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Matsumoto Seichō

    December 21, 1909 – August 4, 1992

    Seicho Matsumoto forged a new tradition in Japanese crime fiction, moving beyond formulaic plots to weave in elements of human psychology and everyday life. His narratives often reflect broader social contexts and postwar nihilism, expanding the genre's scope and deepening its atmosphere. He introduced a new dimension by exposing corruption among both officials and criminals, focusing his investigations not just on the crime itself but on the society in which it occurred.

    Spiel mit dem Fahrplan. Kriminalroman
    Modern Classics: Suspicion
    A Quiet Place
    Point Zero
    Points and lines. Translated by Makiko Yamamoto and Paul C. Blum.
    Inspector Imanishi Investigates
    • Inspector Imanishi Investigates

      • 352 pages
      • 13 hours of reading

      '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.

      Inspector Imanishi Investigates
      3.9
    • "A senior official in a ministry trained with scandal. A dining car receipt. A name missing from a passenger list. And a young man and woman dead on a beach in an apparent suicide. Disconnected points, but not to a determined detective who keeps searching for the lines that link the living and the dead."--Page 4 Cover

      Points and lines. Translated by Makiko Yamamoto and Paul C. Blum.
      3.8
    • Point Zero

      • 320 pages
      • 12 hours of reading

      A jewel by Seicho Matsumoto (1909-1992), the master of Japanese mystery writing. A beautifully written crime novel set in a coastal city in Northern Japan that takes on the taboo of Japanese prostitution during the American occupation.

      Point Zero
      3.7
    • A Quiet Place

      • 235 pages
      • 9 hours of reading

      Why did Tsuneo's shy wife end up stone dead in a boutique in a louche Tokyo neighborhood? He discovers she's been having an affair, and, in a moment of panic, kills her lover. No apparent motive, no witnesses, a faltering investigation. But the pressure builds and Tsuneo starts making mistakes.

      A Quiet Place
      3.6
    • Sbírka detektivních povídek. Macumontovy detektivní příběhy vycházejí z každodenního života japonské společnosti. Promyšlené zločiny odpovídají japonské důkladnosti a mentalitě, a přece se vždy najde nějaký zdánlivě nedůležitý detail...

      Mimo podezření a jiné příběhy o zločinu
      4.6
    • Detektivní povídka japonského autora, v níž se rozvíjí příběh o záhadné vraždě muže a ženy, jejichž mrtvoly byly nalezeny na opuštěném mořském pobřeží v zálivu Kašii. Případ vyšetřuje místní policie z blízkého městečka Hakaty, která ze zjištěných okolností usoudí na sebevraždu milenců a celou záležitost jednoduše uzavře. S tímto rozhodnutím není však spokojen starý policejní veterán Džútaró Torigaj. Pátrá na vlastní pěst a vnese do teorie o sebevraždě milenců pochyby.

      Body a přímka
      3.9