What do you think?
Rate this book
Detective Kosuke Kindaichi #17
คินดะอิจิยอดนักสืบ 7 เพลงเล่นลูกบอลปีศาจ
ตอนที่ 7 หรือ คดีฆาตกรรมเพลงเล่นลูกบอลปีศาจ เป็นเรื่องราวที่เกิดขึ้นที่โอนิโคะเบะ...หมู่บ้านขนาดเล็ก โดดเดี่ยวกลางขุนเขาสูง ยังมีประเพณีเก่าแก่ฝังรากลึกทุกหย่อมหญ้า คินดะอิจิมาเยือนหมู่บ้านแห่งนี้ด้วยหวังจะพักผ่อนอย่างสันโดษ ตามคำแนะนำของสารวัตรอิโซคาวะ แต่เขากลับต้องเผชิญเหตุฆาตกรรมหญิงสาวอย่างเหี้ยมโหด สภาพศพพิสดารพันลึกของเหยื่อเร่งเร้าให้ยอดนักสืบไขปริศนา จนนำไปสู่ความจริงอันน่าตกตะลึงซ่อนอยู่เบื้องหลังเงาอดีตอันน่าสะพรึงกลัว
Paperback
First published January 1, 1959
221 people are currently reading
3695 people want to read
About the author
Seishi Yokomizo
238 books856 followersSeishi Yokomizo (横溝 正史) was a novelist in Shōwa period Japan.
Yokomizo was born in the city of Kobe, Hyōgo (兵庫県 神戸市). He read detective stories as a boy and in 1921, while employed by the Daiichi Bank, published his first story in the popular magazine "Shin Seinen" (新青年[New Youth]). He graduated from Osaka Pharmaceutical College (currently part of Osaka University) with a degree in pharmacy, and initially intended to take over his family's drug store even though sceptical of the contemporary ahistorical attitude towards drugs. However, drawn by his interest in literature, and the encouragement of Edogawa Rampo (江戸川 乱歩), he went to Tokyo instead, where he was hired by the Hakubunkan publishing company in 1926. After serving as editor in chief of several magazines, he resigned in 1932 to devote himself full-time to writing.
Yokomizo was attracted to the literary genre of historical fiction, especially that of the historical detective novel. In July 1934, while resting in the mountains of Nagano to recuperate from tuberculosis, he completed his first novel "Onibi" (『鬼火』), which was published in 1935, although parts were immediately censored by the authorities. Undeterred, Yokomizo followed on his early success with a second novel Ningyo Sashichi torimonocho (1938–1939). However, during World War II, he faced difficulties in getting his works published due to the wartime conditions, and was in severe economic difficulties. The lack of Streptomycin and other antibiotics also meant that his tuberculosis could not be properly treated, and he joked with friends that it was a race to see whether he would die of disease or of starvation.
However, soon after the end of World War II, his works received wide recognition and he developed an enormous fan following. He published many works via Kodansha's Weekly Shōnen Magazine in serialized form, concentrating only on popular mystery novels, based on the orthodox western detective story format, starting with "Honjin Satsujin Jiken" (『本陣殺人事件』) and "Chōchō Satsujin Jinken" (『蝶々殺人事件』) (both in 1946). His works became the model for postwar Japanese mystery writing. He was also often called the "Japanese John Dickson Carr" after the writer whom he admired.
Yokomizo is most well known for creating the private detective character Kosuke Kindaichi (金田一 耕助). Many of his works have been made into movies.
Yokomizo died of colon cancer in 1981. His grave is at the Seishun-en cemetery in Kawasaki, Kanagawa (神奈川県 川崎市).
Yokomizo was born in the city of Kobe, Hyōgo (兵庫県 神戸市). He read detective stories as a boy and in 1921, while employed by the Daiichi Bank, published his first story in the popular magazine "Shin Seinen" (新青年[New Youth]). He graduated from Osaka Pharmaceutical College (currently part of Osaka University) with a degree in pharmacy, and initially intended to take over his family's drug store even though sceptical of the contemporary ahistorical attitude towards drugs. However, drawn by his interest in literature, and the encouragement of Edogawa Rampo (江戸川 乱歩), he went to Tokyo instead, where he was hired by the Hakubunkan publishing company in 1926. After serving as editor in chief of several magazines, he resigned in 1932 to devote himself full-time to writing.
Yokomizo was attracted to the literary genre of historical fiction, especially that of the historical detective novel. In July 1934, while resting in the mountains of Nagano to recuperate from tuberculosis, he completed his first novel "Onibi" (『鬼火』), which was published in 1935, although parts were immediately censored by the authorities. Undeterred, Yokomizo followed on his early success with a second novel Ningyo Sashichi torimonocho (1938–1939). However, during World War II, he faced difficulties in getting his works published due to the wartime conditions, and was in severe economic difficulties. The lack of Streptomycin and other antibiotics also meant that his tuberculosis could not be properly treated, and he joked with friends that it was a race to see whether he would die of disease or of starvation.
However, soon after the end of World War II, his works received wide recognition and he developed an enormous fan following. He published many works via Kodansha's Weekly Shōnen Magazine in serialized form, concentrating only on popular mystery novels, based on the orthodox western detective story format, starting with "Honjin Satsujin Jiken" (『本陣殺人事件』) and "Chōchō Satsujin Jinken" (『蝶々殺人事件』) (both in 1946). His works became the model for postwar Japanese mystery writing. He was also often called the "Japanese John Dickson Carr" after the writer whom he admired.
Yokomizo is most well known for creating the private detective character Kosuke Kindaichi (金田一 耕助). Many of his works have been made into movies.
Yokomizo died of colon cancer in 1981. His grave is at the Seishun-en cemetery in Kawasaki, Kanagawa (神奈川県 川崎市).
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 30 of 287 reviews
October 8, 2025
Detective Kindaichi goes to a remote and peaceful mountain village to relax and not worry about murders for a while. Unfortunately for him, murder tends to follow him wherever he goes as an old friend asks him to investigate a twenty year old murder while he’s there.
The village was dominated by two powerful families: the Nire and the Yura family. One day however, the Nire family decided to grow grapes and they became the wealthiest family of the village. The Yura family quickly wanted to close the gap between them, but the person they trusted to help them was a con man and one person ended up dead.
One woman, Harue, was pregnant with the con man’s child when he fled the village. She became a pariah and eventually left the village. Twenty years later, Harue’s daughter Chieko has become a successful actress. And Chieko is about to go back to the village where she was raised. But she’s not the only one who’s coming back home.
The pace of the story is quite relaxed at first and it takes quite a while for the mystery plot to get going. Once it starts though, it does everything in its power to grab you. It’s full of suspense and twists and turns. The way the temari song is used in the mystery plot is reminiscent of certain Agatha Christie books that incorporate nursery rhymes into the story, though with a traditional Japanese touch to it.
The remote Japanese setting is once again a highlight, as is the norm for this series. And the remoteness of it gives it that little extra special something. The two wealthy families that dominate the village are quite fascinating, as is the village chieftain.
The mystery plot is excellently crafted and keeps you guessing, even if it feels a bit too complicated for its own good. There are also quite a lot of characters to keep track of. Still, this is another solid installment in a strong murder mystery series.
The village was dominated by two powerful families: the Nire and the Yura family. One day however, the Nire family decided to grow grapes and they became the wealthiest family of the village. The Yura family quickly wanted to close the gap between them, but the person they trusted to help them was a con man and one person ended up dead.
One woman, Harue, was pregnant with the con man’s child when he fled the village. She became a pariah and eventually left the village. Twenty years later, Harue’s daughter Chieko has become a successful actress. And Chieko is about to go back to the village where she was raised. But she’s not the only one who’s coming back home.
The pace of the story is quite relaxed at first and it takes quite a while for the mystery plot to get going. Once it starts though, it does everything in its power to grab you. It’s full of suspense and twists and turns. The way the temari song is used in the mystery plot is reminiscent of certain Agatha Christie books that incorporate nursery rhymes into the story, though with a traditional Japanese touch to it.
The remote Japanese setting is once again a highlight, as is the norm for this series. And the remoteness of it gives it that little extra special something. The two wealthy families that dominate the village are quite fascinating, as is the village chieftain.
The mystery plot is excellently crafted and keeps you guessing, even if it feels a bit too complicated for its own good. There are also quite a lot of characters to keep track of. Still, this is another solid installment in a strong murder mystery series.
August 14, 2023
One of my most favorite Detective Kindaichi's mysteries: Demon's Nursery (Akuma no Temari Uta)
link to the Japanese trailer
I can't remember did I watch the movie first, or did I read the book first; but anyway both the movie and the book are masterpiece.
and the English translation is finally at hand!!!! https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/1...
One of the famous scenes from the movie, Kindaichi met the weird old woman outside of the village.
The story follows Detective Kindaichi, visiting a remote village in order to have his relaxing hot spring vacation. While making some friends among villagers, he soon found out the widow who owned the hot spring resort had a tragic past: 20 years ago her husband was murdered by a villain who tricked the villagers out of their money; and the body of the victim was damaged beyond recognition. The murderer then escaped the village and was never found. At the great shock of finding her husband's corpse, the widow later gave birth to a girl infant who had red birthmarks covering half her face and body.
Now 20 years later, the daughter of the at-large murder suspect, had returned to the village as a famous pop star; Kindaichi sensed danger approaching for both the returned girl and the entire village, and he didn't guess wrongly.
First the aged village chief went missing on the night of his supposed reunion of his estranged ex-wife, then the daughters of the two most powerful families in the village were also found murdered under ominous consequences; it seems that the murderer was killing villagers off with the pattern of a long forgotten local nursery, could Kindaichi stop the murderer before it is too late?
Demon's Nursery has an utterly complicated story: young women were being murdered one by one, the old village chief went missing under suspicious condition with his ex-wife might or might not be the killer;. At the heart of the mysteries, there is the unsolved murder case from 20 years ago.
It's a finely done murder mystery filled with thrilling murder of young girls, creative methods of killing and creating alibi. At the same time it's also an epic tragedy of karma and mistaken identities. The art of trickery and suspense is being masterfully played to the extreme by the author, and I also love the last scene of the story *major spoiler ahead*.
It's one of the best works of Detective Kindaichi series, strongly recommend to anyone who has a taste for classy, finely crafted old schooled detective novel.
link to the Japanese trailer
I can't remember did I watch the movie first, or did I read the book first; but anyway both the movie and the book are masterpiece.
and the English translation is finally at hand!!!! https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/1...
One of the famous scenes from the movie, Kindaichi met the weird old woman outside of the village.
The story follows Detective Kindaichi, visiting a remote village in order to have his relaxing hot spring vacation. While making some friends among villagers, he soon found out the widow who owned the hot spring resort had a tragic past: 20 years ago her husband was murdered by a villain who tricked the villagers out of their money; and the body of the victim was damaged beyond recognition. The murderer then escaped the village and was never found. At the great shock of finding her husband's corpse, the widow later gave birth to a girl infant who had red birthmarks covering half her face and body.
Now 20 years later, the daughter of the at-large murder suspect, had returned to the village as a famous pop star; Kindaichi sensed danger approaching for both the returned girl and the entire village, and he didn't guess wrongly.
First the aged village chief went missing on the night of his supposed reunion of his estranged ex-wife, then the daughters of the two most powerful families in the village were also found murdered under ominous consequences; it seems that the murderer was killing villagers off with the pattern of a long forgotten local nursery, could Kindaichi stop the murderer before it is too late?
Demon's Nursery has an utterly complicated story: young women were being murdered one by one, the old village chief went missing under suspicious condition with his ex-wife might or might not be the killer;. At the heart of the mysteries, there is the unsolved murder case from 20 years ago.
It's a finely done murder mystery filled with thrilling murder of young girls, creative methods of killing and creating alibi. At the same time it's also an epic tragedy of karma and mistaken identities. The art of trickery and suspense is being masterfully played to the extreme by the author, and I also love the last scene of the story *major spoiler ahead*.
It's one of the best works of Detective Kindaichi series, strongly recommend to anyone who has a taste for classy, finely crafted old schooled detective novel.
May 16, 2025
He gets me every time!
I can put bits and pieces together but still have not seen a single conclusion coming in this series.
I LOVE IT.
Kindaichi is back, but he's headed to Turtle Spring for a well-earned break. His good friend Isakawa recommends the place as his friend owns the Spring, but coincidentally there was an unsolved murder in the town 30-odd years ago that Isakawa hasn't been able to leave behind.
But of course Kindaichi is just here for a holiday.
Until someone goes missing, and suddenly this lil mystery has all of us curious.
Just another run of bizarre deaths, strange occurrences, family politics and curious mysteries. It delivers one after the other, keeping the action smooth and leaving no time for putting the pieces together yourself. An almost impossible task, anyway, as it's always unexpected connections that make these books really stand out.
I raced through it again, and really enjoyed the scenario here. Kindaichi is a fantastic character and I'll be eagerly awaiting the next translation!
I can put bits and pieces together but still have not seen a single conclusion coming in this series.
I LOVE IT.
Kindaichi is back, but he's headed to Turtle Spring for a well-earned break. His good friend Isakawa recommends the place as his friend owns the Spring, but coincidentally there was an unsolved murder in the town 30-odd years ago that Isakawa hasn't been able to leave behind.
But of course Kindaichi is just here for a holiday.
Until someone goes missing, and suddenly this lil mystery has all of us curious.
Just another run of bizarre deaths, strange occurrences, family politics and curious mysteries. It delivers one after the other, keeping the action smooth and leaving no time for putting the pieces together yourself. An almost impossible task, anyway, as it's always unexpected connections that make these books really stand out.
I raced through it again, and really enjoyed the scenario here. Kindaichi is a fantastic character and I'll be eagerly awaiting the next translation!
September 15, 2024
Travelling back to the 50s in another crime adventure with Kosuke Kindaichi in this latest translated instalment from the series. Set in the isolated Onikobe Village in Okayama Perfecture, I followed Kindaichi during his vacation stay at the Aoike’s spa inn when the village was shuddered by a series of murder happening in a row that was said to be plotted like the lyric to a traditional temari song. As he knew about the unsolved murder incident that happened in the village 20 years ago before the visit, Kindaichi thought that these two cases might be related so with the help of Inspector Isokawa, he started to investigate the case and try to link and uncover the two incidents to find the murderer.
I love the village backdrop with its traditional hue a lot; so aesthetic and raw despite that sense of bleak and mysterious aura it grasped me everytime. Kind of spooky too as the plotline was set around the o-bon festival and due to the serial murder, most scenes were told and crafted at a wake ceremony— thrilling but can be confusing too with its massive characters (a list of characters included, fortunately) yet the progress and their suspicious characterization hooked me with curiosity on the puzzling and devious howdunnit.
Love the interactions, all the investigation musings and how Yolomizo interlaced his storytelling with a gripping societal conflict and cultural perspective. From a crime of vengence and passion to familial secrets and scandals, a resentment was served through a serial tragedy and one’s fiendish motive— not much of red herring but I could catched up on the hints from Kindaichi’s POV just it upsets me a bit on the last victim’s tale after the truth was revealed.
An enjoyable crime read, overall. Almost a page-turner too for its appealing and knotty plotting, also as usual I love how Kindaichi could helped to solve it; the last chapter, epilogue and Kindaichi’s last words to Inspector Isokawa— so wicked of him to make that guess!
Another fav from the series added to my list 🙌🏻
(Thank you Pansing Distribution for the gifted copy!)
I love the village backdrop with its traditional hue a lot; so aesthetic and raw despite that sense of bleak and mysterious aura it grasped me everytime. Kind of spooky too as the plotline was set around the o-bon festival and due to the serial murder, most scenes were told and crafted at a wake ceremony— thrilling but can be confusing too with its massive characters (a list of characters included, fortunately) yet the progress and their suspicious characterization hooked me with curiosity on the puzzling and devious howdunnit.
Love the interactions, all the investigation musings and how Yolomizo interlaced his storytelling with a gripping societal conflict and cultural perspective. From a crime of vengence and passion to familial secrets and scandals, a resentment was served through a serial tragedy and one’s fiendish motive— not much of red herring but I could catched up on the hints from Kindaichi’s POV just it upsets me a bit on the last victim’s tale after the truth was revealed.
An enjoyable crime read, overall. Almost a page-turner too for its appealing and knotty plotting, also as usual I love how Kindaichi could helped to solve it; the last chapter, epilogue and Kindaichi’s last words to Inspector Isokawa— so wicked of him to make that guess!
Another fav from the series added to my list 🙌🏻
(Thank you Pansing Distribution for the gifted copy!)
November 22, 2024
i wait for these new yokomizo translations to come out every year, and this is probably my favorite since the village of eight graves, which was also translated by bryan karetnyk. huge congratulations for his effort! as these crimes are always so ridiculously ornate w enormous casts, i think a deft translator is very necessary and can completely change how the novel is received. this latest entry is a long-winded tragedy, starting in 1932 and ending some twenty or so years later (dated further by yokomizo’s movie refs—morocco by josef von sternberg and a minor character being a machiko kyō (rashōmon, ugetsu) lookalike). the crimes are confined to a secluded village, so everything about it is backwards, just like the people involved…and inevitably, much of the writing is devoted to lineage, the sins of one’s father, class, &c. like yokomizo’s other fare, it has a gloomy atmosphere, along w his trademark insane/unbelievable crimes, esoteric folklore, and unnerving jokes. loved :)
August 23, 2024
When it comes to murder mystery, I have always enjoyed stories with dysfunctional family drama thriller the most especially one with a very tragic background. The whole premise of this latest translation in Detective Kosuke Kindaichi series is exactly that although by Book 6, we kinda already know this formula is well incorporated in the series. This time around, Kindaichi went to Onikobe Village with the purpose of relaxation but was recommended by Inspector Isokawa to go to Turtle Spring Spa for a rest. The place had a pretty grisly unsolved murder case of 20 years ago where the master of the house was cruelly murdered. Then, there are 2 powerful family that had relation to case, Yuras and Nire. Soon, one murder after another happened eerily similar to a Temari song that tells on death of each woman and the way they died.
What I like about this story is the atmospheric writing of the whole village and the folklore or cultural aspect of the village. The incorporation of these elements make the story more compelling to read. By tying the unsolved murder case to the current cases kept the whole story intriguing as I kept reading to know what happened. The murders are horrible & I do hate how by the end, when we get the reveal, it just feels too cruel that these young women's lives were ripped apart so unjustly. There are so many characters in this story that it gets muddled up at times when you have to keep track of who is who which does take away some of the enjoyment in reading. The plot twist was heartbreaking as it delves into how actually effed up the whole thing is. I like we get more of Kindaichi in here from start to beginning but we actually get less of his quirks and I sort of miss the way he stammers when he is nervous which made him such an endearing character to me. This story felt like his charm is lesser than before? I think this was a good one but I certainly love The Devil Flutes Murder significantly more and Village of Eight Graves is my personal favourite.
Thank you Definitely Books for review copy in exchange for an honest review
What I like about this story is the atmospheric writing of the whole village and the folklore or cultural aspect of the village. The incorporation of these elements make the story more compelling to read. By tying the unsolved murder case to the current cases kept the whole story intriguing as I kept reading to know what happened. The murders are horrible & I do hate how by the end, when we get the reveal, it just feels too cruel that these young women's lives were ripped apart so unjustly. There are so many characters in this story that it gets muddled up at times when you have to keep track of who is who which does take away some of the enjoyment in reading. The plot twist was heartbreaking as it delves into how actually effed up the whole thing is. I like we get more of Kindaichi in here from start to beginning but we actually get less of his quirks and I sort of miss the way he stammers when he is nervous which made him such an endearing character to me. This story felt like his charm is lesser than before? I think this was a good one but I certainly love The Devil Flutes Murder significantly more and Village of Eight Graves is my personal favourite.
Thank you Definitely Books for review copy in exchange for an honest review
July 6, 2024
i eat up every yokomizo novel that pushkin vertigo releases
November 5, 2024
Poor Kosuke Kindaichi! The scruffy but brilliant private investigator may go on holiday, but murder never does!
Kosuke heads to isolated, peaceful Onikobe — but not so peaceful that Kindaichi’s widowed hostess is unacquainted with murder. Her husband was murdered 20 years ago — and it’s 1955, and the murderer has not been caught. That old, unsolved murder sparks a new spate of mayhem while Kindaichi is there. To say more would ruin this twisty novel. I never suspected who the murderer was, even though author Seishi Yokomizo provides the clues. Yokomizo’s novels can be hit or miss, but this one is definitely a hit.
Kosuke heads to isolated, peaceful Onikobe — but not so peaceful that Kindaichi’s widowed hostess is unacquainted with murder. Her husband was murdered 20 years ago — and it’s 1955, and the murderer has not been caught. That old, unsolved murder sparks a new spate of mayhem while Kindaichi is there. To say more would ruin this twisty novel. I never suspected who the murderer was, even though author Seishi Yokomizo provides the clues. Yokomizo’s novels can be hit or miss, but this one is definitely a hit.
July 23, 2024
Are all the mysteries being narrated by Inspector Isokawa?! I’m going to cry😭
Also, I’m a sucker for murders surrounding a nursery rhyme sang during kids’ games. Adds to the creepiness.
Also, I’m a sucker for murders surrounding a nursery rhyme sang during kids’ games. Adds to the creepiness.
December 31, 2024
i would be lost without the character list
November 22, 2025
Temari-Lieder
Der Privatdetektiv Kosuke Kindaichi möchte im Sommer 1955 Urlaub machen und sein Freund Kommissar Isokawa empfiehlt ihm ein Badehaus in dem Bergdorf Onikobe. Vielleicht hatte der Kommissar einen kleinen Hintergedanken, denn in Onikobe gab es vor etwas über zwanzig Jahren einen Mord, an dessen Ermittlungen der Kommissar beteiligt war. Mit dem Ergebnis der Ermittlungen hatte er sich nie wohl gefühlt. Er hofft deshalb, dass Kosuke, der als gewiefter Ermittler bekannt ist, nochmal einen neuen Blick auf die Sache wirft. Kurz nach Kosukes Ankunft verschwindet der alte Dorfvorsteher und damit werden die Ereignisse in Gang gesetzt.
Dies ist der fünfte Band der Reihe um den Privatdetektiv Kosuke Kindaichi, der auf Deutsch veröffentlicht wird. Im japanischen Original ist die Reihe umfangreicher, da die Fälle in sich abgeschlossen sind, ist das eher unerheblich. Kosuke Kindaichi fühlt sich gleich angekommen in Onikobe, deshalb hilft der dem alten Dorfvorsteher auch beim Verfassen eines Briefes. Als der ältere Herr, der sich nach dem Versenden des Briefes auf Besuch freute, verschwindet, ist Kosukes Neugier geweckt. Er ist allerdings auch besorgt. Kosuke beginnt, sich über die Vergangenheit und die Beziehungen zwischen den unterschiedlichen Familien in Onikobe Gedanken zu machen.
Mit Kosuke Kindaichi haben wir einen klassischen Ermittler, dessen Erfinder Seishi Yokomizo leider bereits verstorben ist. Die Romane sind daher eher ruhig und der Ermittler muss sich auf seine Beobachtungsgabe, seine Kombinationsgabe und seine geschickte Fragestellung verlassen. Das macht Kindaichi ganz hervorragend. Und das wiederum macht die Lektüre sehr spannend. Gleichzeitig verschlägt es Kosuke Kindaichi häufig in unterschiedliche Gegenden Japans, so dass man beim Lesen auch etwas über die unterschiedlichen Landschaften, aber auch über Sitten, Gebräuche und Legenden erfährt. Auch hier geht es um Beziehungen zwischen den unterschiedlichen Familien, die teils als höhergestellt gelten, teils auch nicht. Wie die Menschen selbst ihre Stellung empfinden führt manchmal zu Handlungen, die dann ungeahnte Konsequenzen haben. Den Verwicklungen zu folgen, macht sich Kosuke Kindaichi zur Aufgabe und damit sind die Berichte des Kommissars sehr unterhaltsam, informativ und fesselnd.
Der Privatdetektiv Kosuke Kindaichi möchte im Sommer 1955 Urlaub machen und sein Freund Kommissar Isokawa empfiehlt ihm ein Badehaus in dem Bergdorf Onikobe. Vielleicht hatte der Kommissar einen kleinen Hintergedanken, denn in Onikobe gab es vor etwas über zwanzig Jahren einen Mord, an dessen Ermittlungen der Kommissar beteiligt war. Mit dem Ergebnis der Ermittlungen hatte er sich nie wohl gefühlt. Er hofft deshalb, dass Kosuke, der als gewiefter Ermittler bekannt ist, nochmal einen neuen Blick auf die Sache wirft. Kurz nach Kosukes Ankunft verschwindet der alte Dorfvorsteher und damit werden die Ereignisse in Gang gesetzt.
Dies ist der fünfte Band der Reihe um den Privatdetektiv Kosuke Kindaichi, der auf Deutsch veröffentlicht wird. Im japanischen Original ist die Reihe umfangreicher, da die Fälle in sich abgeschlossen sind, ist das eher unerheblich. Kosuke Kindaichi fühlt sich gleich angekommen in Onikobe, deshalb hilft der dem alten Dorfvorsteher auch beim Verfassen eines Briefes. Als der ältere Herr, der sich nach dem Versenden des Briefes auf Besuch freute, verschwindet, ist Kosukes Neugier geweckt. Er ist allerdings auch besorgt. Kosuke beginnt, sich über die Vergangenheit und die Beziehungen zwischen den unterschiedlichen Familien in Onikobe Gedanken zu machen.
Mit Kosuke Kindaichi haben wir einen klassischen Ermittler, dessen Erfinder Seishi Yokomizo leider bereits verstorben ist. Die Romane sind daher eher ruhig und der Ermittler muss sich auf seine Beobachtungsgabe, seine Kombinationsgabe und seine geschickte Fragestellung verlassen. Das macht Kindaichi ganz hervorragend. Und das wiederum macht die Lektüre sehr spannend. Gleichzeitig verschlägt es Kosuke Kindaichi häufig in unterschiedliche Gegenden Japans, so dass man beim Lesen auch etwas über die unterschiedlichen Landschaften, aber auch über Sitten, Gebräuche und Legenden erfährt. Auch hier geht es um Beziehungen zwischen den unterschiedlichen Familien, die teils als höhergestellt gelten, teils auch nicht. Wie die Menschen selbst ihre Stellung empfinden führt manchmal zu Handlungen, die dann ungeahnte Konsequenzen haben. Den Verwicklungen zu folgen, macht sich Kosuke Kindaichi zur Aufgabe und damit sind die Berichte des Kommissars sehr unterhaltsam, informativ und fesselnd.
January 13, 2025
read in December during my I want to be alone with my books funk period; recently reread.
like closer to a 4.5; I really enjoyed this one.
full post with absolutely no spoilers here at my reading journal:
http://www.crimesegments.com/2025/01/...
It is no secret how much I have come to love these books. I'd had this one preordered for months once I learned it was going to be published; I already have the next Pushkin Vertigo translation, Murder at the Black Cat Cafe, due out in the fall of this year, on my radar and in my sights. The Little Sparrow Murders is number 49 of 77 in Yokomizo's Kosuke Kindaichi detective series and is the sixth of this author's books to have been published in translation by Pushkin Vertigo. I was also lucky enough to have latched on to a dvd of the film made in 1977, which was not quite as good as the novel, but then again, I expected that.
It's July, 1955 and Kindaichi Kosuke is taking a much-needed rest, and decides that he should go Okayama Prefecture where he'd "developed a fondness for the local people and their ways" after spending time there during a few of his crime-solving adventures. First he stops in to visit with an old friend, Inspector Isokawa in Okayama, who gives him the address of an inn in Onikobe Village, owned by a woman who Isokawa once knew. Evidently, she's had "her fair share of sorrow," since her husband had been murdered some twenty years earlier, and the crime had never been solved. While Kindaichi insists he only wants to rest for a while, he agrees to listen to the inspector about this case, which seems to mean so very much to him. Once in the village, Kindaichi holes up at the Turtle Spring Inn, where he "could quite happily give himself over to idleness without being disturbed by anybody." As he notes, he didn't "feel any particular sense of obligation" to the inspector, but at the same time, he kept his eyes and ears open while "lazing around idly like a cat." Kindaichi's plans for R&R are interrupted, however, with the disappearance (and perhaps murder?) of the elderly Hoan Tatara, a self-described "recluse" and local historian. Any further plans for quiet time will just have to wait -- not too long after Tatara disappears, a young woman is killed in a most horrific way, the first of many to come.
While my favorite of the Kindaichi mysteries so far continues to be The Inugami Clan (it's bizarre beyond belief and firmly in my strange-reading wheelhouse), The Little Sparrow Murders follows closely in second place. The novel is also much more reader friendly than the previous ones, and Bryan Karetnyk's translation made the story flow. I will say that I flipped back and forth between the text and the map that is provided at the beginning of the book any number of times before I finally took a photo and kept it up on my iPad screen to refer to. The provided list of characters soon becames vital as well, because the family relationships are beyond critical to the story.
The Little Sparrow Murders delivers a super murder mystery, while also examining how the past has a powerful impact on the present and delving into social divisions, ritual, customs and the importance of history in this village. It is also a solid puzzle that armchair detectives will appreciate, making for a particularly good whodunit, and I am most happy to admit that I did not guess or even come close to guessing the who here. High marks to this one, and definitely recommended to readers of Japanese crime fiction or to fans of Yokomizo's detective Kindaichi Kosuke. Now I'm not so patiently waiting for the next book.
The movie (in Japanese -- my copy had no subtitles) was also good; the murder scenes would be horror-movie watcher approved, but still not as good as the book.
like closer to a 4.5; I really enjoyed this one.
full post with absolutely no spoilers here at my reading journal:
http://www.crimesegments.com/2025/01/...
It is no secret how much I have come to love these books. I'd had this one preordered for months once I learned it was going to be published; I already have the next Pushkin Vertigo translation, Murder at the Black Cat Cafe, due out in the fall of this year, on my radar and in my sights. The Little Sparrow Murders is number 49 of 77 in Yokomizo's Kosuke Kindaichi detective series and is the sixth of this author's books to have been published in translation by Pushkin Vertigo. I was also lucky enough to have latched on to a dvd of the film made in 1977, which was not quite as good as the novel, but then again, I expected that.
It's July, 1955 and Kindaichi Kosuke is taking a much-needed rest, and decides that he should go Okayama Prefecture where he'd "developed a fondness for the local people and their ways" after spending time there during a few of his crime-solving adventures. First he stops in to visit with an old friend, Inspector Isokawa in Okayama, who gives him the address of an inn in Onikobe Village, owned by a woman who Isokawa once knew. Evidently, she's had "her fair share of sorrow," since her husband had been murdered some twenty years earlier, and the crime had never been solved. While Kindaichi insists he only wants to rest for a while, he agrees to listen to the inspector about this case, which seems to mean so very much to him. Once in the village, Kindaichi holes up at the Turtle Spring Inn, where he "could quite happily give himself over to idleness without being disturbed by anybody." As he notes, he didn't "feel any particular sense of obligation" to the inspector, but at the same time, he kept his eyes and ears open while "lazing around idly like a cat." Kindaichi's plans for R&R are interrupted, however, with the disappearance (and perhaps murder?) of the elderly Hoan Tatara, a self-described "recluse" and local historian. Any further plans for quiet time will just have to wait -- not too long after Tatara disappears, a young woman is killed in a most horrific way, the first of many to come.
While my favorite of the Kindaichi mysteries so far continues to be The Inugami Clan (it's bizarre beyond belief and firmly in my strange-reading wheelhouse), The Little Sparrow Murders follows closely in second place. The novel is also much more reader friendly than the previous ones, and Bryan Karetnyk's translation made the story flow. I will say that I flipped back and forth between the text and the map that is provided at the beginning of the book any number of times before I finally took a photo and kept it up on my iPad screen to refer to. The provided list of characters soon becames vital as well, because the family relationships are beyond critical to the story.
The Little Sparrow Murders delivers a super murder mystery, while also examining how the past has a powerful impact on the present and delving into social divisions, ritual, customs and the importance of history in this village. It is also a solid puzzle that armchair detectives will appreciate, making for a particularly good whodunit, and I am most happy to admit that I did not guess or even come close to guessing the who here. High marks to this one, and definitely recommended to readers of Japanese crime fiction or to fans of Yokomizo's detective Kindaichi Kosuke. Now I'm not so patiently waiting for the next book.
The movie (in Japanese -- my copy had no subtitles) was also good; the murder scenes would be horror-movie watcher approved, but still not as good as the book.
November 14, 2024
I received an ARC from Edelweiss. The version I downloaded has lot of missing letters and badly formatted. Reading this on kindle was a chore. can you figure what these words mean? - eort, gure, dierent, oer, ower, dicult(that's how words with ff, if, ef, fe appeared in the Kindle text) I hope this will be taken care and fixed in the final publication.
Even ignoring these formatting issues, the plot didn't hold my attention. I didn't care who killed whom. There were too many characters. The author helpfully listed them in the beginning of the book, but it didn't help as the text formatting in the ARC was jumbled up.
One thing I noticed in Japanese detective novels is that there are too many policemen. Added to number of victims, suspects all with confusing names (the author messes it further by using first name and last names arbitrarily), it was difficult to track who's who.
I was also disturbed by the way certain characters reacted. I don't know if it is a cultural thing. In the end, when the case is solved, everyone , including the victims' family members start laughing at some joke. I don't know how Kindiachi solved the murders, but everyone was so full of praise for him.
I found the first book interesting, but I think this will the 2nd and last book I would be reading.
Even ignoring these formatting issues, the plot didn't hold my attention. I didn't care who killed whom. There were too many characters. The author helpfully listed them in the beginning of the book, but it didn't help as the text formatting in the ARC was jumbled up.
One thing I noticed in Japanese detective novels is that there are too many policemen. Added to number of victims, suspects all with confusing names (the author messes it further by using first name and last names arbitrarily), it was difficult to track who's who.
I was also disturbed by the way certain characters reacted. I don't know if it is a cultural thing. In the end, when the case is solved, everyone , including the victims' family members start laughing at some joke. I don't know how Kindiachi solved the murders, but everyone was so full of praise for him.
I found the first book interesting, but I think this will the 2nd and last book I would be reading.
September 29, 2024
I enjoyed all of the previous Kindaichi books that have been translated but found this one to be quite weak.
The story itself is quite mundane and I found Kindaichi’s behaviour quite odd. Despite apparently knowing who the culprit was he said nothing and just allowed another couple of murders to take place. In the end the murder reveals themself, at which point everyone tells Kindaichi how great he was for knowing all along. Even though he never said so and didn’t stop the murderer.
Bizarre ending where the detectives all have a good laugh about how much they enjoyed the whole thing.
The story itself is quite mundane and I found Kindaichi’s behaviour quite odd. Despite apparently knowing who the culprit was he said nothing and just allowed another couple of murders to take place. In the end the murder reveals themself, at which point everyone tells Kindaichi how great he was for knowing all along. Even though he never said so and didn’t stop the murderer.
Bizarre ending where the detectives all have a good laugh about how much they enjoyed the whole thing.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
August 9, 2024
2.5 - didn’t really grab
September 29, 2024
This is my first time ever being dissappointed with this series. I have read all five titles preceded this and they were all splendid with the most recent one, The Devil Flute Murders being my favourite. But this one *sigh It just feels draggy and the pace is frustratingly slow. The story only started to pick up around after the second murder happened (around 60% in, roughly).
Yokomizo's writing was usually very descriptively beautiful. The way he conjured images so vivdly to your head or the way he invoked feelings with his words were noticeably absent in this book.
It also felt hurriedly written. The investigation process also seems lackluster. It lacks that certain Kosuke Kindaichi 'kick' to it that makes me feel like it isn't part of the series. If someone change the name of the detectives and pass it off as someone else's work that isn't Yokomizo, I'd believe them in a heartbeat.
I hope this was just a one time thing and the next one will gives us classic Detective Kosuke Kindaichi again because gosh, do I miss him.
Yokomizo's writing was usually very descriptively beautiful. The way he conjured images so vivdly to your head or the way he invoked feelings with his words were noticeably absent in this book.
It also felt hurriedly written. The investigation process also seems lackluster. It lacks that certain Kosuke Kindaichi 'kick' to it that makes me feel like it isn't part of the series. If someone change the name of the detectives and pass it off as someone else's work that isn't Yokomizo, I'd believe them in a heartbeat.
I hope this was just a one time thing and the next one will gives us classic Detective Kosuke Kindaichi again because gosh, do I miss him.
February 18, 2026
I’m starting to think Seishi has an issue with his mother because how many times can the mother be the murderer in a row lol
This one makes sense, even though much to my chagrin, the murderer is the mother again.
Rikas husband went off to another village and got three women pregnant, then Rikas daughter was raised with these three other daughters. Super awkward, and yes, I can see why Rika killed her husband and the daughters (with her own daughter sacrificing herself to take the place of one of the bastard daughters, which is why Rika killed herself at the end.
Honestly, I think the mystery would’ve been better if Rikas daughter was the killer. She had a horrific birthmark and was the ugliest of all four girls. At school, she must’ve been bullied for it, and if these 3 half sisters of her were the bullies, now that would’ve been a better motive.
Instead Rika killed the girls out of jealousy for her daughter (weka motive) and to stop her son from marrying his half sister (slightly better motive).
This one makes sense, even though much to my chagrin, the murderer is the mother again.
Rikas husband went off to another village and got three women pregnant, then Rikas daughter was raised with these three other daughters. Super awkward, and yes, I can see why Rika killed her husband and the daughters (with her own daughter sacrificing herself to take the place of one of the bastard daughters, which is why Rika killed herself at the end.
Honestly, I think the mystery would’ve been better if Rikas daughter was the killer. She had a horrific birthmark and was the ugliest of all four girls. At school, she must’ve been bullied for it, and if these 3 half sisters of her were the bullies, now that would’ve been a better motive.
Instead Rika killed the girls out of jealousy for her daughter (weka motive) and to stop her son from marrying his half sister (slightly better motive).
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
September 28, 2025
So good that I'm gonna read it again in the original Japanese version
December 30, 2025
3.5 stars
June 2, 2024
4.5 round up.
Seishi Yokomizo did it again.
The aftertaste of reading this book is me feeling dumbfounded. I think among all of his works that have been translated so far, this was the one that got me on the level of frustration. Yokomizo once again managed to keep the tension in the air right from the start, scattering some provocal sentences in order to teased his readers and to urged them to keep on guessing what would happen next.
This book worked rather slowly than the previous ones. It feels like the author wanted to built the vibe step by step, in a slow but sure way to the point that I couldn't think of how this and that are connected. I started to think that not every chapter is important, only to be proved wrong, of course. Until a certain point, I still can't figure everything out nor find any important clues or even a faint string that connects everything. I couldn't point out who's the culprit although I had my suspicion. It's not something boring, though. To me, it made me wanted to read more and more, to know what exactly happened. In the end, the revelation shooked me.
Yokomizo always combined the Japanese folklores alongside his mysteries and this book is no exception. A temari song, murders, and mystery, all mixed together spreading fear and hidden malice from the past to both the characters and the readers. No one could escape nor see the terror that lurking in the dark, waiting its time to strike every target. As the 'Agatha Christie' of Japan, Seishi Yokomizo successfully bringing twist and pitiful tragedy once again.
Thank you Edelweiss and Pushkin Press for the DRC.
Seishi Yokomizo did it again.
The aftertaste of reading this book is me feeling dumbfounded. I think among all of his works that have been translated so far, this was the one that got me on the level of frustration. Yokomizo once again managed to keep the tension in the air right from the start, scattering some provocal sentences in order to teased his readers and to urged them to keep on guessing what would happen next.
This book worked rather slowly than the previous ones. It feels like the author wanted to built the vibe step by step, in a slow but sure way to the point that I couldn't think of how this and that are connected. I started to think that not every chapter is important, only to be proved wrong, of course. Until a certain point, I still can't figure everything out nor find any important clues or even a faint string that connects everything. I couldn't point out who's the culprit although I had my suspicion. It's not something boring, though. To me, it made me wanted to read more and more, to know what exactly happened. In the end, the revelation shooked me.
Yokomizo always combined the Japanese folklores alongside his mysteries and this book is no exception. A temari song, murders, and mystery, all mixed together spreading fear and hidden malice from the past to both the characters and the readers. No one could escape nor see the terror that lurking in the dark, waiting its time to strike every target. As the 'Agatha Christie' of Japan, Seishi Yokomizo successfully bringing twist and pitiful tragedy once again.
Thank you Edelweiss and Pushkin Press for the DRC.
September 3, 2024
Welcome to 300 pages of Japanese people drinking Sake like water. Kosuke Kindaichi might be chillest detective I've ever read, and given his job profile, it isn't much of a compliment. Sure, it's pretty laidback and breezy, but what happens when the breeze starts to blow all the tension and suspense away? So much so, that you find yourself wondering, Am I really supposed to care about all this?
May 31, 2025
A late-Golden Age mystery based on a nursery rhyme? Yes, please! It's actually a temari rhyme (roughly the equivalent of a jump rope song), but Yokomizo's Christie influences are clear here, right down to Kindaichi mentioning his "little grey cells." It's the right amount of twisty while still being fair play, and definitely recommended for mystery fans.
October 24, 2024
I found the number of names hard to follow, and the ending pretty unsatisfying. The famous detective just relayed the whole murder after it was over, and I didn’t find any surprises during the unfolding of the book.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
November 19, 2025
বিখ্যাত গোয়েন্দা কোসুকে কিনদাইচির একটু ছুটি দরকার। সমস্ত যান্ত্রিকতা আর ব্যস্ততা থেকে কয়েকটা সপ্তাহ একটু দূরে থেকে শুধু বিশ্রাম নিতে চায় সে। আর সেই কারণে কিনদাইচি খুঁজছে একটা গ্রাম্য এলাকা। পুরোনো বন্ধু পুলিশ ইন্সপেক্টর ইসোকাওয়া তাকে দিলেন ওনিকোবে গ্রামের সন্ধান। পাহাড়ে ঘেরা গ্রামটা আসলেই শান্ত ও নিস্তরঙ্গ। এখানকার অধিবাসীরাও বেশ অতিথিবৎসল ও আন্তরিক স্বভাবের। তবে ইন্সপেক্টর ইসোকাওয়া গোয়েন্দা কিনদাইচিকে এই গ্রামের সন্ধান দেয়ার সাথে সাথে তাকে শোনালেন এমন এক রহস্য মাখানো হৃদয়বিদারক গল্প, যার জন্ম ২০ বছর আগে।
২০ বছর আগে ওনিকোবে গ্রামে একটা খুনের ঘটনা ঘটেছিলো। খু'ন হয়েছিলো ওই গ্রামেরই অধিবাসী গেনজিরো আওইকে নামের এক লোক। গেনজিরোকে খু'নের অভিযোগ উঠেছিলো যে ইকুজো ওনদার বিরুদ্ধে, সে ছিলো বহিরাগত। খু'নি লোকটা খু'ন করার পর পালিয়ে গিয়েছিলো। তাকে আজও ধরা সম্ভব হয়নি। ওই সময় কেসটার দায়িত্ব ছিলো ইন্সপেক্টর ইসোকাওয়ার ওপর। কেসটা নিয়ে আজও তাঁর মনে অনেক খটকা, অনেক প্রশ্ন। হয়তো এই কারণেই কৌশলে তিনি কোসুকে কিনদাইচিকে ওনিকোবে গ্রামে ছুটি কাটানোর পরামর্শ দিলেন।
ইন্সপেক্টর ইসোকাওয়ার পরামর্শে গোয়েন্দা কিনদাইচি যখন ওনিকোবে গ্রামে ছুটি কাটাচ্ছে ঠিক তখনই সেখানে ঘটতে শুরু করলো অস্বাভাবিক কিছু ঘটনা। গ্রামের প্রভাবশালী পরিবারগুলোর মধ্যে খু'নের মতো ভয়ঙ্কর ঘটনা ঘটতে শুরু করলো৷ অতি চতুর এই খু'নি কোন ক্লু-ই যেন রাখছে না। এদিকে খোদ গোয়েন্দা কোসুকে কিনদাইচির নাকের ডগা দিয়ে খু'নগুলো ঘটে যাওয়ায় সে নিজেও অস্থির হয়ে উঠলো রহস্যগুলোর সমাধান বের করার জন্য। কিনদাইচি জোরেশোরে তদন্ত শুরু করলো। তার সাথে যোগ দিলেন ইন্সপেক্টর ইসোকাওয়া আর ডেপুটি ইন্সপেক্টর তাচিবানা। জানা গেলো, খু'নি খু'নগুলো করছে ঐতিহ্যবাহী তেমারি গানের স্তবক অনুসারে।
তদন্ত যতোই এগোতে লাগলো সবকিছু আরো জট পাকিয়ে যেতে লাগলো কোসুকে কিনদাইচির সামনে। গ্রামের প্রভাবশালী পরিবারগুলোর ভেতরে চলা ঠান্ডা স্না'য়ু'যু'দ্ধ, গ্রামের বাতাসে ভেসে বেড়ানো নানা গুজব আর ২০ বছর আগে ঘটে যাওয়া গেনজিরোর খুনের ব্যাপারটা যেন পরিস্থিতি আরো জটিল করে তুললো। গোয়েন্দা কিনদাইচি আর ইন্সপেক্টর ইসোকাওয়া পক্ষে কি শেষমেশ এই সমস্ত রহস্যের জট খোলা সম্ভব হবে?
জাপানের আগাথা ক্রিস্টি হিসেবে পরিচিত লেখক সেইশি ইয়োকোমিজো'র 'দ্য লিটল স্প্যারো মা'র্ডা'র্স' একটা আদর্শ মিস্ট্রি থ্রিলার উপন্যাস। কয়েক বছর আগে আমি তাঁর গোয়েন্দা কোসুকে কিনদাইচি বিষয়ক মিস্ট্রি থ্রিলার 'দ্য হোনজিন মা'র্ডা'র্স' পড়েছিলাম। দীর্ঘ একটা সময় পার করে আবারও তাঁর লেখা পড়ার সুযোগ হলো। ক্লাসিক গোয়েন্দা কাহিনির ধাঁচে লেখা 'দ্য লিটল স্প্যারো মা'র্ডা'র্স'-এর মধ্যে পাঠককে ধরে রাখার মতো সমস্ত প্রয়োজনীয় উপাদানই ছিলো৷
লেখক সেইশি ইয়োকোমিজো তাঁর এই উপন্যাসের ঘটনাগুলোকে দেখিয়েছেন দুটো টাইমলাইনে। একটা হলো ১৯৩২ সাল৷ আরেকটা ৫০-এর দশক। দুটো টাইমলাইনেই তিনি চমৎকারভাবে তুলে ধরেছেন জাপানের গ্রামাঞ্চলগুলোর কৃষ্টি-কালচার আর সমাজব্যবস্থা। শুধু একটা রহস্য উপন্যাস হিসেবে না, বরং আদি জাপানিজ কালচারের একটা গুরুত্বপূর্ণ দলিল হিসেবেও 'দ্য লিটল স্প্যারো মা'র্ডা'র্স' বইটাকে আমি সফল বলবো। বিশেষ করে তৎকালীন জাপানিজ গ্রাম্য সমাজব্যবস্থা আর সংস্কৃতির বেশ কিছু অজানা বিষয় সম্পর্কে জানতে এই বইটা আমাকে বেশ সাহায্য করেছে।
এই উপন্যাসের মূল চালিকাশক্তি ছিলো রহস্য। থিমটা এমনিতেই বেশ ইন্টারেস্টিং। তার ওপর সেইশি ইয়োকোমিজো যেভাবে এটাকে এক্সিকিউট করেছেন তা ছিলো উপভোগ্য। ক্লাসিক রহস্য কাহিনিগুলোর বিল্ড-আপ যেমন হয়, 'দ্য লিটল স্প্যারো মা'র্ডা'র্স'-এর বিল্ড-আপও ছিলো তেমন। খুব ধীরেসুস্থে রহস্যের জট ছাড়াতে দেখা গেছে গোয়েন্দা কোসুকে কিনদাইচিকে। যদিও 'Whodunit'-এর উত্তরটা আমি আগেই কিছুটা আন্দাজ করতে পেরেছিলাম, তারপরও পুরো রহস্যটার আবেদন আমার কাছে আগের মতোই ছিলো। আর এই উপন্যাসের শেষটাও আমার বেশ ভালো লেগেছে।
'দ্য লিটল স্প্যারো মা'র্ডা'র্স'-এর একটা ব্যাপার আমার কাছে আলাদাভাবে ভালো লেগেছে। সেটা হলো, অন্যান্য অনেক রহস্য উপন্যাসের মতো এখানে শুধু মূল গোয়েন্দা চরিত্রের ওপরেই সমস্ত ফোকাসটা রাখা হয়নি। বরং অন্যান্য চরিত্রদেরও উল্লেখযোগ্য কন্ট্রিবিউশন দেখিয়েছেন লেখক সেইশি ইয়োকোমিজো মূল রহস্যটা ক্র্যাক করতে। এই ব্যাপারটা কাহিনিটাকে আরো কিছুটা বাস্তবসম্মত করেছে আমার মতে।
বিমুগ্ধ সরকার রক্তিমের অনুবাদ বরাবরের মতোই চমৎকার লেগেছে আমার। অনেকদিন বাদে উনার অনুবাদ পড়লাম। সবসময় যেমনটা লাগে, তেমনই সুখপাঠ্য ও সাবলীল অনুবাদ। বইয়ের শুরুতে চরিত্রগুলোর নাম, ওনিকোবে গ্রামের ম্যাপ আর গুরুত্বপূর্ণ কিছু টার্মের নির্ঘন্ট যুক্ত করার ব্যাপারটা বেশ সহায়ক ছিলো বইটা পড়ার ক্ষেত্রে। জাওয়াদ উল আলমের করা 'দ্য লিটল স্প্যারো মা'র্ডা'র্স'-এর ভিন্টেজ টাইপ প্রচ্ছদটা ভালো লেগেছে। চিরকুটের প্রোডাকশনও ছিলো বরাবরের মতোই চমৎকার। আগ্রহীরা চাইলে পড়ে ফেলতে পারেন।
ব্যক্তিগত রেটিং: ৩.৭৫/৫
বই: দ্য লিটল স্প্যারো মা'র্ডা'র্স
লেখক: সেইশি ইয়োকোমিজো
অনুবাদ: বিমুগ্ধ সরকার রক্তিম
প্রকাশক: চিরকুট প্রকাশনী
প্রকাশকাল: ফেব্রুয়ারি, ২০২৫
ঘরানা: মিস্ট্রি থ্রিলার
প্রচ্ছদ: জাওয়াদ উল আলম
পৃষ্ঠা: ২৭১
মুদ্রিত মূল্য: ৪৪০ টাকা
ফরম্যাট: হার্ডকভার
(১৯ নভেম্বর, ২০২৫, রাত ০৯ টা ৪৮ মিনিট; নাটোর)
২০ বছর আগে ওনিকোবে গ্রামে একটা খুনের ঘটনা ঘটেছিলো। খু'ন হয়েছিলো ওই গ্রামেরই অধিবাসী গেনজিরো আওইকে নামের এক লোক। গেনজিরোকে খু'নের অভিযোগ উঠেছিলো যে ইকুজো ওনদার বিরুদ্ধে, সে ছিলো বহিরাগত। খু'নি লোকটা খু'ন করার পর পালিয়ে গিয়েছিলো। তাকে আজও ধরা সম্ভব হয়নি। ওই সময় কেসটার দায়িত্ব ছিলো ইন্সপেক্টর ইসোকাওয়ার ওপর। কেসটা নিয়ে আজও তাঁর মনে অনেক খটকা, অনেক প্রশ্ন। হয়তো এই কারণেই কৌশলে তিনি কোসুকে কিনদাইচিকে ওনিকোবে গ্রামে ছুটি কাটানোর পরামর্শ দিলেন।
ইন্সপেক্টর ইসোকাওয়ার পরামর্শে গোয়েন্দা কিনদাইচি যখন ওনিকোবে গ্রামে ছুটি কাটাচ্ছে ঠিক তখনই সেখানে ঘটতে শুরু করলো অস্বাভাবিক কিছু ঘটনা। গ্রামের প্রভাবশালী পরিবারগুলোর মধ্যে খু'নের মতো ভয়ঙ্কর ঘটনা ঘটতে শুরু করলো৷ অতি চতুর এই খু'নি কোন ক্লু-ই যেন রাখছে না। এদিকে খোদ গোয়েন্দা কোসুকে কিনদাইচির নাকের ডগা দিয়ে খু'নগুলো ঘটে যাওয়ায় সে নিজেও অস্থির হয়ে উঠলো রহস্যগুলোর সমাধান বের করার জন্য। কিনদাইচি জোরেশোরে তদন্ত শুরু করলো। তার সাথে যোগ দিলেন ইন্সপেক্টর ইসোকাওয়া আর ডেপুটি ইন্সপেক্টর তাচিবানা। জানা গেলো, খু'নি খু'নগুলো করছে ঐতিহ্যবাহী তেমারি গানের স্তবক অনুসারে।
তদন্ত যতোই এগোতে লাগলো সবকিছু আরো জট পাকিয়ে যেতে লাগলো কোসুকে কিনদাইচির সামনে। গ্রামের প্রভাবশালী পরিবারগুলোর ভেতরে চলা ঠান্ডা স্না'য়ু'যু'দ্ধ, গ্রামের বাতাসে ভেসে বেড়ানো নানা গুজব আর ২০ বছর আগে ঘটে যাওয়া গেনজিরোর খুনের ব্যাপারটা যেন পরিস্থিতি আরো জটিল করে তুললো। গোয়েন্দা কিনদাইচি আর ইন্সপেক্টর ইসোকাওয়া পক্ষে কি শেষমেশ এই সমস্ত রহস্যের জট খোলা সম্ভব হবে?
জাপানের আগাথা ক্রিস্টি হিসেবে পরিচিত লেখক সেইশি ইয়োকোমিজো'র 'দ্য লিটল স্প্যারো মা'র্ডা'র্স' একটা আদর্শ মিস্ট্রি থ্রিলার উপন্যাস। কয়েক বছর আগে আমি তাঁর গোয়েন্দা কোসুকে কিনদাইচি বিষয়ক মিস্ট্রি থ্রিলার 'দ্য হোনজিন মা'র্ডা'র্স' পড়েছিলাম। দীর্ঘ একটা সময় পার করে আবারও তাঁর লেখা পড়ার সুযোগ হলো। ক্লাসিক গোয়েন্দা কাহিনির ধাঁচে লেখা 'দ্য লিটল স্প্যারো মা'র্ডা'র্স'-এর মধ্যে পাঠককে ধরে রাখার মতো সমস্ত প্রয়োজনীয় উপাদানই ছিলো৷
লেখক সেইশি ইয়োকোমিজো তাঁর এই উপন্যাসের ঘটনাগুলোকে দেখিয়েছেন দুটো টাইমলাইনে। একটা হলো ১৯৩২ সাল৷ আরেকটা ৫০-এর দশক। দুটো টাইমলাইনেই তিনি চমৎকারভাবে তুলে ধরেছেন জাপানের গ্রামাঞ্চলগুলোর কৃষ্টি-কালচার আর সমাজব্যবস্থা। শুধু একটা রহস্য উপন্যাস হিসেবে না, বরং আদি জাপানিজ কালচারের একটা গুরুত্বপূর্ণ দলিল হিসেবেও 'দ্য লিটল স্প্যারো মা'র্ডা'র্স' বইটাকে আমি সফল বলবো। বিশেষ করে তৎকালীন জাপানিজ গ্রাম্য সমাজব্যবস্থা আর সংস্কৃতির বেশ কিছু অজানা বিষয় সম্পর্কে জানতে এই বইটা আমাকে বেশ সাহায্য করেছে।
এই উপন্যাসের মূল চালিকাশক্তি ছিলো রহস্য। থিমটা এমনিতেই বেশ ইন্টারেস্টিং। তার ওপর সেইশি ইয়োকোমিজো যেভাবে এটাকে এক্সিকিউট করেছেন তা ছিলো উপভোগ্য। ক্লাসিক রহস্য কাহিনিগুলোর বিল্ড-আপ যেমন হয়, 'দ্য লিটল স্প্যারো মা'র্ডা'র্স'-এর বিল্ড-আপও ছিলো তেমন। খুব ধীরেসুস্থে রহস্যের জট ছাড়াতে দেখা গেছে গোয়েন্দা কোসুকে কিনদাইচিকে। যদিও 'Whodunit'-এর উত্তরটা আমি আগেই কিছুটা আন্দাজ করতে পেরেছিলাম, তারপরও পুরো রহস্যটার আবেদন আমার কাছে আগের মতোই ছিলো। আর এই উপন্যাসের শেষটাও আমার বেশ ভালো লেগেছে।
'দ্য লিটল স্প্যারো মা'র্ডা'র্স'-এর একটা ব্যাপার আমার কাছে আলাদাভাবে ভালো লেগেছে। সেটা হলো, অন্যান্য অনেক রহস্য উপন্যাসের মতো এখানে শুধু মূল গোয়েন্দা চরিত্রের ওপরেই সমস্ত ফোকাসটা রাখা হয়নি। বরং অন্যান্য চরিত্রদেরও উল্লেখযোগ্য কন্ট্রিবিউশন দেখিয়েছেন লেখক সেইশি ইয়োকোমিজো মূল রহস্যটা ক্র্যাক করতে। এই ব্যাপারটা কাহিনিটাকে আরো কিছুটা বাস্তবসম্মত করেছে আমার মতে।
বিমুগ্ধ সরকার রক্তিমের অনুবাদ বরাবরের মতোই চমৎকার লেগেছে আমার। অনেকদিন বাদে উনার অনুবাদ পড়লাম। সবসময় যেমনটা লাগে, তেমনই সুখপাঠ্য ও সাবলীল অনুবাদ। বইয়ের শুরুতে চরিত্রগুলোর নাম, ওনিকোবে গ্রামের ম্যাপ আর গুরুত্বপূর্ণ কিছু টার্মের নির্ঘন্ট যুক্ত করার ব্যাপারটা বেশ সহায়ক ছিলো বইটা পড়ার ক্ষেত্রে। জাওয়াদ উল আলমের করা 'দ্য লিটল স্প্যারো মা'র্ডা'র্স'-এর ভিন্টেজ টাইপ প্রচ্ছদটা ভালো লেগেছে। চিরকুটের প্রোডাকশনও ছিলো বরাবরের মতোই চমৎকার। আগ্রহীরা চাইলে পড়ে ফেলতে পারেন।
ব্যক্তিগত রেটিং: ৩.৭৫/৫
বই: দ্য লিটল স্প্যারো মা'র্ডা'র্স
লেখক: সেইশি ইয়োকোমিজো
অনুবাদ: বিমুগ্ধ সরকার রক্তিম
প্রকাশক: চিরকুট প্রকাশনী
প্রকাশকাল: ফেব্রুয়ারি, ২০২৫
ঘরানা: মিস্ট্রি থ্রিলার
প্রচ্ছদ: জাওয়াদ উল আলম
পৃষ্ঠা: ২৭১
মুদ্রিত মূল্য: ৪৪০ টাকা
ফরম্যাট: হার্ডকভার
(১৯ নভেম্বর, ২০২৫, রাত ০৯ টা ৪৮ মিনিট; নাটোর)
April 2, 2024
Pretty good but I feel like tweaking the structure and focusing on other aspects of the mystery would have made it far more impressive than what it is currently. It is still a really good murder mystery though! Full review to come
February 24, 2026
This book was enjoyable but also too low stakes. I didn’t care for who did it nor was I worried about who may possibly die next and therefore it can only be described as average
July 23, 2024
Interesting gila first part.
July 30, 2024
As usual, it starts with our most legendary detective, the one and only Kosuke Kindaichi, coming to have a peaceful retreat at a remote village called Onikabe, situated right on the border between Hyogo and Oyakama prefectures. What's more interesting is that it was his dear friend, Inspector Isokawa, who suggested this place, which happened to be the site of an unsolved murder case more than twenty years ago.
As a matter of fact, Kindaichi starts to feel comfortable during his retreat, making acquaintances with some of the very important figures in the village and its surrounding area. Then something tragic happens, starting with the vanishing of the village chieftain, Hoan Tatara, followed by a series of gruesome murders.
What's more unpleasant is that not only are the victims bodies eerily arranged to allude to the lyrics of old traditional children's songs from that region, but it also eventually unfolds the unsolved case that happened more than twenty years ago and was handled by Inspector Isokawa. Not to forget the appearance of an old mysterious lady before the murder happened, and I don't know why every time this lady was mentioned in the story, I felt some sort of goosebumps.
As usual, I love how Kindaichi systematically gathers information, asking constructive questions, and how his reasoning towards the mystery kept the reader intrigued by the chapter. Also, how the author brought us through the narrative of the story, event, and related people with a concrete plot is totally remarkable.
What an intense but intriguing read on how the influence of family power, society, revenge, and desires can lead to tragic history, which also turned out to be a series of murders.
Definitely five-star reading for me.
As a matter of fact, Kindaichi starts to feel comfortable during his retreat, making acquaintances with some of the very important figures in the village and its surrounding area. Then something tragic happens, starting with the vanishing of the village chieftain, Hoan Tatara, followed by a series of gruesome murders.
What's more unpleasant is that not only are the victims bodies eerily arranged to allude to the lyrics of old traditional children's songs from that region, but it also eventually unfolds the unsolved case that happened more than twenty years ago and was handled by Inspector Isokawa. Not to forget the appearance of an old mysterious lady before the murder happened, and I don't know why every time this lady was mentioned in the story, I felt some sort of goosebumps.
As usual, I love how Kindaichi systematically gathers information, asking constructive questions, and how his reasoning towards the mystery kept the reader intrigued by the chapter. Also, how the author brought us through the narrative of the story, event, and related people with a concrete plot is totally remarkable.
What an intense but intriguing read on how the influence of family power, society, revenge, and desires can lead to tragic history, which also turned out to be a series of murders.
Definitely five-star reading for me.
August 3, 2024
Interesting cold case that spans across 20 years old, involving 2 big power families that dominate the small village. Detective Kindaichi was supposed to be on his holiday when Inspector Isokawa recommended the Turtle Spring Spa in the remote village of Onikobe, where an unsolved murder happened many years ago. This is another well-crafted mystery thriller by Yokomizo, and this time blending a decades-old murder involving a con man who came to a country village some 20 years earlier with a new series of crimes set against the remote village that is uniquely connected to a children's temari song, which builds up a more eerie atmosphere as the crimes occur during the Obon festival (an annual Japanese holiday that commemorates and remembers deceased ancestors).
"𝙄𝙣 𝙩𝙝𝙚 𝙩𝙧𝙚𝙚𝙨 𝙞𝙣 𝙩𝙝𝙚 𝙜𝙖𝙧𝙙𝙚𝙣 𝙗𝙚𝙝𝙞𝙣𝙙 𝙤𝙪𝙧 𝙝𝙤𝙪𝙨𝙚, 𝙩𝙝𝙧𝙚𝙚 𝙡𝙞𝙩𝙩𝙡𝙚 𝙨𝙥𝙖𝙧𝙧𝙤𝙬𝙨 𝙘𝙖𝙢𝙚 𝙩𝙤 𝙨𝙩𝙖𝙮"
When the bizarre deaths start happening, Kindaichi investigates with a lot of questionable things, such as a mistress that was supposed to be dead years ago starting to come back in the village, a complicated hint, and a huge cast of characters that are quite challenging to follow through. In my opinion, the mysteries are well played due to each chapter being short, and each of them ended with interesting hints that make the suspense thicken. While the pacing is a bit sluggish and a bit slower compared to his previous book, the story did not lose its spookiness and gorgeous charm, especially in the weird scene where the beautiful corpses of girls in full bloom create a moment of death and life but also a gruesome image.
This is not my favorite from Yokomizo; it was enjoyable, but I love The Devil's Flute Murder more. Overall, it's such an intense crime, and as always, I did not know how the story would go, which makes it even more intriguing. Thank you @definitelybooks for the review copy. Giving it 4 ⭐️
"𝙄𝙣 𝙩𝙝𝙚 𝙩𝙧𝙚𝙚𝙨 𝙞𝙣 𝙩𝙝𝙚 𝙜𝙖𝙧𝙙𝙚𝙣 𝙗𝙚𝙝𝙞𝙣𝙙 𝙤𝙪𝙧 𝙝𝙤𝙪𝙨𝙚, 𝙩𝙝𝙧𝙚𝙚 𝙡𝙞𝙩𝙩𝙡𝙚 𝙨𝙥𝙖𝙧𝙧𝙤𝙬𝙨 𝙘𝙖𝙢𝙚 𝙩𝙤 𝙨𝙩𝙖𝙮"
When the bizarre deaths start happening, Kindaichi investigates with a lot of questionable things, such as a mistress that was supposed to be dead years ago starting to come back in the village, a complicated hint, and a huge cast of characters that are quite challenging to follow through. In my opinion, the mysteries are well played due to each chapter being short, and each of them ended with interesting hints that make the suspense thicken. While the pacing is a bit sluggish and a bit slower compared to his previous book, the story did not lose its spookiness and gorgeous charm, especially in the weird scene where the beautiful corpses of girls in full bloom create a moment of death and life but also a gruesome image.
This is not my favorite from Yokomizo; it was enjoyable, but I love The Devil's Flute Murder more. Overall, it's such an intense crime, and as always, I did not know how the story would go, which makes it even more intriguing. Thank you @definitelybooks for the review copy. Giving it 4 ⭐️
Displaying 1 - 30 of 287 reviews