as well as the addition of chapters on novels featuring serial killers and on U.S. and U.K. police agencies, make this one-of-a-kind reference an invaluable resource for fans, occasional readers, and mystery book collectors alike.

Essays on post World War II Japanese fiction writers. Novelists who participated in literary activity after 1945 shaped the direction of postwar Japanese fiction. Freed from censorship, significant war literature was written in the decade after the conflict. Established writers were able to resume work interrupted by the war and demands to write propaganda. Female authors would emerge to define the new role of their gender in this post-war period.