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A review by tinaha083
The Tokyo Zodiac Murders by Shika MacKenzie, Ross MacKenzie, Sōji Shimada
4.0
3.5 STARS!!!!!!!!!!!
This book was definitely a slow burn. I was extremely interested at first, then it slogged for a while, and then it picked up again, and really delivered in the last 100 or so pages.
This book is largely about a present day detective/astrologer solving a 40 year old murder case. It’s written in “shin honkaku,” or “new orthodox” style. It’s a classic-style impossible crime, and is written with very obvious love for the Golden Age of detective fiction and classic crime in general. If you are an aficionado of that part of the genre, you will catch many subtle nods to the work of authors of that time period. There are some mentions of other authors and their cases, and the homage is really awesome to see.
I really enjoyed those parts, down to the “Cast of Characters” listing and the Ellery Queen-style challenge to the reader.
I enjoyed the characters for the most part. The mystery itself was interesting if a bit too heavy on the astrology side (more on that in a sec), and it kept me guessing. Without spoiling it, I like the way that the murderer was finally truly unveiled and the explanation for the motive.
Where it fell apart for me was the execution. Golden Age impossible crimes depend largely on highly detailed deceptions and cunning feats of brilliance. While I am ready to allow for the sheer insanity of the deductions, I wasn’t able to believe that the crime could have been done in the way it was by the guilty party. I couldn’t give any credibility to the method, though I loved the explanation and motive. Also, it was TOO detail heavy at times, and on things that end up having little to do with the plot. I’m not into astrology and there was a ton of stuff that I didn’t understand because I don’t know anything about it.
Overall, I enjoyed the mystery more than I enjoyed the execution. I will be exploring further into his work and that of other Japanese authors, as there are several who write in this style. Definitely give it a read if you like John Dickson Carr, Ellery Queen, or Holmes/Watson but I wouldn’t recommend it as a good starting point to the Impossible Crimes section of mysteries. This one is for veterans only, much like “The Five Red Herrings” by Dorothy L. Sayers.
This book was definitely a slow burn. I was extremely interested at first, then it slogged for a while, and then it picked up again, and really delivered in the last 100 or so pages.
This book is largely about a present day detective/astrologer solving a 40 year old murder case. It’s written in “shin honkaku,” or “new orthodox” style. It’s a classic-style impossible crime, and is written with very obvious love for the Golden Age of detective fiction and classic crime in general. If you are an aficionado of that part of the genre, you will catch many subtle nods to the work of authors of that time period. There are some mentions of other authors and their cases, and the homage is really awesome to see.
I really enjoyed those parts, down to the “Cast of Characters” listing and the Ellery Queen-style challenge to the reader.
I enjoyed the characters for the most part. The mystery itself was interesting if a bit too heavy on the astrology side (more on that in a sec), and it kept me guessing. Without spoiling it, I like the way that the murderer was finally truly unveiled and the explanation for the motive.
Where it fell apart for me was the execution. Golden Age impossible crimes depend largely on highly detailed deceptions and cunning feats of brilliance. While I am ready to allow for the sheer insanity of the deductions, I wasn’t able to believe that the crime could have been done in the way it was by the guilty party. I couldn’t give any credibility to the method, though I loved the explanation and motive. Also, it was TOO detail heavy at times, and on things that end up having little to do with the plot. I’m not into astrology and there was a ton of stuff that I didn’t understand because I don’t know anything about it.
Overall, I enjoyed the mystery more than I enjoyed the execution. I will be exploring further into his work and that of other Japanese authors, as there are several who write in this style. Definitely give it a read if you like John Dickson Carr, Ellery Queen, or Holmes/Watson but I wouldn’t recommend it as a good starting point to the Impossible Crimes section of mysteries. This one is for veterans only, much like “The Five Red Herrings” by Dorothy L. Sayers.