It is a short stories collection of Edogawa Rampo's stories retelling. The author came up with interesting ideas to retell these classical Rampo's tales of obsession and crime, and giving them new meanings in a more modern backdrop of the 21st century Japanese society.
The author did a good job in matching her wit with the source material and proves herself almost going shoulder to shoulder with the master novelist Rampo himself. Good for her!
(1) The retelling of 'The Beast of Shades' is so tricky and brilliant! I really appreciate the plot twist that and that's why she managed to figure out who the real blackmailer was.
(2) The retelling of 'The Man Who Travels With A Painting' is a bit of a mixed bag, but the idea was still refreshing.
(3) The family drama in the retelling of 'The Appearance of Osei' is pretty interesting.
(4) The retelling of the Red Room is...a bit less grand and clever, but the ideas are fresh and the outcome in the end is laced with a fine touch of irony.