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Detective Kosuke Kindaichi #2.5
La locanda del Gatto nero
In un distretto di Tokyo, diventato nel dopoguerra «un pullulare di commerci clandestini», un bonzo del vicino tempio buddista è sorpreso a scavare spasmodicamente nel giardino della Locanda del Gatto nero. Dalla terra affiora un cadavere di donna. È una giovane evidentemente legata agli affari più o meno equivoci del locale ma ha il volto devastato e nessuno può riconoscerla. La polizia si concentra con poca fantasia sugli intrighi adulterini dei due proprietari dell’esercizio, i coniugi Itojima. Il marito sarebbe l’assassino della moglie in complicità con l’amante. Ma alcuni colpi di scena sconvolgono questa ricostruzione. È a questo punto che entra in scena il detective Kindaichi Kōsuke, trasandato, irritante, balbuziente, infallibile: e tutto quanto, da puzzle inestricabile, diventa narrazione coerente.
Spiega l’autore, nella cornice del romanzo – in cui immagina che proprio il detective gli abbia consegnato i documenti per la storia da scrivere – che La locanda del Gatto nero è un thriller del genere del «delitto senza volto». Infatti Yokomizo Seishi è stato il popolarissimo traghettatore nella cultura giapponese della detective story di scuola occidentale; e capace di saldare questa solida tradizione con le paure ataviche e il gusto horror tipici della sua terra. Kindaichi, poliziotto privato giapponese dalla eccentrica personalità e un talento per i misteri irrisolvibili, è esemplare in patria quanto Maigret in Europa.
Spiega l’autore, nella cornice del romanzo – in cui immagina che proprio il detective gli abbia consegnato i documenti per la storia da scrivere – che La locanda del Gatto nero è un thriller del genere del «delitto senza volto». Infatti Yokomizo Seishi è stato il popolarissimo traghettatore nella cultura giapponese della detective story di scuola occidentale; e capace di saldare questa solida tradizione con le paure ataviche e il gusto horror tipici della sua terra. Kindaichi, poliziotto privato giapponese dalla eccentrica personalità e un talento per i misteri irrisolvibili, è esemplare in patria quanto Maigret in Europa.
160 pages, Paperback
First published January 1, 1947
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About the author
Seishi Yokomizo
237 books768 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).
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 512 reviews
December 1, 2025
Murder at the Black Cat Café - 4/5
Detective Kindaichi reminisces about his “faceless corpse” case with the author of his books. The author then lets us read the story he wrote, inspired by said case.
As for the story itself, a policeman comes across a monk digging behind the Black Cat Café, a brothel that just got a new owner. The monk screams in surprise. There’s a body buried there. And apart from the human body, there’s also the body of a black cat.
Since this is a novella rather than a full novel, the setting in particular feels much smaller. The setting is a small neighborhood in post-war Tokyo, with a lot of the buildings being burned out ruins. The story itself is short but solid. More complex than you’d think at first sight.
Why did the Well Wheel Creak? – 2,5/5
An epistolary short story that ends with newspaper articles explaining what happened. The beginning feels like a chore to get through as it crams so much boring information about the families in one chapter. Thankfully, the story gets better after the first chapter. Though once pulled out of a story, it’s hard to pull me back in.
Detective Kindaichi reminisces about his “faceless corpse” case with the author of his books. The author then lets us read the story he wrote, inspired by said case.
As for the story itself, a policeman comes across a monk digging behind the Black Cat Café, a brothel that just got a new owner. The monk screams in surprise. There’s a body buried there. And apart from the human body, there’s also the body of a black cat.
Since this is a novella rather than a full novel, the setting in particular feels much smaller. The setting is a small neighborhood in post-war Tokyo, with a lot of the buildings being burned out ruins. The story itself is short but solid. More complex than you’d think at first sight.
Why did the Well Wheel Creak? – 2,5/5
An epistolary short story that ends with newspaper articles explaining what happened. The beginning feels like a chore to get through as it crams so much boring information about the families in one chapter. Thankfully, the story gets better after the first chapter. Though once pulled out of a story, it’s hard to pull me back in.
July 9, 2025
(thank you pushkin press and netgalley for the arc in exchange for an honest review)
‘Murder at the Black Cat Café’ is the seventh title in the Detective Kosuke Kindaichi series in order of translation. It is a collection of two stories that both had me point to my screen, grinning like a banshee while resentfully muttering, “You tricked me!”
In the first story, the titular Murder at the Black Cat Café, behind the Black Cat Café, a police officer on patrol discovers someone digging up the soil, only to find the decomposing body of a woman and a dead black cat by her side. Her identity cannot be confirmed but once the former owners (who suddenly sold their café) are investigated, the police start untangling a messy story of love, jealousy and betrayal.
The second story, Why Did The Well Wheel Creak?, is a murder case told in the form of newspaper articles and letters between the main characters, the Honiden family.
I thoroughly enjoyed these two stories, the first especially. (Mainly because our beloved Kosuke is present) I especially love how they made a fool out of me. My update at the 30% was: This must have been mind-blowing in 1947 but I've read way too many mysteries to not have already figured this out😅 only for my expectations to be completely shattered at the 50% mark: I would like to apologise to Seishi Yokomizo. Turns out, I did not guess that correctly💀 Oh the hubris I displayed.
I can’t wait for the next one!
I cannot help recalling that fusty old saying: that truth is stranger than fiction.
‘Murder at the Black Cat Café’ is the seventh title in the Detective Kosuke Kindaichi series in order of translation. It is a collection of two stories that both had me point to my screen, grinning like a banshee while resentfully muttering, “You tricked me!”
In the first story, the titular Murder at the Black Cat Café, behind the Black Cat Café, a police officer on patrol discovers someone digging up the soil, only to find the decomposing body of a woman and a dead black cat by her side. Her identity cannot be confirmed but once the former owners (who suddenly sold their café) are investigated, the police start untangling a messy story of love, jealousy and betrayal.
The second story, Why Did The Well Wheel Creak?, is a murder case told in the form of newspaper articles and letters between the main characters, the Honiden family.
I thoroughly enjoyed these two stories, the first especially. (Mainly because our beloved Kosuke is present) I especially love how they made a fool out of me. My update at the 30% was: This must have been mind-blowing in 1947 but I've read way too many mysteries to not have already figured this out😅 only for my expectations to be completely shattered at the 50% mark: I would like to apologise to Seishi Yokomizo. Turns out, I did not guess that correctly💀 Oh the hubris I displayed.
I can’t wait for the next one!
October 16, 2023
Un breve giallo scritto veramente molto bene, anche se di Yokomizo Seishi ho preferito Il detective Kindaichi. Resta comunque una lettura piacevole e che cattura, con una trama molto arzigogolata (tanto che per alcuni passaggi avrei forse preferito maggiore chiarezza).
July 4, 2025
1.5
Roughly 15% of the titular story is a long-winded preamble about mystery tropes that's completely unnecessary. There's an awkward set-up where the narrator was an author whose only connection to the world is being told the story by a detective. Wouldn't it be easier to just tell the story rather than have this author shoehorned into it? There's such limited time to grab a reader's attention and this excruciating prologue just... didn't...
The actual story is really telling-heavy and linear. The writing was stilted with little to choose between any of the characters. There's a lot of repetition and meandering. Because the heavy-handed prologue gives the tropes away, there was very little mystery to the events of the story because they'd already told us what was going to happen! The police work was unconvincing (relying almost entirely on hearsay) and the resolution was just ridiculous. As was the rationale for killing the black cat. The author was trying to pull a 'gotcha' and it felt so forced, like a really clunky magic show finale. Then, we have to sit through the whole thing again as a character tells the entire story from beginning to end!
How can a story that's 135 pages be so overwritten and stuffed with so much padding? I get this is likely a product of its time (1947) but I'm not sure this mystery does what it sets out to do in 2025... not without much more stringent editing.
There's a second story that makes up about 40% of the page count that follows the same format: a long and obvious road to an underwhelming end.
This title was available to review from Pushkin Vertigo on NetGalley.
Roughly 15% of the titular story is a long-winded preamble about mystery tropes that's completely unnecessary. There's an awkward set-up where the narrator was an author whose only connection to the world is being told the story by a detective. Wouldn't it be easier to just tell the story rather than have this author shoehorned into it? There's such limited time to grab a reader's attention and this excruciating prologue just... didn't...
The actual story is really telling-heavy and linear. The writing was stilted with little to choose between any of the characters. There's a lot of repetition and meandering. Because the heavy-handed prologue gives the tropes away, there was very little mystery to the events of the story because they'd already told us what was going to happen! The police work was unconvincing (relying almost entirely on hearsay) and the resolution was just ridiculous. As was the rationale for killing the black cat. The author was trying to pull a 'gotcha' and it felt so forced, like a really clunky magic show finale. Then, we have to sit through the whole thing again as a character tells the entire story from beginning to end!
How can a story that's 135 pages be so overwritten and stuffed with so much padding? I get this is likely a product of its time (1947) but I'm not sure this mystery does what it sets out to do in 2025... not without much more stringent editing.
There's a second story that makes up about 40% of the page count that follows the same format: a long and obvious road to an underwhelming end.
This title was available to review from Pushkin Vertigo on NetGalley.
November 25, 2020
Questo romanzo giallo è scritto molto bene, mi piace la penna dell'autore.
La trama è carina, si legge volentieri in circa una giornata.
Riassumendo: trama 3/5 e stile di scrittura 5/5.
Lo consiglio a chi volesse leggere un romanzo breve ma "di buona compagnia".
La trama è carina, si legge volentieri in circa una giornata.
Riassumendo: trama 3/5 e stile di scrittura 5/5.
Lo consiglio a chi volesse leggere un romanzo breve ma "di buona compagnia".
January 4, 2021
Nei romanzi di Seishi Yokomizo (e questo è il secondo che leggo, dopo “Il detective Kindaichi”), gialli di stampo classico che richiamano le trame machiavelliche di quelli di John Dickson Carr, l’atmosfera è sempre così squisitamente giapponese.
Squisitamente giapponese.
Le strade di campagna, i campi incolti, i ryokan con le stanze in legno, le locande semideserte, le ville con i shoji e i tatami, i piccoli e graziosi giardinetti…ogni dettaglio dei luoghi in cui la vicenda è ambientata contribuisce a creare un fascino del tutto particolare, minimal, molto orientale, quasi bonariamente kitsch, che in nessun altro giallo classico si può trovare. Anche il detective Kindaichi Kosuke, trasandato, balbuziente, poco brillante, è una figura così diversa da quella dei maestri di Carr che, con le loro epiche entrate in scena, i loro dialoghi mirati e i loro infiniti discorsi lungimiranti, risultavano a loro modo personaggi indimenticabili, tanto carismatici e tanto incisivi. Eppure anche qui Kindaichi alla fine, come un Deus Ex Machina, pare spuntare dall’ombra e risolve in un baleno l’enigma al centro del romanzo. E’ solo che chi è abituato ai gialli della camera chiusa occidentali si troverà di certo un po’ spaesato, diviso tra un senso di squisitezza e uno di spaesamento. Per me, ripeto, squisitezza.
Diverso è il discorso della trama, che più gialla classica non si può. Qui si gioca, tra l’altro, con un elemento ben noto al lettore di gialli classici occidentali, quello dello scambio d’identità, del doppio, che confonde il lettore ma che in realtà vuole essere, nella mente di chi scrive, un gioco molto semplice.
Dove casca Seishi, dunque? Nella risoluzione del caso, che risulta troppo, troppo confusionaria, più che nel romanzo precedente. E alla fine quello che nella sua mente voleva essere semplice diventa complicato in quella del lettore, il quale si ritrova a porsi una serie di domande soprattutto sul movente di chi uccide chi. Troppa macchinazione, troppa. Anche se alla fine lo sforzo di fare un “sunto” su quanto è accaduto, tramite la bocca del personaggio, si sente. Avrei preferito più semplicità, più chiarezza per un romanzo poi tanto breve e tanto piacevole.
In definitiva un gradino sotto “Il detective Kindaichi”, apprezzabile da chi ama già tanto il genere ma di certo non imperdibile (e non consigliabile) per chi vi si accosta.
Squisitamente giapponese.
Le strade di campagna, i campi incolti, i ryokan con le stanze in legno, le locande semideserte, le ville con i shoji e i tatami, i piccoli e graziosi giardinetti…ogni dettaglio dei luoghi in cui la vicenda è ambientata contribuisce a creare un fascino del tutto particolare, minimal, molto orientale, quasi bonariamente kitsch, che in nessun altro giallo classico si può trovare. Anche il detective Kindaichi Kosuke, trasandato, balbuziente, poco brillante, è una figura così diversa da quella dei maestri di Carr che, con le loro epiche entrate in scena, i loro dialoghi mirati e i loro infiniti discorsi lungimiranti, risultavano a loro modo personaggi indimenticabili, tanto carismatici e tanto incisivi. Eppure anche qui Kindaichi alla fine, come un Deus Ex Machina, pare spuntare dall’ombra e risolve in un baleno l’enigma al centro del romanzo. E’ solo che chi è abituato ai gialli della camera chiusa occidentali si troverà di certo un po’ spaesato, diviso tra un senso di squisitezza e uno di spaesamento. Per me, ripeto, squisitezza.
Diverso è il discorso della trama, che più gialla classica non si può. Qui si gioca, tra l’altro, con un elemento ben noto al lettore di gialli classici occidentali, quello dello scambio d’identità, del doppio, che confonde il lettore ma che in realtà vuole essere, nella mente di chi scrive, un gioco molto semplice.
Dove casca Seishi, dunque? Nella risoluzione del caso, che risulta troppo, troppo confusionaria, più che nel romanzo precedente. E alla fine quello che nella sua mente voleva essere semplice diventa complicato in quella del lettore, il quale si ritrova a porsi una serie di domande soprattutto sul movente di chi uccide chi. Troppa macchinazione, troppa. Anche se alla fine lo sforzo di fare un “sunto” su quanto è accaduto, tramite la bocca del personaggio, si sente. Avrei preferito più semplicità, più chiarezza per un romanzo poi tanto breve e tanto piacevole.
In definitiva un gradino sotto “Il detective Kindaichi”, apprezzabile da chi ama già tanto il genere ma di certo non imperdibile (e non consigliabile) per chi vi si accosta.
May 24, 2025
Another Seishi Yokomizo's book to be added to the list of Japanese murder mysteries! I love how simple the premise is but so much doubts and intriguing mysteries behind these crimes. Murder at the Black Cat Cafe is not a single novel but rather a novella with one short story in the book. Opening up with the introduction of our narrator as an author that received an interesting case from the man himself, Kosuke Kindaichi, the first story Murder at the black cat cafe took place right after the incident of Honjin Murders. We get to know how our author unexpectedly meet with Kindaichi since he has been writing the case and the detective got curious and meet the author. One particular question was raised in this meet up is the fact that locked room murder mystery was a staple in most novels but what about the "faceless corpse" case where one person get killed by another but turned out the victim and the murderer is the other way round. Kindaichi did gave the narrator a similar case to this and its what happened in The Black Cat Cafe.
If u expected a direct murder mystery, think again since this one is more than that. Its both clever, cruel and twisted. The plot moves fast since this is a short one so we get the reveal and the background quickly. Oh yeah, there is a black cat but dang, this one was quite violent in nature of the descriptions of the murder.
The second story, When you hear the wheel creak is another murder mystery but involve a family drama what I loved the most when it comes to Yokomizo's murder mystery. There are the usual family affairs, strained relationship, doubts and interesting dynamic between each member. This one is written in letter form, an exchange between a younger sister to her sickly brother in sanatorium as she chronicled the mystery of her older brother return from the war. I love this one a lot cuz it gave you the sense of foreboding and urgency with each letter mainly come from the younger sister as she told the stories. A pretty sad ending, very tragic and one that gets me everytime I read on this family drama because nothing good will happen to them and only heartbreak and suffering. This gave us more glimpses into Seishi Yokomizo's flairs of writing stories not featuring Kosuke Kindaichi as the detective to solve the murder case
Overall, I love this sort of prelude or interlude to other novels which gave you more context on the stories to come.
Thank you to Pushkin Vertigo and Edelweiss for the review copy
If u expected a direct murder mystery, think again since this one is more than that. Its both clever, cruel and twisted. The plot moves fast since this is a short one so we get the reveal and the background quickly. Oh yeah, there is a black cat but dang, this one was quite violent in nature of the descriptions of the murder.
The second story, When you hear the wheel creak is another murder mystery but involve a family drama what I loved the most when it comes to Yokomizo's murder mystery. There are the usual family affairs, strained relationship, doubts and interesting dynamic between each member. This one is written in letter form, an exchange between a younger sister to her sickly brother in sanatorium as she chronicled the mystery of her older brother return from the war. I love this one a lot cuz it gave you the sense of foreboding and urgency with each letter mainly come from the younger sister as she told the stories. A pretty sad ending, very tragic and one that gets me everytime I read on this family drama because nothing good will happen to them and only heartbreak and suffering. This gave us more glimpses into Seishi Yokomizo's flairs of writing stories not featuring Kosuke Kindaichi as the detective to solve the murder case
Overall, I love this sort of prelude or interlude to other novels which gave you more context on the stories to come.
Thank you to Pushkin Vertigo and Edelweiss for the review copy
October 9, 2025
So many random names and objects thrown into every sentence made it difficult to follow and disrupted the flow of the story.
There were some fascinating moments and twists that I appreciated but again, I found it almost too wordy.
If I didn’t need this for book club I would’ve DNF’d
There were some fascinating moments and twists that I appreciated but again, I found it almost too wordy.
If I didn’t need this for book club I would’ve DNF’d
June 13, 2025
I received a review copy of this book from Pushkin Press via Edelweiss for which my thanks.
The latest to be translated (by Bryan Karetnyk) of the detective novels by Japanese author Seishi Yokomizo and featuring his detective Kindaichi Kosuke, this is the fourth of his I’ve read (I missed the first two when they came out and bumped this one over the previous one I have waiting on the TBR). First published in 1971 and in this version in 2025, it wasn’t clear from the description that this book has two stories, one around novella length and the other slightly shorter and it is only the first, the titular Murder at the Black Cat Café, which involves a cat.
Murder at the Black Cat Café is set, as is the case with the other Kindaichi stories I’ve read so far in the years just following World War II, and its impact is felt in the characters and places. But it is also different in that it opens with a ‘letter from Kindaichi’ received by our author/narrator who inserts himself into the book as Kindaichi’s chronicler rather than a Watson. So while he isn’t present during any investigations, he writes about them, initially without Kindaichi’s knowledge but once he receives his approval (how this happens we see in the story), with Kindaichi’s involvement in the form of forwarding relevant papers and information to put together the account. Also, somewhat reminiscent of John Dickson Carr, the book starts off with a brief reflection on types of mysteries and their usual solutions with the author wanting very much to write about a ‘faceless corpse’ story. While with Kindaichi, he gets this chance, the outcome is not quite typical.
The book is also different from the usual Kindaichi stories in that it has fewer characters and less complications but that said, the puzzle is by no means any easier to solve, though Kindaichi seems to do so with ease. The setting is a small place outside the Tokyo Metropolitan railway’s ring where the Black Cat Café, run by the Itojimas (husband Daigo and wife Oshige, the latter always dressed in a kimono with a distinctive icho gaeshi or inverted Ginko leaf hairstyle), is among a set of slightly sordid establishments. The Itojimas have apparently sold the business and while it is being renovated by the new owner, a police constable on patrol one night catches someone digging at the back of the café. This turns out to be a monk from the Renge-In temple close by and what he’s uncovered is the faceless corpse of a woman who’s clearly been dead some time. Not only that there’s also the body of a black cat, killed rather brutally but before the police can identify it as the café’s cat, a black cat with yellow eyes appears on the scene, very much alive.
Who is the woman who’s been murdered and who is the cat and why were they killed? There seem no easy answers though the Itojimas who seem to have sold the café somewhat suddenly and left, had far from simple lives—as murky as the place they were running. Having been in China during the war, the story of their return and of the time up to their taking over the café has many complications during which Daigo Itojima had acquired a mistress and Oshige a patron. The police speak to the girls who worked at the café, workers undertaking the renovation, and others around and seem to come upon a solution, but suddenly that too is turned on its head. Kindaichi (I won’t say how he becomes involved) has the answers and delivers the proof too.
The mystery here was one with its fair share of twists and surprises and I enjoyed how Kindaichi both solves it as well as presents it theoretically as an example of the faceless corpse case but one that doesn’t follow the rules. The black cat of the title does certainly have a role: partly it was of the kind I find hard to handle being a victim of murder and that too, ruthlessly done, but also presenting a puzzle as to why and what connection it had with the woman’s death and with the other black cat that is alive and well. Not perhaps the strongest as far as Reading the Meow is concerned but still, I think an acceptable entry.
A few words too on the non-cat-ty second short story: Why Did the Well Wheel Creek? This was a more typical Kindaichi story in a remote setting with complicated family and village dynamics and plenty of twists in the mystery. The Honiden family is at the centre of the narrative, having turned wealthy, at times at the expense of others through moneylending among other avenues. One of the patriarchs, Daizaburo, has both a legitimate son, Daisuke and illegitimate Goichi who are almost identical (one difference alone setting them apart), their looks only altered off and on by circumstances—Daisuke easy living and Goichi working hard in the fields. Gochi has a half-sister O’Rin while Daisuke later a younger brother Shinchi and sister Tsuriyo who becomes the narrator for part of the story through letters written to Shinchi who is at a sanitorium.
Things get complicated in the village and for the family with the commencement of the war where Daisuke and Goichi are both serving. While families that had left the village begin to return because of the war and old differences are raised once again, Daisuke’s return in an injured state ends up causing confusion rather than relief. The atmosphere gets increasingly tense, not helped by incidents in the village and in the Honiden home, and ultimately death strikes. But answers here are not very simple. Kindaichi reaches the answer but almost simultaneously with it coming to light of its own.
In Murder at the Black Cat Café, we thus have two very readable and twisty stories, a little less complex than usual on account of length but still packed with surprises as well as a sense of the period. The black cat has a part to play, even if not significant, the answer to the puzzle of its killing linking in with the other murder!
The latest to be translated (by Bryan Karetnyk) of the detective novels by Japanese author Seishi Yokomizo and featuring his detective Kindaichi Kosuke, this is the fourth of his I’ve read (I missed the first two when they came out and bumped this one over the previous one I have waiting on the TBR). First published in 1971 and in this version in 2025, it wasn’t clear from the description that this book has two stories, one around novella length and the other slightly shorter and it is only the first, the titular Murder at the Black Cat Café, which involves a cat.
Murder at the Black Cat Café is set, as is the case with the other Kindaichi stories I’ve read so far in the years just following World War II, and its impact is felt in the characters and places. But it is also different in that it opens with a ‘letter from Kindaichi’ received by our author/narrator who inserts himself into the book as Kindaichi’s chronicler rather than a Watson. So while he isn’t present during any investigations, he writes about them, initially without Kindaichi’s knowledge but once he receives his approval (how this happens we see in the story), with Kindaichi’s involvement in the form of forwarding relevant papers and information to put together the account. Also, somewhat reminiscent of John Dickson Carr, the book starts off with a brief reflection on types of mysteries and their usual solutions with the author wanting very much to write about a ‘faceless corpse’ story. While with Kindaichi, he gets this chance, the outcome is not quite typical.
The book is also different from the usual Kindaichi stories in that it has fewer characters and less complications but that said, the puzzle is by no means any easier to solve, though Kindaichi seems to do so with ease. The setting is a small place outside the Tokyo Metropolitan railway’s ring where the Black Cat Café, run by the Itojimas (husband Daigo and wife Oshige, the latter always dressed in a kimono with a distinctive icho gaeshi or inverted Ginko leaf hairstyle), is among a set of slightly sordid establishments. The Itojimas have apparently sold the business and while it is being renovated by the new owner, a police constable on patrol one night catches someone digging at the back of the café. This turns out to be a monk from the Renge-In temple close by and what he’s uncovered is the faceless corpse of a woman who’s clearly been dead some time. Not only that there’s also the body of a black cat, killed rather brutally but before the police can identify it as the café’s cat, a black cat with yellow eyes appears on the scene, very much alive.
Who is the woman who’s been murdered and who is the cat and why were they killed? There seem no easy answers though the Itojimas who seem to have sold the café somewhat suddenly and left, had far from simple lives—as murky as the place they were running. Having been in China during the war, the story of their return and of the time up to their taking over the café has many complications during which Daigo Itojima had acquired a mistress and Oshige a patron. The police speak to the girls who worked at the café, workers undertaking the renovation, and others around and seem to come upon a solution, but suddenly that too is turned on its head. Kindaichi (I won’t say how he becomes involved) has the answers and delivers the proof too.
The mystery here was one with its fair share of twists and surprises and I enjoyed how Kindaichi both solves it as well as presents it theoretically as an example of the faceless corpse case but one that doesn’t follow the rules. The black cat of the title does certainly have a role: partly it was of the kind I find hard to handle being a victim of murder and that too, ruthlessly done, but also presenting a puzzle as to why and what connection it had with the woman’s death and with the other black cat that is alive and well. Not perhaps the strongest as far as Reading the Meow is concerned but still, I think an acceptable entry.
A few words too on the non-cat-ty second short story: Why Did the Well Wheel Creek? This was a more typical Kindaichi story in a remote setting with complicated family and village dynamics and plenty of twists in the mystery. The Honiden family is at the centre of the narrative, having turned wealthy, at times at the expense of others through moneylending among other avenues. One of the patriarchs, Daizaburo, has both a legitimate son, Daisuke and illegitimate Goichi who are almost identical (one difference alone setting them apart), their looks only altered off and on by circumstances—Daisuke easy living and Goichi working hard in the fields. Gochi has a half-sister O’Rin while Daisuke later a younger brother Shinchi and sister Tsuriyo who becomes the narrator for part of the story through letters written to Shinchi who is at a sanitorium.
Things get complicated in the village and for the family with the commencement of the war where Daisuke and Goichi are both serving. While families that had left the village begin to return because of the war and old differences are raised once again, Daisuke’s return in an injured state ends up causing confusion rather than relief. The atmosphere gets increasingly tense, not helped by incidents in the village and in the Honiden home, and ultimately death strikes. But answers here are not very simple. Kindaichi reaches the answer but almost simultaneously with it coming to light of its own.
In Murder at the Black Cat Café, we thus have two very readable and twisty stories, a little less complex than usual on account of length but still packed with surprises as well as a sense of the period. The black cat has a part to play, even if not significant, the answer to the puzzle of its killing linking in with the other murder!
May 23, 2020
Sono ignorantissima in materia di giallo, ma le storie del detective Kindaichi sono sempre succosissime. In questa seconda avventura pubblicata da Sellerio e tradotta impeccabilmente da Francesco Vitucci, oltre allo splendido lavoro sul contesto storico, che fa da potente sfondo alle vicende, la parte più gustosa è la volontà dell'autore di presentarsi a carte scoperte e di lanciare una sfida diretta al lettore: ecco a te le regole del gioco, con tutti i suoi luoghi comuni e le sue caratteristiche fondanti ben descritte, nero su bianco. Riuscirai a sfruttarle per sconfiggermi e risolvere il caso prima che ti fornisca la soluzione nell'epilogo? La storia scorre liscia come un ingranaggio complicatissimo, ma oliato alla perfezione. E io non vedo l'ora di incontrare di nuovo il buffo detective balbuziente che affronta ogni delitto come un rompicapo da decostruire in poche mosse sotto allo sguardo incredulo di tutti i presenti.
January 22, 2022
Bravo Yokomizo eh, ma davvero, e poi bravo anche a Francesco Vitucci che si sbatte a tradurre impeccabilmente le novelle del detective Kindaichi per noi che non sappiamo il giapponese. La locanda del Gatto nero è un giallo dall'impianto iperclassico - del resto non è una roba scritta ieri - meno weird e meno inquietante rispetto alle cose di Ranpo Edogawa, in cui l'autore, in un gioco metaletterario in cui riceve il materiale su cui scrivere direttamente dal suo personaggio, si ingegna per tirare fuori un meccanismo cervellotico per far fare la figura da Sherlock a Kindaichi, elementare, no? Ammetto che alla fine di romanzi del genere mi viene un po' mal di testa, e qualche domanduccia ancora ce l'avrei (secondo me funziona un po' meglio Il detective Kindaichi, il primo della serie), anche se l'atmosfera funziona piuttosto bene e si arriva alla fine che manco ci se ne accorge. Bene così.
Read
March 17, 2025Mam nadzieję, że wybudzą mnie po kolonoskopii, bo inaczej opuszczę ten świat mega rozczarowana ostatnim przekładem Yokomizo
August 15, 2025
Murder at the Black Cat Cafe is a Kosuke Kendaichi case which is, as Kendaichi himself says, a faceless corpse murder with a twist.
A man is found in the grounds of the deserted Black Cat Cafe digging. When a body is exhumed it is clear that it is a young woman but who? The owners decamped months before having sold the cafe and land. They've been seen since. So who is the mystery woman.
The local police have their suspicions - in fact several theories crop up before another character calls in Kendaichi to solve the mystery.
This first story is a typical Kendaichi mystery where he seems to do very little before he unravels a case but he's always so goodnatured about showing up the cops that they all like him.
My copy had a second story which echoes the first, in that it is also a "faceless" corpse mystery. Kendaichi does not appear in it and I did get a bit lost, at times, trying to work out all the characters but it was enjoyable all the same.
You always know what you're getting with the master, Seishi Yokomizo. Plots are invariably complicated with lots of characters but he sticks to a winning mystery novel formula after twisting it to breaking point.
If youve read Yokomizo before you'll love this but any fan of classic mysteries (especially Japanese ones) will enjoy Black Cat.
Thankyou to Netgalley and Pushkin Vertigo for the advance review copy.
A man is found in the grounds of the deserted Black Cat Cafe digging. When a body is exhumed it is clear that it is a young woman but who? The owners decamped months before having sold the cafe and land. They've been seen since. So who is the mystery woman.
The local police have their suspicions - in fact several theories crop up before another character calls in Kendaichi to solve the mystery.
This first story is a typical Kendaichi mystery where he seems to do very little before he unravels a case but he's always so goodnatured about showing up the cops that they all like him.
My copy had a second story which echoes the first, in that it is also a "faceless" corpse mystery. Kendaichi does not appear in it and I did get a bit lost, at times, trying to work out all the characters but it was enjoyable all the same.
You always know what you're getting with the master, Seishi Yokomizo. Plots are invariably complicated with lots of characters but he sticks to a winning mystery novel formula after twisting it to breaking point.
If youve read Yokomizo before you'll love this but any fan of classic mysteries (especially Japanese ones) will enjoy Black Cat.
Thankyou to Netgalley and Pushkin Vertigo for the advance review copy.
October 24, 2025
The story is simpler and more straightforward than his other works I’ve read, maybe because this time it’s two short stories. But the plot? Sooo good! It’s unmistakably Seishi Yokomizo
Thoughts still brewing; full review to come.
Thoughts still brewing; full review to come.
September 14, 2025
BAM! SO GOOD! Totally hits my soft spot for the Mystery Genre!
Now I’m going to do my best to write this an in a voice that doesn’t take on the tone of me having believed to have just discovered Seishi Yokomizo. Of course, discovering this author, as an individual, brings me great joy! Well, I’m a certainly keep in mind that compared to Japan, where over 55 million copies of Yokomizo’s books have sold during his life (1902-81), I am dreadfully late. With that context in mind, I must say this is the most fun I’ve had with the murder mystery since I first read Hercule Poirot. I know I have some Agatha Kristy fan mutuals on Goodreads, so please go check this out! However, I will preface that I read this without realizing that it was the seventh in this detective series. I was lucky that, similar to some Hercule Poirot and some Sherlock Holmes, it didn’t seem to damping the magnificence of the plot. Boy! Does Yokomizo know how to build an atmosphere! I loved the mechanism of the story being told by an author, who is reconstructing the mystery based off of correspondence between himself and the detective, Kosuke Kindaichi. Multiple methods of distracting, or redirecting the readers attention or used, and they all felt clever and witty, as opposed to underhanded or unfair. I think this really speaks to Yokomizo’s ability as a yarn spinner. It is equally nice to find that Kindaichi is a unique character. Maybe this is because Yokomizo and Christie were writing at the same time, but Kindaichi avoids any tacky clicheness of Sherlock Holmes mimics. I found the setting and plot to be gripping, and extra inclusion of a second mystery in the ladder. Haq was superb! This is a great author to check out as we’re nearing October! I genuinely felt spooked at moments, but in a manner perfectly within the mystery genre without straying into horror. Five stars, with special recommendation to my fellow mystery connoisseurs!
Now I’m going to do my best to write this an in a voice that doesn’t take on the tone of me having believed to have just discovered Seishi Yokomizo. Of course, discovering this author, as an individual, brings me great joy! Well, I’m a certainly keep in mind that compared to Japan, where over 55 million copies of Yokomizo’s books have sold during his life (1902-81), I am dreadfully late. With that context in mind, I must say this is the most fun I’ve had with the murder mystery since I first read Hercule Poirot. I know I have some Agatha Kristy fan mutuals on Goodreads, so please go check this out! However, I will preface that I read this without realizing that it was the seventh in this detective series. I was lucky that, similar to some Hercule Poirot and some Sherlock Holmes, it didn’t seem to damping the magnificence of the plot. Boy! Does Yokomizo know how to build an atmosphere! I loved the mechanism of the story being told by an author, who is reconstructing the mystery based off of correspondence between himself and the detective, Kosuke Kindaichi. Multiple methods of distracting, or redirecting the readers attention or used, and they all felt clever and witty, as opposed to underhanded or unfair. I think this really speaks to Yokomizo’s ability as a yarn spinner. It is equally nice to find that Kindaichi is a unique character. Maybe this is because Yokomizo and Christie were writing at the same time, but Kindaichi avoids any tacky clicheness of Sherlock Holmes mimics. I found the setting and plot to be gripping, and extra inclusion of a second mystery in the ladder. Haq was superb! This is a great author to check out as we’re nearing October! I genuinely felt spooked at moments, but in a manner perfectly within the mystery genre without straying into horror. Five stars, with special recommendation to my fellow mystery connoisseurs!
September 16, 2025
This book actually carries two stories, and both left me with different impressions.
The first, Murder at the Black Cat Café, begins when a police officer stumbles upon someone digging near the café, unearthing the decomposed body of a woman with a black cat by her side. Once the café’s former owners are investigated, a tangled web of love, jealousy, and betrayal begins to unravel. While the twists and turns kept me interested, I found the investigative process less engaging. Personally, I enjoy mysteries where I can follow the detective’s reasoning step by step, rather than having facts conveniently revealed. Still, it was a solid read.
The second story, Why Did the Well Wheel Creek?, was the one I enjoyed more. It had a chilling, eerie atmosphere that really worked for me. The story follows two half-brothers, born just a month apart: Daisuke, born into the wealthy Honiden family, and Goichi, the product of an illicit affair who grew up in hardship, harboring deep resentment toward his brother. Though their upbringings were worlds apart, they grew to look strikingly alike, except for their eyes. When Daisuke returns from military service blind and seemingly changed, events spiral into murder and mystery. Told through letters written by Daisuke’s sister, the format gave it a unique feel. While I figured out the twist fairly early (maybe from reading too many mysteries 😅), I still found it fascinating.
Overall, this was a very enjoyable collection, different in tone, but both stories carried that Yokomizo eeriness I love.
The first, Murder at the Black Cat Café, begins when a police officer stumbles upon someone digging near the café, unearthing the decomposed body of a woman with a black cat by her side. Once the café’s former owners are investigated, a tangled web of love, jealousy, and betrayal begins to unravel. While the twists and turns kept me interested, I found the investigative process less engaging. Personally, I enjoy mysteries where I can follow the detective’s reasoning step by step, rather than having facts conveniently revealed. Still, it was a solid read.
The second story, Why Did the Well Wheel Creek?, was the one I enjoyed more. It had a chilling, eerie atmosphere that really worked for me. The story follows two half-brothers, born just a month apart: Daisuke, born into the wealthy Honiden family, and Goichi, the product of an illicit affair who grew up in hardship, harboring deep resentment toward his brother. Though their upbringings were worlds apart, they grew to look strikingly alike, except for their eyes. When Daisuke returns from military service blind and seemingly changed, events spiral into murder and mystery. Told through letters written by Daisuke’s sister, the format gave it a unique feel. While I figured out the twist fairly early (maybe from reading too many mysteries 😅), I still found it fascinating.
Overall, this was a very enjoyable collection, different in tone, but both stories carried that Yokomizo eeriness I love.
July 8, 2025
Thank you to NetGalley and Pushkin Vertigo for the ARC of the English translation of this book!
This was a n interesting reaf - it was much dryer than I anticipated. It reads more like a newspaper article than a work of creative writing. Kindaichi is endearing, a sort of Japenese Hercules Poirot, but no one character was developed enough for me to care very much.
I'm not sure what passed for thriller in 1947, but I'm surprised by how... normal the first crime was? I know True Crime wasn't really a genre, but given the proximity to WWII, its hard to believe that there wasn't more creativity when it came to imagining crime scenarios.
The baked in misogyny is honestly funny - they really said "Oh, he's having an affair? His wife must have killed his girlfriend! Oh... the girlfriend is alive and the wife is missing and there is a witness to the husband digging a human sized hole? THE GIRLFRIEND DID IT!" Like... excuse me?
That beind said, I didn't expect the twist. it was enjoyable as a short story but I feel like I will forget it shortly.
The second story was much more interesting to me, but there was a shock factor involved that made it memorable. The letter format was more enjoyable.
Either way, this book suffers from telling us, not showing us, the details of the story.
As far as the translation goes, it was perfectly understandable to me and a job well done.
P. 136 has a formatting issue where the graphic cuts off the top half of the first sentence.
This was a n interesting reaf - it was much dryer than I anticipated. It reads more like a newspaper article than a work of creative writing. Kindaichi is endearing, a sort of Japenese Hercules Poirot, but no one character was developed enough for me to care very much.
I'm not sure what passed for thriller in 1947, but I'm surprised by how... normal the first crime was? I know True Crime wasn't really a genre, but given the proximity to WWII, its hard to believe that there wasn't more creativity when it came to imagining crime scenarios.
The baked in misogyny is honestly funny - they really said "Oh, he's having an affair? His wife must have killed his girlfriend! Oh... the girlfriend is alive and the wife is missing and there is a witness to the husband digging a human sized hole? THE GIRLFRIEND DID IT!" Like... excuse me?
That beind said, I didn't expect the twist. it was enjoyable as a short story but I feel like I will forget it shortly.
The second story was much more interesting to me, but there was a shock factor involved that made it memorable. The letter format was more enjoyable.
Either way, this book suffers from telling us, not showing us, the details of the story.
As far as the translation goes, it was perfectly understandable to me and a job well done.
P. 136 has a formatting issue where the graphic cuts off the top half of the first sentence.
August 4, 2025
Thank you NetGalley and Pushkin Vertigo for this ARC in exchange for an honest review!
Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️✨️ (3.25/5)
Murder at the Black Cat Café is composed of two short stories, with the first one giving the book its title.
The writing is impeccable, elegant yet accessible, and it truly immerses you in post-war Japan. Even though I had little prior knowledge of the era, I felt completely transported. It’s an atmospheric and vivid read, perfect for a cold and rainy autumn night curled up with a blanket.
The first story is fast-paced and framed as a recollection: a writer narrates a crime that has already happened. At first, I thought the solution was going to be a bit too straightforward… but I was completely caught off guard by the final twist! Yokomizo really knows how to play with reader expectations.
The second story is told through letters and newspaper clippings, offering a different tone and structure. While shorter and less intricate than the first, it still carries that classic mystery feel.
Overall, this is a short but compelling collection. Atmospheric, clever, and perfect for fans of classic whodunits with a Japanese twist. Perfect to read in one sitting!!
Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️✨️ (3.25/5)
Murder at the Black Cat Café is composed of two short stories, with the first one giving the book its title.
The writing is impeccable, elegant yet accessible, and it truly immerses you in post-war Japan. Even though I had little prior knowledge of the era, I felt completely transported. It’s an atmospheric and vivid read, perfect for a cold and rainy autumn night curled up with a blanket.
The first story is fast-paced and framed as a recollection: a writer narrates a crime that has already happened. At first, I thought the solution was going to be a bit too straightforward… but I was completely caught off guard by the final twist! Yokomizo really knows how to play with reader expectations.
The second story is told through letters and newspaper clippings, offering a different tone and structure. While shorter and less intricate than the first, it still carries that classic mystery feel.
Overall, this is a short but compelling collection. Atmospheric, clever, and perfect for fans of classic whodunits with a Japanese twist. Perfect to read in one sitting!!
January 29, 2022
Più un racconto breve che un romanzo, centrato sul caso di scuola del cadavere sfigurato. Molti gli echi di Dickson Carr, specialmente nelle lunghe spiegazioni accademiche: peccato che il plot sia un po' sfilacciato e il patto con il lettore venga tradito in gran parte (le informazioni più importanti vengono celate fino a 3/4 della trama e poi svelate nella ricostruzione dell'omicidio). Il colpo di scena sul finale riscatta parzialmente la debolezza della prova. Restano intatte, invece, le atmosfere del Giappone del dopoguerra e la simpatia dell'investigatore.
Tre stelle piene.
Tre stelle piene.
July 14, 2022
Definito il Simenon giapponese, leggo questo romanzo giallo di Seishi Yokomizo trovato per caso in biblioteca. Il caso è particolare: si trova il cadavere di una donna senza testa, e subito si pensa che ad ucciderla forse sia stato il marito, proprietario della locanda del gatto nero. Ma il detective protagonista non è convinto di questa messinscena e inizia a scavare nel passato della coppia dei gestori, scoprendo sorprendenti verità.
Un bel giallo, da leggere in spiaggia.
Un bel giallo, da leggere in spiaggia.
July 17, 2025
A murder takes place at the Black Cat Cafe and detective Kosuke Kindaichi investigates it. However, the victim’s face is completely disfigured which makes the investigation much harder.
I liked the short chapters, the twists and turns and the messiness of the characters’ relationships.
I read this book very rapidly and would recommend it to anyone that wants a quick whodunnit read.
Thanks to NetGalley for a copy of this book.
I liked the short chapters, the twists and turns and the messiness of the characters’ relationships.
I read this book very rapidly and would recommend it to anyone that wants a quick whodunnit read.
Thanks to NetGalley for a copy of this book.
January 13, 2024
Una storia piacevole anche se un po' arzigogolata! Una trama "gialla" molto classica dove i personaggi non sono ben delineati.
November 5, 2025
Thank you Netgalley and Pushkin Vertigo for a free copy of this book.
Murder at the Black Cat Cafe by Seishi Yokomizo is a collection that offers a distinctly mixed reading experience. This book, featuring two separate mysteries, feels almost like two different entities bound together under a single cover. The contrast between the two stories is so pronounced that it leaves a lasting impression of both satisfaction and disappointment.
The first story is an exceptional piece of detective fiction. It embodies everything a reader could want from a classic whodunnit. The setting is perfectly crafted, a closed circle of suspects where each character feels fully realized and possesses plausible motives. The narrative is meticulously plotted, with clues carefully placed for the astute reader to find. The resolution is not only clever but also feels earned. The plot twist is nicely done, providing that delightful jolt of surprise that comes from a puzzle fairly presented yet brilliantly concealed. As a devoted fan of cozy murder mysteries, and with a particular fondness for the unique atmosphere of Japanese ones, I found this first tale to be a absolute delight. It was a masterfully executed mystery that held my attention completely from the first page to its final, revealing paragraph.
This strong beginning, however, makes the second story's shortcomings all the more apparent. I did not enjoy it. Where the first story was tight and engaging, the second felt meandering and less focused. The central puzzle lacked the same intricate construction, and the solution felt more straightforward and far less surprising. The characters did not capture my interest in the same way, and the pacing seemed to drag in several places. It was a struggle to maintain the same level of engagement I had so freely given to the first mystery. This second tale lacked the charm and the intellectual challenge that defines the cozy mystery genre for me.
Ultimately, this book presents a difficult recommendation. The first story is so strong and so well executed that it is easily worth the time for any enthusiast of classic detective fiction. It stands as a brilliant example of Seishi Yokomizo's talent. Yet, the following story is a letdown, a noticeable dip in quality that disrupts the overall enjoyment of the book. You are left with the memory of a fantastic mystery tempered by the experience of a mediocre one. For the sake of that excellent first story, I would suggest giving this collection a read, but I would also advise tempering your expectations for the second.
Murder at the Black Cat Cafe by Seishi Yokomizo is a collection that offers a distinctly mixed reading experience. This book, featuring two separate mysteries, feels almost like two different entities bound together under a single cover. The contrast between the two stories is so pronounced that it leaves a lasting impression of both satisfaction and disappointment.
The first story is an exceptional piece of detective fiction. It embodies everything a reader could want from a classic whodunnit. The setting is perfectly crafted, a closed circle of suspects where each character feels fully realized and possesses plausible motives. The narrative is meticulously plotted, with clues carefully placed for the astute reader to find. The resolution is not only clever but also feels earned. The plot twist is nicely done, providing that delightful jolt of surprise that comes from a puzzle fairly presented yet brilliantly concealed. As a devoted fan of cozy murder mysteries, and with a particular fondness for the unique atmosphere of Japanese ones, I found this first tale to be a absolute delight. It was a masterfully executed mystery that held my attention completely from the first page to its final, revealing paragraph.
This strong beginning, however, makes the second story's shortcomings all the more apparent. I did not enjoy it. Where the first story was tight and engaging, the second felt meandering and less focused. The central puzzle lacked the same intricate construction, and the solution felt more straightforward and far less surprising. The characters did not capture my interest in the same way, and the pacing seemed to drag in several places. It was a struggle to maintain the same level of engagement I had so freely given to the first mystery. This second tale lacked the charm and the intellectual challenge that defines the cozy mystery genre for me.
Ultimately, this book presents a difficult recommendation. The first story is so strong and so well executed that it is easily worth the time for any enthusiast of classic detective fiction. It stands as a brilliant example of Seishi Yokomizo's talent. Yet, the following story is a letdown, a noticeable dip in quality that disrupts the overall enjoyment of the book. You are left with the memory of a fantastic mystery tempered by the experience of a mediocre one. For the sake of that excellent first story, I would suggest giving this collection a read, but I would also advise tempering your expectations for the second.
September 29, 2025
Over the last few years, Pushkin Press have been publishing Seishi Yokomizo’s Kosuke Kindaichi mysteries in new English translations. This is the latest, but I found it different from the previous ones in several ways.
First, where the other books are full-length novels, Murder at the Black Cat Cafe is a novella (this edition also includes another short story, Why Did the Well Wheel Creak?, to make the book more substantial). Yokomizo’s detective, Kosuke Kindaichi, plays a prominent role in the first story, but a very small one in the second – in fact, I wouldn’t really call that one a Kindaichi mystery at all as he only appears right at the end. Both stories belong to the type Yokomizo refers to in the prologue as ‘faceless corpse’ mysteries – in other words, where the murder victim has had their face destroyed so they can’t be identified.
The other main difference is in the setting. Usually the Kindaichi mysteries are set in rural Japan – a small village, a country house, a remote island – but Murder at the Black Cat Cafe has a city setting: Tokyo’s red-light district, an area known as the Pink Labyrinth. First published in 1947, the story takes place just after the war and begins with a policeman on patrol discovering the faceless body of a woman in the garden of the Black Cat Cafe, an establishment owned until very recently by the Itojimas, who have just sold it and moved away. Beside the corpse is the body of a black cat, which has also been killed. It’s assumed that the cat is the famous mascot of the Cafe – until the Cafe’s black cat emerges alive and well. Where did the other cat come from and who is the dead woman?
I enjoyed the post-war urban setting, but with the second story, Why Did the Well Wheel Creak?, we are back on more familiar ground with a family living in a remote village. The patriarch, Daizaburo, has two sons – one legitimate and one illegitimate – who are almost identical apart from their eyes. When both young men go to war and only one returns alive, having lost both eyes, questions begin to be asked. Is this man who he says he is or could he be pretending to be his brother?
Both of these stories, then, feature mistaken or stolen identities and people who may or may not be impostors and both have enough twists and turns to keep the reader guessing until the truth is revealed. The first one was probably the stronger mystery, but I did enjoy the second one as well and liked the way the story unfolded through letters sent from a sister to her brother. I’m already looking forward to the next Kindaichi book, She Walks at Night, coming next year.
First, where the other books are full-length novels, Murder at the Black Cat Cafe is a novella (this edition also includes another short story, Why Did the Well Wheel Creak?, to make the book more substantial). Yokomizo’s detective, Kosuke Kindaichi, plays a prominent role in the first story, but a very small one in the second – in fact, I wouldn’t really call that one a Kindaichi mystery at all as he only appears right at the end. Both stories belong to the type Yokomizo refers to in the prologue as ‘faceless corpse’ mysteries – in other words, where the murder victim has had their face destroyed so they can’t be identified.
The other main difference is in the setting. Usually the Kindaichi mysteries are set in rural Japan – a small village, a country house, a remote island – but Murder at the Black Cat Cafe has a city setting: Tokyo’s red-light district, an area known as the Pink Labyrinth. First published in 1947, the story takes place just after the war and begins with a policeman on patrol discovering the faceless body of a woman in the garden of the Black Cat Cafe, an establishment owned until very recently by the Itojimas, who have just sold it and moved away. Beside the corpse is the body of a black cat, which has also been killed. It’s assumed that the cat is the famous mascot of the Cafe – until the Cafe’s black cat emerges alive and well. Where did the other cat come from and who is the dead woman?
I enjoyed the post-war urban setting, but with the second story, Why Did the Well Wheel Creak?, we are back on more familiar ground with a family living in a remote village. The patriarch, Daizaburo, has two sons – one legitimate and one illegitimate – who are almost identical apart from their eyes. When both young men go to war and only one returns alive, having lost both eyes, questions begin to be asked. Is this man who he says he is or could he be pretending to be his brother?
Both of these stories, then, feature mistaken or stolen identities and people who may or may not be impostors and both have enough twists and turns to keep the reader guessing until the truth is revealed. The first one was probably the stronger mystery, but I did enjoy the second one as well and liked the way the story unfolded through letters sent from a sister to her brother. I’m already looking forward to the next Kindaichi book, She Walks at Night, coming next year.
December 18, 2025
The hidden second story, Why Did The Well Wheel Creak?, was better than the book I actually bought to read.
This opened the story by telling us exactly what to expect, the tropes that would be used. For me, this removed all suspense and all my interest too and I just plodded along with the story while, I felt, the author deperately tried to shoehorn these concepts in and make them work.
Tropes in the first story do tie into the second story, but I felt this story, told through letters written by a sick girl to her injured brother, flowed so much better. I was curious to find out what the solution was, and while it was also clunky, I found it more satisfying. I don't think this author is for me though.
This opened the story by telling us exactly what to expect, the tropes that would be used. For me, this removed all suspense and all my interest too and I just plodded along with the story while, I felt, the author deperately tried to shoehorn these concepts in and make them work.
Tropes in the first story do tie into the second story, but I felt this story, told through letters written by a sick girl to her injured brother, flowed so much better. I was curious to find out what the solution was, and while it was also clunky, I found it more satisfying. I don't think this author is for me though.
November 21, 2025
3.0 / 5.0
Short read from start to finish, you can finish this book easily in half a day. It’s a great story plot (2 individual stores shown with the same detective in both).
I have found the translation to be questionable at times, with a few sentences sounding really awkward and not making as much sense. The second story plot I found difficult to understand and retain due to the number of names shared and mentioned but overall it’s an ok read.
Short read from start to finish, you can finish this book easily in half a day. It’s a great story plot (2 individual stores shown with the same detective in both).
I have found the translation to be questionable at times, with a few sentences sounding really awkward and not making as much sense. The second story plot I found difficult to understand and retain due to the number of names shared and mentioned but overall it’s an ok read.
October 11, 2025
This seventh instalment in the Kosuke Kindaichi series (English translation order) contains two completely distinct stories; Murder at the Black Cat Cafe and Why did the Well Wheel Creak? Both novellas, while entertaining, did not capture me as thoroughly as Seishi Yokomizo's full-length novels do.
Yokomizo's full-length novels usually fall into the following pattern: some exposition to establish context, the arrival of Kindaichi, some mysterious and at times creepy events to create atmosphere and tension, followed by a climax and inevitable exposition by Kindaichi as he solves the case. It is somewhat predictable, but consistently entertaining. In a novella however, there is a dearth of atmosphere and tense events, leading to a disproportionate amount of exposition, i.e., too much telling instead of showing.
Yokomizo's full-length novels usually fall into the following pattern: some exposition to establish context, the arrival of Kindaichi, some mysterious and at times creepy events to create atmosphere and tension, followed by a climax and inevitable exposition by Kindaichi as he solves the case. It is somewhat predictable, but consistently entertaining. In a novella however, there is a dearth of atmosphere and tense events, leading to a disproportionate amount of exposition, i.e., too much telling instead of showing.
December 10, 2025
Essentially two stories. This is a hard one to review as the stories felt so disconnected. I also felt that labelling the writer as the Japanese Agatha Christie lent a certain expectation to the book that didn’t really seem to be there.
Murder at the Black Cat Cafe focuses on the mystery surrounding a faceless corpse found buried on the site of a recently vacated cafe. Our narrator investigates, and shows his prowess as he solves who the body belongs to and what happened to them.
Similarly with the shorter second story. There’s a discovery that perplexes many, but which is solved by the end.
While I found this an interesting read, it didn’t quite grip me in the way I’d hoped.
Murder at the Black Cat Cafe focuses on the mystery surrounding a faceless corpse found buried on the site of a recently vacated cafe. Our narrator investigates, and shows his prowess as he solves who the body belongs to and what happened to them.
Similarly with the shorter second story. There’s a discovery that perplexes many, but which is solved by the end.
While I found this an interesting read, it didn’t quite grip me in the way I’d hoped.
September 24, 2025
This novel actually consists of two separate stories. The first is about 140 pages, and the second is less than 100.
If you’ve read and loved mysteries by Seishi Yokomizo and are fascinated by his PI character, Kindaichi, you’ll enjoy Murder at the Black Cat Café. It follows the same formula as other novels in the Kindaichi series: the first half introduces a case that puzzles the detectives, and then Kindaichi shows up and solves it with ease, all while displaying his nonchalant quirkiness 😂. I enjoyed it, though I have to say it doesn’t have much to do with an actual black cat. The cat is involved a little, but not in any essential way. I just wanted to clarify so you don’t expect, from the cover, a cosy mystery where cats play a major role in solving the case.
The second story doesn’t feature Kindaichi, but I still enjoyed it because of its unique format, told entirely through letters. It has a more melancholy tone, in contrast to the lighter, more comical Kindaichi stories.
Both cases are perhaps a bit far-fetched, and you might not be too impressed with the twists or how the stories unfold. But back in the 1940s, right after World War II ended, we can imagine that Yokomizo’s books offered a great deal of novelty and entertainment for his readers. I recommend his books if you’re into murder mystery!
4 ⭐️
If you’ve read and loved mysteries by Seishi Yokomizo and are fascinated by his PI character, Kindaichi, you’ll enjoy Murder at the Black Cat Café. It follows the same formula as other novels in the Kindaichi series: the first half introduces a case that puzzles the detectives, and then Kindaichi shows up and solves it with ease, all while displaying his nonchalant quirkiness 😂. I enjoyed it, though I have to say it doesn’t have much to do with an actual black cat. The cat is involved a little, but not in any essential way. I just wanted to clarify so you don’t expect, from the cover, a cosy mystery where cats play a major role in solving the case.
The second story doesn’t feature Kindaichi, but I still enjoyed it because of its unique format, told entirely through letters. It has a more melancholy tone, in contrast to the lighter, more comical Kindaichi stories.
Both cases are perhaps a bit far-fetched, and you might not be too impressed with the twists or how the stories unfold. But back in the 1940s, right after World War II ended, we can imagine that Yokomizo’s books offered a great deal of novelty and entertainment for his readers. I recommend his books if you’re into murder mystery!
4 ⭐️
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