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Murder at Lake Ashinoko
Not yet published
Expected 12 Nov 26A classic mystery from Japan’s Queen of Crime, the Sunday Times bestselling author of Murder at Mount Fuji.
At an elegant hotel on a stormy night, travelling businessman Kohei Daigo meets a shadowy yet captivating woman, Fumiko. Their faces obscured in the darkness, they pass the hours by talking. Until the night takes an unexpected turn, and the strangers make a confession. They both have good reason to want someone dead.
They fantasise about the perfect murder: each one enacting cold-blooded revenge on the other’s enemy, with nothing to tie them to the crime.
In the light of day, Daigo resolves to put the unsettling night behind him. But back home in Fukuoka, he soon receives news of a tragic accident. To his horror, it appears that Fumiko has followed through on her side of their deadly bargain – and now it’s his turn.
Brimming with atmosphere, and with a dark, twisty mystery at its heart, Murder at Lake Ashinoko is the perfect, nostalgic, rediscovered novel for fans of Japanese translated fiction and classic crime.
At an elegant hotel on a stormy night, travelling businessman Kohei Daigo meets a shadowy yet captivating woman, Fumiko. Their faces obscured in the darkness, they pass the hours by talking. Until the night takes an unexpected turn, and the strangers make a confession. They both have good reason to want someone dead.
They fantasise about the perfect murder: each one enacting cold-blooded revenge on the other’s enemy, with nothing to tie them to the crime.
In the light of day, Daigo resolves to put the unsettling night behind him. But back home in Fukuoka, he soon receives news of a tragic accident. To his horror, it appears that Fumiko has followed through on her side of their deadly bargain – and now it’s his turn.
Brimming with atmosphere, and with a dark, twisty mystery at its heart, Murder at Lake Ashinoko is the perfect, nostalgic, rediscovered novel for fans of Japanese translated fiction and classic crime.
256 pages, Paperback
First published April 1, 1978
About the author
Shizuko Natsuki
72 books54 followersShizuko Natsuki (夏樹 静子) was born in Tokyo in 1938. She graduated from Keio University with a degree in English literature. She married in 1963 and moved to Fukuoka, where she has lived since that time with the exception of nine years spent in Nagoya. Natsuki is not only one of Japan’s best-selling mystery writers but also one of the most prolific. She has written more than eighty novels and short-story collections, and more than forty of her novels and stories have been made into films.
Natsuki published her first mystery novel, Tenshi ga kiete iku (the angel has gone), in 1970. The first of her novels to be translated into English was W no higeki (1982; Murder at Mount Fuji, 1984). Several of her short stories have been published in translation in Ellery Queen’s Mystery Magazine. Natsuki’s writing, like that of many other Japanese mystery writers of her generation, often shows the strong influence of well-known mystery writer Seich Matsumoto.
Natsuki published her first mystery novel, Tenshi ga kiete iku (the angel has gone), in 1970. The first of her novels to be translated into English was W no higeki (1982; Murder at Mount Fuji, 1984). Several of her short stories have been published in translation in Ellery Queen’s Mystery Magazine. Natsuki’s writing, like that of many other Japanese mystery writers of her generation, often shows the strong influence of well-known mystery writer Seich Matsumoto.
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Displaying 1 - 18 of 18 reviews
October 14, 2026
I do love a Japanese murder mystery. I bought Murder at Mt Fuji ages ago and haven’t read it yet but after reading Murder at Lake Ashinoko I must change that. The picturesque area in Japan of Hakone is where is where this one is set, in the shadow of the beautiful Mt Fuji. I have been to this part of Japan and loved it so it was nice to be able to picture it all as I was reading this book.
This is a classic book from Japans Agatha Christie. Although the years are not mentioned, it was a time before mobile phones, emails, and all the mod cons that make getting away with murder that much more difficult in today’s world. This is a twist on the “strangers in a train” plot where man meets woman and they discuss the people they want to kill. Soon one of their nemesis are dead and it is time for the second murder to occur.
This was a fun cat and mouse game with the police and the 2 main protagonists.i read this in 2 sittings and ai very much enjoyed it.
Thank you to Random House UK, Cornerstone for my early copy to read on NetGalley. I shall need a copy for my Japanese crime shelves when it is released on November 12th..
This is a classic book from Japans Agatha Christie. Although the years are not mentioned, it was a time before mobile phones, emails, and all the mod cons that make getting away with murder that much more difficult in today’s world. This is a twist on the “strangers in a train” plot where man meets woman and they discuss the people they want to kill. Soon one of their nemesis are dead and it is time for the second murder to occur.
This was a fun cat and mouse game with the police and the 2 main protagonists.i read this in 2 sittings and ai very much enjoyed it.
Thank you to Random House UK, Cornerstone for my early copy to read on NetGalley. I shall need a copy for my Japanese crime shelves when it is released on November 12th..
February 12, 2008
The blurb on the back of this book says that the book "recalls Strangers on a Train..." by Patricia Highsmith, but this one is even more convoluted. If you haven't read the Highsmith book, and you want to see the comparison for yourself, Strangers on a Train is on my list of favorite books I've read in my lifetime. The Third Lady is sort of like this, but with several twists in the story that stay with you all the way until the end.
It all begins with a chance meeting in France between two Japanese people. One is Kohei Daigo, who works as a researcher and has discovered that a certain product that seems to cause cancer that was sent to his lab passed as being safe. Daigo knows, however, that his boss is in bed with the manufacturers & that the lab results are false. The other person is a woman, Fumiko Samejima, who starts talking to Daigo while the two of them are alone together in a small salon in a Paris hotel during a storm which knocked out all of the electricity. It is dark, they cannot see each other, and choose to sit back to back and share secrets. She wants a certain person to die, while he wants his boss to die because of his part in causing several young children to die of cancer. The brief interlude is over quickly and they both go back to their normal lives. Imagine Daigo's surprise when his boss turns up dead. Now he is faced with a dilemma...is the mystery woman the murderer, and if so, does he now owe her?
It will keep you guessing right up to the last, and I didn't get it so I was quite happy. If you like Japanese murder mysteries (not a cozy, so forget it), you'll enjoy this. I love them...they're very twisted and focus a lot of the absence of morality within society so tend to go a bit deeper than what's coming into bookstores nowadays.
It all begins with a chance meeting in France between two Japanese people. One is Kohei Daigo, who works as a researcher and has discovered that a certain product that seems to cause cancer that was sent to his lab passed as being safe. Daigo knows, however, that his boss is in bed with the manufacturers & that the lab results are false. The other person is a woman, Fumiko Samejima, who starts talking to Daigo while the two of them are alone together in a small salon in a Paris hotel during a storm which knocked out all of the electricity. It is dark, they cannot see each other, and choose to sit back to back and share secrets. She wants a certain person to die, while he wants his boss to die because of his part in causing several young children to die of cancer. The brief interlude is over quickly and they both go back to their normal lives. Imagine Daigo's surprise when his boss turns up dead. Now he is faced with a dilemma...is the mystery woman the murderer, and if so, does he now owe her?
It will keep you guessing right up to the last, and I didn't get it so I was quite happy. If you like Japanese murder mysteries (not a cozy, so forget it), you'll enjoy this. I love them...they're very twisted and focus a lot of the absence of morality within society so tend to go a bit deeper than what's coming into bookstores nowadays.
October 14, 2010
Far from his work and family in Japan, Professor Dago is watching an autumn storm from the salon of the Chateau Chantal. But it is only when the power is cut that he becomes aware of a woman, also Japanese, to whose elegant melancholy he is instantly drawn.
Intoxicated by the darkess and his desire, Daigo finds himself sharing a secret that his mysterious partner can equal with a confidence of her own: they both want another person dead. Before he knows it, Daigo has struck a bargain that could separate him from this bewitching woman for ever. And it is a bargain of which he barely understands the half...
"In some respects The Third Lady recalls Strangers on a Train, but in all it is even more harrowing than Patricia Highsmith's tale... an exemplary suspense novel, one the reader will long remember". - Edward Gorman, author f Rough Cut and editor of Mystery Scene.
I liked the book. Japanese, and different type of suspense. I'm fascinated by many things Japanese, but of the suspense books I'd only read previously some books by Natsuo Kirino - this one was far more enjoyable (Kirino is awesome too, but some of the gross parts can be a bit too gross). Daigo is trying to find the mystery lady, and figure what and when he has to do something to keep his side of the bargain. The pace of the book is generally a bit slowish for a thriller but it fits the story as nearly all action and thrill is internal. Natsuki's style is more 'Western' (aka 'less Japanese'). If I find other books by him, I'll definitely read them.
I had two copies of this book (poor memory when book shopping...):
http://www.bookcrossing.com/journal/8...
http://www.bookcrossing.com/journal/8...
Intoxicated by the darkess and his desire, Daigo finds himself sharing a secret that his mysterious partner can equal with a confidence of her own: they both want another person dead. Before he knows it, Daigo has struck a bargain that could separate him from this bewitching woman for ever. And it is a bargain of which he barely understands the half...
"In some respects The Third Lady recalls Strangers on a Train, but in all it is even more harrowing than Patricia Highsmith's tale... an exemplary suspense novel, one the reader will long remember". - Edward Gorman, author f Rough Cut and editor of Mystery Scene.
I liked the book. Japanese, and different type of suspense. I'm fascinated by many things Japanese, but of the suspense books I'd only read previously some books by Natsuo Kirino - this one was far more enjoyable (Kirino is awesome too, but some of the gross parts can be a bit too gross). Daigo is trying to find the mystery lady, and figure what and when he has to do something to keep his side of the bargain. The pace of the book is generally a bit slowish for a thriller but it fits the story as nearly all action and thrill is internal. Natsuki's style is more 'Western' (aka 'less Japanese'). If I find other books by him, I'll definitely read them.
I had two copies of this book (poor memory when book shopping...):
http://www.bookcrossing.com/journal/8...
http://www.bookcrossing.com/journal/8...
Read
June 10, 2026The protagonist suffers from the worst case of thinking with his dick that I've ever seen in murder mystery fiction, but this is a very quick and enjoyable read. Two Japanese people meet in Paris, immediately hit it off and it turns out they both have somebody they want dead. After they go back to Japan, one of the people they discussed is murdered. Looks like somebody might have to return the favor...
Apparently this is getting a new edition with a new title - Murder at Lake Ashinoko - later this year.
Apparently this is getting a new edition with a new title - Murder at Lake Ashinoko - later this year.
March 11, 2019
The writing in this book is so weird. I can't tell if it's the author or the translator. It's the opposite of "don't tell, show". There will be a few lines of dialog, and then several paragraphs of description of what led up to that encounter. For examples, two characters meet to discuss a murder. They speak two or three lines each and then follows two pages of "X had done this and Y had gone there and X had called this person, but maybe Y was not the right person so he had done something else." It's really hard to describe-and hard to show because I'd have to enter hundreds of lines of text.
Also, it isn't really a mystery. We know who does what (mostly) and when. I think it wants to be a psychological study of the main character, but he's kind of a doofus who takes certain actions he hopes will get him what he wants, but his motivations and assumptions are poorly thought out. He's hard to take seriously as a tragic figure because he's so selfish, but he's also hard to accept as a villain, even though he does villainous things, because he's such a dolt. And the backstory that propels the relationship between Daigo and Fumiko, especially his, is kind of silly.
It could have been written as a mystery, where even though the reader kind of knows what's happening, the clues the police find could have been spun out selectively so that we are solving the crime along with them. As it was, however, it's a lot of, "The Inspector assumed [x] and so he had made several phone calls and confirmed his suspicions and then he had observed [something] and then later he had found a certain clue at the scene that led him to think differently, so he had made some more phone calls, etc, etc." We could have been shown him find the clue at the scene and been left to speculate what it meant rather than being told it had happened several days after it was found.
That all said, the resolution/twist was acceptable, although I might have handled it differently. This is not a great book, but almost worth reading so you can see what I mean about the writing style. Other than that, don't bother.
Also, it isn't really a mystery. We know who does what (mostly) and when. I think it wants to be a psychological study of the main character, but he's kind of a doofus who takes certain actions he hopes will get him what he wants, but his motivations and assumptions are poorly thought out. He's hard to take seriously as a tragic figure because he's so selfish, but he's also hard to accept as a villain, even though he does villainous things, because he's such a dolt. And the backstory that propels the relationship between Daigo and Fumiko, especially his, is kind of silly.
It could have been written as a mystery, where even though the reader kind of knows what's happening, the clues the police find could have been spun out selectively so that we are solving the crime along with them. As it was, however, it's a lot of, "The Inspector assumed [x] and so he had made several phone calls and confirmed his suspicions and then he had observed [something] and then later he had found a certain clue at the scene that led him to think differently, so he had made some more phone calls, etc, etc." We could have been shown him find the clue at the scene and been left to speculate what it meant rather than being told it had happened several days after it was found.
That all said, the resolution/twist was acceptable, although I might have handled it differently. This is not a great book, but almost worth reading so you can see what I mean about the writing style. Other than that, don't bother.
November 16, 2018
This was my second Shizuko Natsuki novel that I have recently read. The other was murder on mt. Fuji. Both were a bit disappointing. A bit pulpy and full of fluff. Perhaps geared towards younger readers and hardcore mystery and YA pop fiction enthusiasts. For a mature, and a more complex and twisted plot, I would recommend the writings of her contemporary Masako Togawa.
Review of advance copy
Murder at Lake Ashinoko, by Shizuko Natsuki, translated by Robert B. Rohmer
Just finished this book an hour or so again and really wanted to get a review up straight away. Having recently enjoyed her other English translation, Murder at Mt Fuji, I was looking forward to this book, which comes out in November with Cornerstone.
The story starts in a hotel bar on a stormy night in France, when businessman Kohei Daigo meets a mysterious woman, Fumiko, just as the lights go out.
The two have a drink, confess their most sinister feelings about wanting someone dead, and then their goodbyes. All of this happens without the two of them seeing each other's faces or talking about their personal lives.
Upon returning home to Fukuoka, Daigo tries to carry on as normal. But when news of a death reaches him, he realises Fumiko has carried out her end of the deal.
Does this mean it's his turn? Is he about to commit murder for a woman he wouldn't even recognise?
What I loved about this book is how atmospheric it is. There's so much tension woven into each part of the story, from the stormy nights to the police knocking on doors.
There are many characters in the book, but I don't feel like I need more or less from them. Daigo, Fumiko and their closest are interesting, curious characters who are well developed throughout and I feel like that was enough for me.
I really enjoyed how the story unfolded. It definitely sped up towards the end and I couldn't put it down for the last 100 pages. I'd highly recommend this book for a cosy mystery, perfect for a dark, rainy afternoon on the sofa, or to read over Halloween.
In case you didn't know, Shizuko Natsuki is dubbed The Agatha Christie of Japan (and also Japan's Queen of Crime), and I can totally see why. The writing, crimes and unravelling of the mysteries are very similar.
Shizuko Natsuki (夏樹 静子) was born in Tokyo in 1938, obtained a degree in English Literature from Keio University and spent most of her life in Fukuoka and Nagoya. During her lifetime, she wrote more than 80 novels and short stories and received many awards for them. AND 40 of her stories have been developed for TV.
Just finished this book an hour or so again and really wanted to get a review up straight away. Having recently enjoyed her other English translation, Murder at Mt Fuji, I was looking forward to this book, which comes out in November with Cornerstone.
The story starts in a hotel bar on a stormy night in France, when businessman Kohei Daigo meets a mysterious woman, Fumiko, just as the lights go out.
The two have a drink, confess their most sinister feelings about wanting someone dead, and then their goodbyes. All of this happens without the two of them seeing each other's faces or talking about their personal lives.
Upon returning home to Fukuoka, Daigo tries to carry on as normal. But when news of a death reaches him, he realises Fumiko has carried out her end of the deal.
Does this mean it's his turn? Is he about to commit murder for a woman he wouldn't even recognise?
What I loved about this book is how atmospheric it is. There's so much tension woven into each part of the story, from the stormy nights to the police knocking on doors.
There are many characters in the book, but I don't feel like I need more or less from them. Daigo, Fumiko and their closest are interesting, curious characters who are well developed throughout and I feel like that was enough for me.
I really enjoyed how the story unfolded. It definitely sped up towards the end and I couldn't put it down for the last 100 pages. I'd highly recommend this book for a cosy mystery, perfect for a dark, rainy afternoon on the sofa, or to read over Halloween.
In case you didn't know, Shizuko Natsuki is dubbed The Agatha Christie of Japan (and also Japan's Queen of Crime), and I can totally see why. The writing, crimes and unravelling of the mysteries are very similar.
Shizuko Natsuki (夏樹 静子) was born in Tokyo in 1938, obtained a degree in English Literature from Keio University and spent most of her life in Fukuoka and Nagoya. During her lifetime, she wrote more than 80 novels and short stories and received many awards for them. AND 40 of her stories have been developed for TV.
October 15, 2026
I’m fascinated by Japanese crime fiction, particularly the way it explores societal pressures and the darker corners of human psychology. There’s nothing cozy about these stories. The tension comes from what people are capable of and how they justify it to themselves.
Murder at Lake Ashinoko is a perfect example. With its inverted mystery structure, the crime and the apparent perpetrator are revealed early on. The suspense lies in watching the characters react, unravel, and navigate the consequences.
The premise had me hooked: two strangers meet during a storm and develop a dark, mutual fascination, eventually forming a cross-murder pact to eliminate each other’s enemies.
What follows is a slow burn. There’s little explosive action, but the tension builds steadily. You think you know where things are heading, yet you can’t stop turning the pages. I devoured it in two days and loved every minute. And that twist before the end? Oh, I really didn’t see it coming! The final stretch brings twists, turns and psychological turmoil that made me rethink everything that came before. For me, that’s where the book’s brilliance really shines.
I highly recommend this to fans of the genre or anyone curious about Japanese crime fiction. It’s so, so good.
Big thanks to Random House UK | Cornerstone for the gifted ARC.
Murder at Lake Ashinoko is a perfect example. With its inverted mystery structure, the crime and the apparent perpetrator are revealed early on. The suspense lies in watching the characters react, unravel, and navigate the consequences.
The premise had me hooked: two strangers meet during a storm and develop a dark, mutual fascination, eventually forming a cross-murder pact to eliminate each other’s enemies.
What follows is a slow burn. There’s little explosive action, but the tension builds steadily. You think you know where things are heading, yet you can’t stop turning the pages. I devoured it in two days and loved every minute. And that twist before the end? Oh, I really didn’t see it coming! The final stretch brings twists, turns and psychological turmoil that made me rethink everything that came before. For me, that’s where the book’s brilliance really shines.
I highly recommend this to fans of the genre or anyone curious about Japanese crime fiction. It’s so, so good.
Big thanks to Random House UK | Cornerstone for the gifted ARC.
Review of advance copy received from NetGalley
I have been reading Japanese translated mysteries for a while, but haven’t come across books by Shizuko Natsuki before.
I enjoyed reading Murder at Lake Ashinoko by Shizuko Natsuki. It definitely had the vibe of Strangers on a Train. In this case, the protagonists Kohei Daigo and Fumiko meet on a stormy night in a hotel in France, during a power cut plunged into darkness they both confess that they would like to see someone dead.
Daigo returns to his job at the university in Fukuoka in Japan. Time passes and the tenured Professor in his department is found dead. Has Fumiko followed through on the "exchange" murders?
The book is mainly from the perspective of Daigo, as he navigates the situation he finds himself. He is an academic and it becomes clear that he is quite out of his depth. There are some twists and turns along the way, which I enjoyed. I would certainly read another book by Shizuko Natsuki.
Huge thanks to NetGalley and the publishers, Random House UK, Cornerstone, for making this e-ARC available to me in exchange for a fair and honest review.
I enjoyed reading Murder at Lake Ashinoko by Shizuko Natsuki. It definitely had the vibe of Strangers on a Train. In this case, the protagonists Kohei Daigo and Fumiko meet on a stormy night in a hotel in France, during a power cut plunged into darkness they both confess that they would like to see someone dead.
Daigo returns to his job at the university in Fukuoka in Japan. Time passes and the tenured Professor in his department is found dead. Has Fumiko followed through on the "exchange" murders?
The book is mainly from the perspective of Daigo, as he navigates the situation he finds himself. He is an academic and it becomes clear that he is quite out of his depth. There are some twists and turns along the way, which I enjoyed. I would certainly read another book by Shizuko Natsuki.
Huge thanks to NetGalley and the publishers, Random House UK, Cornerstone, for making this e-ARC available to me in exchange for a fair and honest review.
Review of advance copy received from Publisher
Shizuko Natsuki was a Japanese mystery novelist from 1950s. I enjoyed the author’s Murder at Mt Fuji earlier this year, so I was really excited to know that another book was translated into English.
I actually enjoyed this one more than Mt Fuji. Mt fuji was entertaining but the plot wand twist were a little silly with too many insufferable characters. I thought this book built the suspense better gradually and the plot was simpler but more memorable. I am satisfied with the ending as well.
Mainluy told by the protagonist pov with occasional shifts to surrounding characters. I thought it was handled smoothly and didn’t feel off. I have not read the original japanese so hard to say about the translation, but it didn’t feel awkward to me at all.
I think the middle part dragged a little, but all in all an enjoyable read I finished in two days!
4/5 🌟
I actually enjoyed this one more than Mt Fuji. Mt fuji was entertaining but the plot wand twist were a little silly with too many insufferable characters. I thought this book built the suspense better gradually and the plot was simpler but more memorable. I am satisfied with the ending as well.
Mainluy told by the protagonist pov with occasional shifts to surrounding characters. I thought it was handled smoothly and didn’t feel off. I have not read the original japanese so hard to say about the translation, but it didn’t feel awkward to me at all.
I think the middle part dragged a little, but all in all an enjoyable read I finished in two days!
4/5 🌟
Review of advance copy received from Netgalley
I am grateful to have received an ARC from Netgallery.
A chance meeting, a discussion over the one person in the world they each think should die. A roller coaster of twisty turns.
I much enjoyed the writing style and the plot. And the ending....but you will have to read the book to see what I mean.
A chance meeting, a discussion over the one person in the world they each think should die. A roller coaster of twisty turns.
I much enjoyed the writing style and the plot. And the ending....but you will have to read the book to see what I mean.
November 21, 2017
I read to the end to find out who was who. The problem I had was that I felt the English translation was a problem or that some times the characters were not right. I wouldn't seek out another of these books.
March 6, 2024
Der Schreibstil ist schon ziemlich "alt" und ich habe auch das Gefühl, dass die Übersetzung an vielen Stellen die Geschichte nicht unterstützt, sondern noch weniger spannend macht. Ansonsten ein klassisches Murder Mystery.
June 11, 2025
Twisty twisty 😍
July 6, 2026
dude just had to stop thinking with his dick :/
October 8, 2026
Half a star off because this does have a bit of a slow start and I wondered if I was even going to finish it, but the reveal was so worth it and so dark.
February 14, 2013
Had to read another one by "Japan's most popular mystery writer". A slightly dated book, and I did guess the solution early on, but interesting nonetheless. Japan really does have a different aesthetic for their mysteries, and it shows here. The psychological suspense is more important that the "whodunnit", and the solution feels just like a melancholy haiku composed while viewing a transitory flower.
September 1, 2012
I enjoyed reading it, but nothing special.
Displaying 1 - 18 of 18 reviews