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黒い樹海
仙台へ旅立った筈の姉が、意外や浜松のバス事故で急死！ 身分証明書が不明のため知らせが遅れ、笠原祥子は事故現場へとんだが手がかりは無い。新聞社へ勤めた彼女は、姉の交友関係の男たちを追求中同僚の婦人記者と、事件の鍵を握る女性の相次ぐ殺人事件に――。マスコミに潜む人間悪を抉る推理の傑作。
469 pages, Kindle Edition
First published June 15, 1973
13 people are currently reading
685 people want to read
About the author
Seichō Matsumoto
593 books672 followersSeicho Matsumoto (松本清張, Matsumoto Seichō), December 21, 1909 – August 4, 1992) was a Japanese writer.
Matsumoto's works created a new tradition of Japanese crime fiction. Dispensing with formulaic plot devices such as puzzles, Matsumoto incorporated elements of human psychology and ordinary life into his crime fiction. In particular, his works often reflect a wider social context and postwar nihilism that expanded the scope and further darkened the atmosphere of the genre. His exposé of corruption among police officials as well as criminals was a new addition to the field. The subject of investigation was not just the crime but also the society in which the crime was committed.
The self-educated Matsumoto did not see his first book in print until he was in his forties. He was a prolific author, he wrote until his death in 1992, producing in four decades more than 450 works. Matsumoto's mystery and detective fiction solidified his reputation as a writer at home and abroad. He wrote historical novels and nonfiction in addition to mystery/detective fiction.
He was awarded the Akutagawa Prize in 1952 and the Kikuchi Kan Prize in 1970, as well as the Mystery Writers of Japan Award in 1957. He chaired the president of Mystery Writers of Japan from 1963 to 1971.
Credited with popularizing the genre among readers in his country, Matsumoto became his nation's best-selling and highest earning author in the 1960s. His most acclaimed detective novels, including Ten to sen (1958; Points and Lines, 1970); Suna no utsuwa (1961; Inspector Imanishi Investigates, 1989) and Kiri no hata (1961; Pro Bono, 2012), have been translated into a number of languages, including English.
He collaborated with film director Yoshitarō Nomura on adaptations of eight of his novels to film, including Castle of Sand.
Matsumoto's works created a new tradition of Japanese crime fiction. Dispensing with formulaic plot devices such as puzzles, Matsumoto incorporated elements of human psychology and ordinary life into his crime fiction. In particular, his works often reflect a wider social context and postwar nihilism that expanded the scope and further darkened the atmosphere of the genre. His exposé of corruption among police officials as well as criminals was a new addition to the field. The subject of investigation was not just the crime but also the society in which the crime was committed.
The self-educated Matsumoto did not see his first book in print until he was in his forties. He was a prolific author, he wrote until his death in 1992, producing in four decades more than 450 works. Matsumoto's mystery and detective fiction solidified his reputation as a writer at home and abroad. He wrote historical novels and nonfiction in addition to mystery/detective fiction.
He was awarded the Akutagawa Prize in 1952 and the Kikuchi Kan Prize in 1970, as well as the Mystery Writers of Japan Award in 1957. He chaired the president of Mystery Writers of Japan from 1963 to 1971.
Credited with popularizing the genre among readers in his country, Matsumoto became his nation's best-selling and highest earning author in the 1960s. His most acclaimed detective novels, including Ten to sen (1958; Points and Lines, 1970); Suna no utsuwa (1961; Inspector Imanishi Investigates, 1989) and Kiri no hata (1961; Pro Bono, 2012), have been translated into a number of languages, including English.
He collaborated with film director Yoshitarō Nomura on adaptations of eight of his novels to film, including Castle of Sand.
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Displaying 1 - 2 of 2 reviews
January 31, 2017
Scary. Hopeless and deadly.
October 9, 2025
I read this entire book using Google Translate, as no English version currently exists. I also started reading it during my trip in Japan which happened to coincide with the dates in which the story begins (spooky, I thought)!
The story had me hooked by its foreboding atmosphere and dark beginnings. However, as it went on, it became a somewhat annoying mystery with a lot of back and forth between the two characters (Sachiko/Shoko and Yoshii) trying to deduce who the murderer was.
Ultimately, I expected this story to be darker. The wrap-up at the end came abruptly and felt more like notes written by the author in an outline created for the novel itself. I'm a little bummed out it didn't end up being better for how long it was.
I watched the 2016 movie version and it was almost exactly the same. A bit of romance, a bit of mystery, but a lot of "Whodunnit" and just a somewhat lame reveal, in my opinion.
The story had me hooked by its foreboding atmosphere and dark beginnings. However, as it went on, it became a somewhat annoying mystery with a lot of back and forth between the two characters (Sachiko/Shoko and Yoshii) trying to deduce who the murderer was.
Ultimately, I expected this story to be darker. The wrap-up at the end came abruptly and felt more like notes written by the author in an outline created for the novel itself. I'm a little bummed out it didn't end up being better for how long it was.
I watched the 2016 movie version and it was almost exactly the same. A bit of romance, a bit of mystery, but a lot of "Whodunnit" and just a somewhat lame reveal, in my opinion.
Displaying 1 - 2 of 2 reviews