Murder at the Black Cat Cafe

From the author of The Honjin Murders comes another ingeniously plotted case for detective Kosuke Kindaichi. Murder at the Black Cat Cafe finds Seishi Yokomizo, hailed by critics as the Japanese Agatha Christie, spinning a moody, atmospheric mystery set against the backdrop of a quiet Japanese cafe where nothing is quite as peaceful as it seems. When violence disturbs the calm, Kindaichi must untangle a web of secrets and suspects, all rendered in Yokomizo's celebrated locked-room style - meticulous, misdirecting, and always fair to the reader who pays close attention. Translated from the Japanese by Bryan Karetnyk, this Pushkin Vertigo edition brings the same crisp, evocative prose that made The Honjin Murders and the Strange series such favourites with classic mystery fans. Yokomizo has been called the master of ingenious plotting and the king of the locked-room mystery, and this novel is another fine showcase of why. Perfect for readers who love golden-age detective fiction, Agatha Christie style whodunits, or the atmospheric puzzle-box mysteries coming out of Japan in recent years. A satisfying, page-turning read for anyone who enjoys piecing together clues alongside the detective.