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三姉妹探偵団 [Sanshimai Tanteidan] #1
Three Sisters Investigate
Their house burned down...their father missing...the body of a murdered woman discovered in the ruins of their home...What are the three sisters—Yuriko, Tamami, and Ayako—to do? They set out to solve the mystery, with the help of a young and sympathetic detective.
254 pages, Paperback
First published September 5, 1982
46 people want to read
About the author
Jirō Akagawa
777 books50 followersAssociated Names:
* 赤川次郎 (Japanese & Traditional Chinese)
* อาคากะวา จิโร (Thai)
Best known for his humorous mysteries, Akagawa's first short story, "Ghost Train", was published in 1976 and went on to win the annually granted All Yomimono New Mystery Writers' Prize by Bungeishunjū, a Japanese literary publishing company. Other works of his, The Incident in the Bedroom Suburb (ホームタウンの事件簿 私語を禁ず Homu Taun no Jikenbo: Shigo o Kinzu?) and Voice from Heaven (天からの声 Ten kara no Koe?), were later made into anime, while Sailor Suit and Machine Gun (セーラー服と機関銃 Serafuku to Kikanju?) was made into a popular live action movie. His most recognized works to date pertain to his Mike-neko (or Calico cat) Holmes series. He is extremely prolific; as of August 2006, he had written more than 480 novels in the course of his thirty year career, over 300 million individual published volumes.
* 赤川次郎 (Japanese & Traditional Chinese)
* อาคากะวา จิโร (Thai)
Best known for his humorous mysteries, Akagawa's first short story, "Ghost Train", was published in 1976 and went on to win the annually granted All Yomimono New Mystery Writers' Prize by Bungeishunjū, a Japanese literary publishing company. Other works of his, The Incident in the Bedroom Suburb (ホームタウンの事件簿 私語を禁ず Homu Taun no Jikenbo: Shigo o Kinzu?) and Voice from Heaven (天からの声 Ten kara no Koe?), were later made into anime, while Sailor Suit and Machine Gun (セーラー服と機関銃 Serafuku to Kikanju?) was made into a popular live action movie. His most recognized works to date pertain to his Mike-neko (or Calico cat) Holmes series. He is extremely prolific; as of August 2006, he had written more than 480 novels in the course of his thirty year career, over 300 million individual published volumes.
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Displaying 1 - 3 of 3 reviews
December 11, 2012
There's a story behind how I came across a copy of this book, in Japan:
The only English-language book I found at the ryokun my wife brought us to. First published in Japanese as Sanshimai Tanteidan, 1982; English translation, 1985, by Gavin Frew. Published by Kodansha English Library, with a bookmark that says “Enjoy Reading English!”
While a widower is supposedly away on business, his three daughters are almost killed when their house is burned down. The police also find the body of a young woman in the remains of the house. Whodunit, and where is dad? He’s disappeared and is now wanted for murder. Three resourceful sisters investigate, more bodies pile up, and the trio learns that... [OK, no spoilers].
I left the book behind at the ryokun in the spirit of wanting some other English-starved reader to have the same experience I did. I didn’t have wi-fi or Internet at this hotel, so it wasn’t till after that I looked it up on Amazon to see if I could find any other English translations of the author. No: But I did see that this edition is going for $500 from used-book vendors. Damn, I shoulda swiped it. To blazes with this peace love granola stuff.
A few quotes, some politically incorrect but included as cultural reference-points:
She suffered from low blood pressure, and although none of the sisters was particularly good at getting up in the morning, Ayako was in a class of her own.
“Ayako’s no good in the mornings. She has low blood pressure, you know,” Yuriko said. [Like “He’s from Barcelona…”]
Of the three sisters, Tamami [the youngest] was the most practical. It might be a reflection of the times.
“A sensitive girl like you is quite rare these days.”
“You’ll find that once you’ve worked at the same place for almost twenty years, no one complains, whatever you do.”
…did not know the difference between a chit and a memo.
“Do you think Ayako is really coming home?”
“Where else could she go?”
“I don’t know. Someone might have made fun of her and she jumped in front of a train on the Yamanote Line.”
“Don’t be silly. She doesn’t use the Yamanote Line.”
“Funny being followed on a lovely, warm afternoon, like this,” Yuriko thought. “Beautiful women are only supposed to be followed by menacing shadows in the dead of night.”
“Does the bruise on my forehead show?” she asked as if she wanted to blame him for that too.
“No, not very much.”
“That’s a relief. Good looks are a woman’s main asset, you know. If I was scarred I wouldn’t be able to find a husband.” She rubbed the sticking plaster lightly. “If that happened, would you take the responsibility?”
“I want to buy some new underwear. I feel so dirty.”
[Tamami:] “They didn’t rape you, did they? It costs a lot for an operation to restore your virginity, you know.”
“That’s taking things a bit far!” Yuriko said, raising a fist.
“You hit me and I won’t give you any money.”
“My lover is a mature woman of over thirty who is very understanding.”
“Of course, but I missed seeing you in the nude just now. I don’t suppose you would consider an encore, would you?”
Yuriko flung one of the sofa cushions at him.
“Kunitomo was very impressed by your body in the bath. He said that you had a mysterious beauty.”
“You mean that he saw me!” Yuriko said angrily and blushed.
“He’s a nice person,” Tamami said and whistled. “But detectives don’t get paid very much, you know. You won’t be able to live a life of luxury.”
The only English-language book I found at the ryokun my wife brought us to. First published in Japanese as Sanshimai Tanteidan, 1982; English translation, 1985, by Gavin Frew. Published by Kodansha English Library, with a bookmark that says “Enjoy Reading English!”
While a widower is supposedly away on business, his three daughters are almost killed when their house is burned down. The police also find the body of a young woman in the remains of the house. Whodunit, and where is dad? He’s disappeared and is now wanted for murder. Three resourceful sisters investigate, more bodies pile up, and the trio learns that... [OK, no spoilers].
I left the book behind at the ryokun in the spirit of wanting some other English-starved reader to have the same experience I did. I didn’t have wi-fi or Internet at this hotel, so it wasn’t till after that I looked it up on Amazon to see if I could find any other English translations of the author. No: But I did see that this edition is going for $500 from used-book vendors. Damn, I shoulda swiped it. To blazes with this peace love granola stuff.
A few quotes, some politically incorrect but included as cultural reference-points:
She suffered from low blood pressure, and although none of the sisters was particularly good at getting up in the morning, Ayako was in a class of her own.
“Ayako’s no good in the mornings. She has low blood pressure, you know,” Yuriko said. [Like “He’s from Barcelona…”]
Of the three sisters, Tamami [the youngest] was the most practical. It might be a reflection of the times.
“A sensitive girl like you is quite rare these days.”
“You’ll find that once you’ve worked at the same place for almost twenty years, no one complains, whatever you do.”
…did not know the difference between a chit and a memo.
“Do you think Ayako is really coming home?”
“Where else could she go?”
“I don’t know. Someone might have made fun of her and she jumped in front of a train on the Yamanote Line.”
“Don’t be silly. She doesn’t use the Yamanote Line.”
“Funny being followed on a lovely, warm afternoon, like this,” Yuriko thought. “Beautiful women are only supposed to be followed by menacing shadows in the dead of night.”
“Does the bruise on my forehead show?” she asked as if she wanted to blame him for that too.
“No, not very much.”
“That’s a relief. Good looks are a woman’s main asset, you know. If I was scarred I wouldn’t be able to find a husband.” She rubbed the sticking plaster lightly. “If that happened, would you take the responsibility?”
“I want to buy some new underwear. I feel so dirty.”
[Tamami:] “They didn’t rape you, did they? It costs a lot for an operation to restore your virginity, you know.”
“That’s taking things a bit far!” Yuriko said, raising a fist.
“You hit me and I won’t give you any money.”
“My lover is a mature woman of over thirty who is very understanding.”
“Of course, but I missed seeing you in the nude just now. I don’t suppose you would consider an encore, would you?”
Yuriko flung one of the sofa cushions at him.
“Kunitomo was very impressed by your body in the bath. He said that you had a mysterious beauty.”
“You mean that he saw me!” Yuriko said angrily and blushed.
“He’s a nice person,” Tamami said and whistled. “But detectives don’t get paid very much, you know. You won’t be able to live a life of luxury.”
September 4, 2016
Even in translation the playful spirit of the author shines through in how he draws the reader close to his characters, the three sisters, each with their distinct personality. A good telling of a good mystery. I read the book because I had heard Akagawa's books were very popular in Japan, and now I see why.
April 15, 2016
I chose this as my 'book by an author with the same birthday as you' (this was hard to find!) Akagawa was leap day, 1948.
It was a cute little book, and I managed to read it just at the end of my birthday week, so it was just in time! This was excellently translated, using just the right words, colloquially, and not stilted, which I'm finding to be a rarity. I feel that's worth mentioning. The story itself was not the greatest - it's three sisters in their late teens/20's whose house burns down, along with the body of a young woman they've never heard of. Their dad is nowhere to be found, and so they set out as little Japanese Miss Marples, to try to get to the bottom of the mystery (and prove their dad's innocence, of course). I had the "mystery" figured out halfway through the book, so it wasn't exactly a clever or difficult mystery, and I'm pretty sure the book is aimed at girls of the same age as in the book. But it wasn't a bad little read, especially for someone who's written over 400 novels in his lifetime! I don't know how they do it.
It was a cute little book, and I managed to read it just at the end of my birthday week, so it was just in time! This was excellently translated, using just the right words, colloquially, and not stilted, which I'm finding to be a rarity. I feel that's worth mentioning. The story itself was not the greatest - it's three sisters in their late teens/20's whose house burns down, along with the body of a young woman they've never heard of. Their dad is nowhere to be found, and so they set out as little Japanese Miss Marples, to try to get to the bottom of the mystery (and prove their dad's innocence, of course). I had the "mystery" figured out halfway through the book, so it wasn't exactly a clever or difficult mystery, and I'm pretty sure the book is aimed at girls of the same age as in the book. But it wasn't a bad little read, especially for someone who's written over 400 novels in his lifetime! I don't know how they do it.
Displaying 1 - 3 of 3 reviews