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Detective Kosuke Kindaichi #8
The Devil's Flute Murders
An ingenious and highly atmospheric classic whodunit from Japan’s master of crime.
Amid the rubble of post-war Tokyo, inside the grand Tsubaki house, a once-noble family is in mourning.
The old viscount Tsubaki, a brooding, troubled composer, has been found dead.
When the family gather for a divination to conjure the spirit of their departed patriarch, death visits the house once more, and the brilliant Kosuke Kindaichi is called in to investigate.
But before he can get to the truth Kindaichi must uncover the Tsubakis’ most disturbing secrets, while the gruesome murders continue…
Amid the rubble of post-war Tokyo, inside the grand Tsubaki house, a once-noble family is in mourning.
The old viscount Tsubaki, a brooding, troubled composer, has been found dead.
When the family gather for a divination to conjure the spirit of their departed patriarch, death visits the house once more, and the brilliant Kosuke Kindaichi is called in to investigate.
But before he can get to the truth Kindaichi must uncover the Tsubakis’ most disturbing secrets, while the gruesome murders continue…
355 pages, Kindle Edition
First published January 1, 1951
299 people are currently reading
5214 people want to read
About the author
Seishi Yokomizo
239 books836 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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October 6, 2025
Right after the second world war, Tokyo is brimming with destruction. Though this doesn’t stop detective Kindaichi from doing what he does best: solving mysteries. An old viscount has been found dead. He seems to have taken his own life after being wrongly suspected of murder. But something fishy is going on in the viscount’s household. More deaths quickly follow and everytime death strikes, the song the viscount composed called “The Devil’s Flute” can be heard.
What this book does very well is making the post-war Tokyo setting come alive. The devastation and the brutality of the war can still be felt in the people’s hearts. The scheduled blackouts and taking a train being considered a luxury for example are constant reminders of the devastating consequences of war because the city they live in is in need of repair.
The elite characters contrast yet compliment this destroyed historical setting. Because they might look like perfect people on the outside, but on the inside, they are broken too. The daughter, Mineko, stands out as a person who only sees how beautiful others are and thinks that she herself is ugly. I was also a bit surprised about one woman admitting that she cut off her own finger for her lover. Though that’s why this book needs to be read in the right historical context. It’s also another example of how strange some of these characters are in an intriguing way.
In terms of the murder mystery plot, we know from the start that someone inside the house sent a letter to the police to try and frame the late viscount for murders he did not commit. Everyone’s a suspect, because they are all keeping secrets. It’s simply put a gripping story that features a web of deceit and keeps you guessing with twists and turns aplenty. There might be quite a bit of telling near the end, but the complex nature of the murder mystery plot requires it, to tie up all the loose ends.
Now, the paranormal part. Akiko, the viscount’s wife, is convinced that the viscount is still alive because she claims to have seen him after his death. She thinks he’s come to get revenge on all of them. So they organize a divination. This actually fits the plot quite well, elevating the gripping and ominous atmospheric intensity without overdoing it. It also feels fitting for the historic setting. And it fits some of the characters quite well, making them feel even more strange and different.
This story kind of took me by surprise. The first couple of chapters, it felt like this story was going to be overly complicated. But I quickly got hooked and my doubts disappeared like snow on a hot summer’s day. This book has interesting characters, a gripping murder mystery plot and a fascinating historical setting.
What this book does very well is making the post-war Tokyo setting come alive. The devastation and the brutality of the war can still be felt in the people’s hearts. The scheduled blackouts and taking a train being considered a luxury for example are constant reminders of the devastating consequences of war because the city they live in is in need of repair.
The elite characters contrast yet compliment this destroyed historical setting. Because they might look like perfect people on the outside, but on the inside, they are broken too. The daughter, Mineko, stands out as a person who only sees how beautiful others are and thinks that she herself is ugly. I was also a bit surprised about one woman admitting that she cut off her own finger for her lover. Though that’s why this book needs to be read in the right historical context. It’s also another example of how strange some of these characters are in an intriguing way.
In terms of the murder mystery plot, we know from the start that someone inside the house sent a letter to the police to try and frame the late viscount for murders he did not commit. Everyone’s a suspect, because they are all keeping secrets. It’s simply put a gripping story that features a web of deceit and keeps you guessing with twists and turns aplenty. There might be quite a bit of telling near the end, but the complex nature of the murder mystery plot requires it, to tie up all the loose ends.
Now, the paranormal part. Akiko, the viscount’s wife, is convinced that the viscount is still alive because she claims to have seen him after his death. She thinks he’s come to get revenge on all of them. So they organize a divination. This actually fits the plot quite well, elevating the gripping and ominous atmospheric intensity without overdoing it. It also feels fitting for the historic setting. And it fits some of the characters quite well, making them feel even more strange and different.
This story kind of took me by surprise. The first couple of chapters, it felt like this story was going to be overly complicated. But I quickly got hooked and my doubts disappeared like snow on a hot summer’s day. This book has interesting characters, a gripping murder mystery plot and a fascinating historical setting.
January 25, 2024
I received a review copy of this book from Pushkin Press via Edelweiss for which my thanks.
Atmospheric, convoluted, dark and disconcerting, but all the same, highly engrossing all the way through, The Devil’s Flute Murders by the classic Japanese mystery novelist Seishi Yokomizo was originally published somewhere in the early 1950s (Wikipedia says 1951–1953) and in this translation by Jim Rion by Pushkin Press in 2023. This is the third of these books featuring the detective Kindaichi Kosuke that I’ve read and the fifth that Pushkin has in translation (another is expected this year).
Once again, set in a space away from the metropolises, though an incident in Tokyo is very much concerned in the story, we are in Azabu Roppongi where a talented musician Viscount Tsubaki Hidosuke lives with his wife Akiko and daughter Mineko, his wife’s estate having come to him after the marriage; due to their homes being destroyed in the war, Akiko’s uncle Tamamushi Kimamru and his mistress Kikue and Akiko’s brother Shingu Toshihiko with his wife Hanako and son Kazuhiko have also been living on the estate, occupying different quarters. Kindaichi is approached by Mineko with a strange problem. Viscount Tsubaki, it seems, has committed suicide, leaving the impression that he feared for his name being sullied. It turns out that Tsubaki had been interrogated as a suspect in a horrific crime in Tokyo, the Tengindo case, the murder by poison of 10 people working in a jewellery store (3 others survived) followed by a robbery, and though he has provided the police a strong alibi, the shadow remains. But why Mineko has approached Kindaichi is that, now over a month after Tsubaki’s suicide, he has been seen, by her mother (who she concedes is suggestible) but also by some others from the household. Her mother upset by this has decided to organise the equivalent of a table-turning, leaving Mineko unsettled and anticipating trouble.
Kindaichi agrees to be present at the ceremony, where other members of the household, Akiko’s maid Shino, her doctor Mega, Mishima Totaro, Tsubaki’s ward and assistant are also present (besides the family), and as expected a strange mark appears in the sand and then an eerie tune, ‘the Devil Comes and Plays his Flute’, Tsubaki’s last composition before death begins to play. While nothing happens immediately, the incident unsettles everyone present (in Kindaichi’s observation, much more than it should) and before long, a murder takes place. Luckily Chief Inspector Todoroki (who knows and had originally recommended Kindaichi to Mineko) is in charge and involves Kindaichi in the investigation. But as Kindaichi, Todoroki and the team start to look into the matter and the various threads involved as also the complicated family dynamics, much that is disturbing is revealed and things become more and more twisted as others are targeted as well, making this one of the densest of Kindaichi’s cases (and also the darkest, so far).
This was certainly a very atmospheric read, from the creepy tune that Tsubaki composed which plays (of course through human agency and obviously so) each time something untoward happens, to his shadowy presence to even the shadows of the Tengindo case, ever present. Then there is the kaendiako, the devil’s mark that appears at the divination and then again later too. There is also a distinct feeling of an evil presence, something not right that one gets but that even Kindaichi is unable to point to. Storms and inclement weather play their part too.
As with the previous Kindaichi books I’ve read, this one too is imbued with period detail. There is, as in the previous books, the presence of the war—in which Kindaichi himself and some of the other characters served and which has left its mark on them. And with this are its other effects, from the blackouts that continue to occur, crowded trains with hard to obtain tickets and seats, food shortages, and the bombed and lost homes. Alongside are the changing social structures with the nobility having to give up their titles; Tsubaki having committed suicide before this remains a Viscount, but Akiko’s uncle Tamamushi and the Shingu family (her brother) no longer hold theirs. While among these generations we see the typical characteristics of the nobility, Tamamushi influential in court and politics but degenerate in other respects and Shingu Toshihiko not only debauched but also a wastrel who has run through his own and his wife’s money and now has his eyes on his sister’s wealth. The younger generation however is different, Mineko for instance taking up typing and intending to take a job, as does Kazuhiko. There is also cultural and regional detail, in the places we visit, the Raijin and Fujin statues (the gods of windstorms and thunder and lightning) and even the accents which the translator has managed to convey excellently in English as well.
Besides these aspects, the mystery in itself is twisty and complex, with the crimes in the Tsubaki household tying both to the family and the Tengindo incident. The family relationships are complex with Tsubaki, a soft and gentle though talented person being devalued by Tamamushi and Shingu, no longer sharing a close relationship with his wife and Mineko being the only person who cared for him. Both family equations and police suspicion have played on his mind but what really was the cause of his suicide, and if at all this is possible, his return? Name and honour are very much at the centre of the threads that run through this mystery but so in its own way is money. Kindaichi, singular in his own way, in his shabby clothes and hat and mannerisms finds the killer one step ahead almost all the way through in this one and when he does reach the solution, the dark and unsavoury outcome is as shocking for him as for the reader.
But though there is so much death and darkness, and things that are certainly disturbing, this is a book that keeps one reading all through and that I found a very absorbing read and a strong entry in this series.
4.5 stars
Atmospheric, convoluted, dark and disconcerting, but all the same, highly engrossing all the way through, The Devil’s Flute Murders by the classic Japanese mystery novelist Seishi Yokomizo was originally published somewhere in the early 1950s (Wikipedia says 1951–1953) and in this translation by Jim Rion by Pushkin Press in 2023. This is the third of these books featuring the detective Kindaichi Kosuke that I’ve read and the fifth that Pushkin has in translation (another is expected this year).
Once again, set in a space away from the metropolises, though an incident in Tokyo is very much concerned in the story, we are in Azabu Roppongi where a talented musician Viscount Tsubaki Hidosuke lives with his wife Akiko and daughter Mineko, his wife’s estate having come to him after the marriage; due to their homes being destroyed in the war, Akiko’s uncle Tamamushi Kimamru and his mistress Kikue and Akiko’s brother Shingu Toshihiko with his wife Hanako and son Kazuhiko have also been living on the estate, occupying different quarters. Kindaichi is approached by Mineko with a strange problem. Viscount Tsubaki, it seems, has committed suicide, leaving the impression that he feared for his name being sullied. It turns out that Tsubaki had been interrogated as a suspect in a horrific crime in Tokyo, the Tengindo case, the murder by poison of 10 people working in a jewellery store (3 others survived) followed by a robbery, and though he has provided the police a strong alibi, the shadow remains. But why Mineko has approached Kindaichi is that, now over a month after Tsubaki’s suicide, he has been seen, by her mother (who she concedes is suggestible) but also by some others from the household. Her mother upset by this has decided to organise the equivalent of a table-turning, leaving Mineko unsettled and anticipating trouble.
Kindaichi agrees to be present at the ceremony, where other members of the household, Akiko’s maid Shino, her doctor Mega, Mishima Totaro, Tsubaki’s ward and assistant are also present (besides the family), and as expected a strange mark appears in the sand and then an eerie tune, ‘the Devil Comes and Plays his Flute’, Tsubaki’s last composition before death begins to play. While nothing happens immediately, the incident unsettles everyone present (in Kindaichi’s observation, much more than it should) and before long, a murder takes place. Luckily Chief Inspector Todoroki (who knows and had originally recommended Kindaichi to Mineko) is in charge and involves Kindaichi in the investigation. But as Kindaichi, Todoroki and the team start to look into the matter and the various threads involved as also the complicated family dynamics, much that is disturbing is revealed and things become more and more twisted as others are targeted as well, making this one of the densest of Kindaichi’s cases (and also the darkest, so far).
This was certainly a very atmospheric read, from the creepy tune that Tsubaki composed which plays (of course through human agency and obviously so) each time something untoward happens, to his shadowy presence to even the shadows of the Tengindo case, ever present. Then there is the kaendiako, the devil’s mark that appears at the divination and then again later too. There is also a distinct feeling of an evil presence, something not right that one gets but that even Kindaichi is unable to point to. Storms and inclement weather play their part too.
As with the previous Kindaichi books I’ve read, this one too is imbued with period detail. There is, as in the previous books, the presence of the war—in which Kindaichi himself and some of the other characters served and which has left its mark on them. And with this are its other effects, from the blackouts that continue to occur, crowded trains with hard to obtain tickets and seats, food shortages, and the bombed and lost homes. Alongside are the changing social structures with the nobility having to give up their titles; Tsubaki having committed suicide before this remains a Viscount, but Akiko’s uncle Tamamushi and the Shingu family (her brother) no longer hold theirs. While among these generations we see the typical characteristics of the nobility, Tamamushi influential in court and politics but degenerate in other respects and Shingu Toshihiko not only debauched but also a wastrel who has run through his own and his wife’s money and now has his eyes on his sister’s wealth. The younger generation however is different, Mineko for instance taking up typing and intending to take a job, as does Kazuhiko. There is also cultural and regional detail, in the places we visit, the Raijin and Fujin statues (the gods of windstorms and thunder and lightning) and even the accents which the translator has managed to convey excellently in English as well.
Besides these aspects, the mystery in itself is twisty and complex, with the crimes in the Tsubaki household tying both to the family and the Tengindo incident. The family relationships are complex with Tsubaki, a soft and gentle though talented person being devalued by Tamamushi and Shingu, no longer sharing a close relationship with his wife and Mineko being the only person who cared for him. Both family equations and police suspicion have played on his mind but what really was the cause of his suicide, and if at all this is possible, his return? Name and honour are very much at the centre of the threads that run through this mystery but so in its own way is money. Kindaichi, singular in his own way, in his shabby clothes and hat and mannerisms finds the killer one step ahead almost all the way through in this one and when he does reach the solution, the dark and unsavoury outcome is as shocking for him as for the reader.
But though there is so much death and darkness, and things that are certainly disturbing, this is a book that keeps one reading all through and that I found a very absorbing read and a strong entry in this series.
4.5 stars
October 1, 2024
Rating: 4* of five
The Publisher Says: An ingenious and highly atmospheric classic whodunit from Japan’s master of crime.
Amid the rubble of post-war Tokyo, inside the grand Tsubaki house, a once-noble family is in mourning.
The old viscount Tsubaki, a brooding, troubled composer, has been found dead.
When the family gather for a divination to conjure the spirit of their departed patriarch, death visits the house once more, and the brilliant Kosuke Kindaichi is called in to investigate.
But before he can get to the truth Kindaichi must uncover the Tsubakis’ most disturbing secrets, while the gruesome murders continue…
I RECEIVED A DRC FROM THE PUBLISHER VIA NETGALLEY. THANK YOU.
My Review: A peek at the very immediate aftermath of WWII in bombed-out Tokyo, and the dreadful inconvenience all this war nonsense with its barbaric social leveling brings to The Better Classes.
Deeply dislikable "noble" people doing disreputable things for ignoble motives, aaahhh there's the sweet spot for a story! The supernatural window-dressing was sort of fun. Seances are entertaining silliness in fiction, cynical and sordid manipulations in person. The one in this book is, oddly, both; the fact is the "supernatural" gubbins of the music playing eerily would not work at all in today's world, but was very amusingly handled so flew under my eyeroll threshhold.
Again, and as always in this vintage of Japanese crime novels (based on my limited sample size, anyway), be prepared for the sleuth to know things you do not. You're here to be Dr. Watson, or Inspector Japp, not Hercule or Sherlock. Accept this and enter in the spirit of "what did bombed-out Tokyo look like?" and this read will both entertain and educate you. Kosuke Kindaichi's rumpled Columbo-like presentation of self is a lot more...unusual, noticeable, in Japanese society both then and now. The author's choice to make him rumpled is making a statement about surfaces in a country where they're even more important than they are here in the West.
I land on four stars, per usual in this series, for the fun of being in this very, very dissimilar-to-mine world.
The Publisher Says: An ingenious and highly atmospheric classic whodunit from Japan’s master of crime.
Amid the rubble of post-war Tokyo, inside the grand Tsubaki house, a once-noble family is in mourning.
The old viscount Tsubaki, a brooding, troubled composer, has been found dead.
When the family gather for a divination to conjure the spirit of their departed patriarch, death visits the house once more, and the brilliant Kosuke Kindaichi is called in to investigate.
But before he can get to the truth Kindaichi must uncover the Tsubakis’ most disturbing secrets, while the gruesome murders continue…
I RECEIVED A DRC FROM THE PUBLISHER VIA NETGALLEY. THANK YOU.
My Review: A peek at the very immediate aftermath of WWII in bombed-out Tokyo, and the dreadful inconvenience all this war nonsense with its barbaric social leveling brings to The Better Classes.
Deeply dislikable "noble" people doing disreputable things for ignoble motives, aaahhh there's the sweet spot for a story! The supernatural window-dressing was sort of fun. Seances are entertaining silliness in fiction, cynical and sordid manipulations in person. The one in this book is, oddly, both; the fact is the "supernatural" gubbins of the music playing eerily would not work at all in today's world, but was very amusingly handled so flew under my eyeroll threshhold.
Again, and as always in this vintage of Japanese crime novels (based on my limited sample size, anyway), be prepared for the sleuth to know things you do not. You're here to be Dr. Watson, or Inspector Japp, not Hercule or Sherlock. Accept this and enter in the spirit of "what did bombed-out Tokyo look like?" and this read will both entertain and educate you. Kosuke Kindaichi's rumpled Columbo-like presentation of self is a lot more...unusual, noticeable, in Japanese society both then and now. The author's choice to make him rumpled is making a statement about surfaces in a country where they're even more important than they are here in the West.
I land on four stars, per usual in this series, for the fun of being in this very, very dissimilar-to-mine world.
June 18, 2023
My circle continues to widen. I've found Yokomizo.
Apparently he has flooded Japan with whodunnits in the same vein like Conan Doyle and Christie. So I'm quite pleased to have found him.
This book finds us in 1940's Japan in the aftermath of WWII with a locked room mystery together with a lot of twists and turns and red herrings poking out here and there. Lovely stuff for those who like it like I do. And yes I can confirm that Yokomizo does create that sort of vibe which remind me of Sherlock and Christies' books. We have great atmosphere building, great pacing and tragedy upon tragedy, here too sin does not sleep.
An ARC gently provided by Pushkin Vertigo via Edelweiss and Netgalley.
Apparently he has flooded Japan with whodunnits in the same vein like Conan Doyle and Christie. So I'm quite pleased to have found him.
This book finds us in 1940's Japan in the aftermath of WWII with a locked room mystery together with a lot of twists and turns and red herrings poking out here and there. Lovely stuff for those who like it like I do. And yes I can confirm that Yokomizo does create that sort of vibe which remind me of Sherlock and Christies' books. We have great atmosphere building, great pacing and tragedy upon tragedy, here too sin does not sleep.
An ARC gently provided by Pushkin Vertigo via Edelweiss and Netgalley.
August 6, 2023
Another book in the Kosuke Kindaichi series of mysteries, The Devil’s Flute Murders is set in 1947, as Japan continues its slow recovery from the destruction of WWII to the bombings and social changes. A young woman seeks Kindaichi’s assistance due to strange problems afflicting her extended family. Her father, Viscount Tsubaki, had recently disappeared, then been found dead. But now her family, especially her mother, Akiko, has begun to see him. Is he alive? Is this a ghost? And why did he leave?
So begins the most complex of Kindaichi’s cases I’ve yet read. There are multiple murders, questions of ghostly visitation, family history that must be explored, and numerous people, family, retainers and friends, living on the estate grounds that may be victims or perpetrators.
At times I feared getting lost in the complexity but the use of a knowing narrator on occasion alongside the detective’s thoughts and speech helped to prevent that happening. There were also some odd features in the dialogue that I don’t recall from prior books. While they did briefly bother me at times, I still enjoyed the mystery and the search and wanted to know the outcome. I didn’t guess…couldn’t have guessed, actually.
Rated 3.5 rounded to 4
Copy from Pushkin Vertigo through NetGalley. The review is mine.
So begins the most complex of Kindaichi’s cases I’ve yet read. There are multiple murders, questions of ghostly visitation, family history that must be explored, and numerous people, family, retainers and friends, living on the estate grounds that may be victims or perpetrators.
At times I feared getting lost in the complexity but the use of a knowing narrator on occasion alongside the detective’s thoughts and speech helped to prevent that happening. There were also some odd features in the dialogue that I don’t recall from prior books. While they did briefly bother me at times, I still enjoyed the mystery and the search and wanted to know the outcome. I didn’t guess…couldn’t have guessed, actually.
Rated 3.5 rounded to 4
Copy from Pushkin Vertigo through NetGalley. The review is mine.
December 28, 2024
MR. YOKOMIZO SIR!!!
First off, I SOLVED THIS!! *pats back* First case I solve in this series and of course it’s the weird one. This is currently tied with Death on Gokumon Island for my favourite so far. I had such a great time reading this!!
First off, I SOLVED THIS!! *pats back* First case I solve in this series and of course it’s the weird one. This is currently tied with Death on Gokumon Island for my favourite so far. I had such a great time reading this!!
July 22, 2023
full post is here with absolutely no spoilers:
http://www.crimesegments.com/2023/07/...
I really love these Kindaichi novels -- over the years I've become a huge, huge fangirl. According to Wikipedia, it looks as if this book first appeared as a serialization that ran from 1951 through 1953. It was later published in 1973 in book form, and now the good people at Pushkin Vertigo have published it in an English translation, thanks to Jim Rion. Going with that same article in Wikipedia (and despite what the goodreads blurb says about it), The Devil's Flute Murders is number fifteen in the series starring Yokomizo's detective Kosuke Kindaichi; it is the fifth of the Kindaichi books to have been published in English by Pushkin Vertigo. Just a heads up here: at the Wikipedia page for author Seishi Yokomizo, I noticed that there is another translation coming from Pushkin Vertigo in 2024, The Little Sparrow Murders . I will certainly be grabbing that one as well.
The novel is quite involved, with a level of complexity I haven't yet seen in this series; after having finished it, I can see why the serialization of this novel lasted so long. Yokomizo obviously took his time, allowing Kindaichi to unravel each and every strand (and there are many) of this perplexing case until the detective can get to the bottom of it all. It might be worth noting here that if you're someone who wants their mysteries solved quickly with a standard cut-and-dried, formulaic approach to a solution, you won't find that here. Another thing: the huge cast of characters is listed in the front in a sort of dramatis-personae type thing, but I became pretty frustrated at flipping back to that list time and again so I finally ended up just making a copy to leave nearby while reading. And speaking of characters, at one point I actually said to my spouse that I believe this is the first time in reading a book where there were only two people I liked, and that was Kindaichi and the dead Viscount. Reader beware -- if you're someone who has to like the people inhabiting your books, you might be a bit disappointed.
I am beyond happy to report that I did not guess the who until nearly the end when Yokomizo almost hands it to the reader (boo!) although I will say that I did sort of figure out the underlying why in a vague way a bit earlier. If I explain what it was that made me get that far, it wouldn't be fair to people who may decide to read this book, so we'll leave it there. Bottom line: when all is said and done, The Devil's Flute Murders is a solid and compelling mystery that regular readers of Japanese mysteries in translation or regular readers of the Pushkin Vertigo Kindaichi series novels should absolutely not miss, although it is very different in many ways from its predecessors.
I did want to mention that the best film adaptation of the two I watched was done by NHK Television in 2018, available on YouTube with subtitles; do consider reading the novel before watching the movie.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hDEOR...
http://www.crimesegments.com/2023/07/...
I really love these Kindaichi novels -- over the years I've become a huge, huge fangirl. According to Wikipedia, it looks as if this book first appeared as a serialization that ran from 1951 through 1953. It was later published in 1973 in book form, and now the good people at Pushkin Vertigo have published it in an English translation, thanks to Jim Rion. Going with that same article in Wikipedia (and despite what the goodreads blurb says about it), The Devil's Flute Murders is number fifteen in the series starring Yokomizo's detective Kosuke Kindaichi; it is the fifth of the Kindaichi books to have been published in English by Pushkin Vertigo. Just a heads up here: at the Wikipedia page for author Seishi Yokomizo, I noticed that there is another translation coming from Pushkin Vertigo in 2024, The Little Sparrow Murders . I will certainly be grabbing that one as well.
The novel is quite involved, with a level of complexity I haven't yet seen in this series; after having finished it, I can see why the serialization of this novel lasted so long. Yokomizo obviously took his time, allowing Kindaichi to unravel each and every strand (and there are many) of this perplexing case until the detective can get to the bottom of it all. It might be worth noting here that if you're someone who wants their mysteries solved quickly with a standard cut-and-dried, formulaic approach to a solution, you won't find that here. Another thing: the huge cast of characters is listed in the front in a sort of dramatis-personae type thing, but I became pretty frustrated at flipping back to that list time and again so I finally ended up just making a copy to leave nearby while reading. And speaking of characters, at one point I actually said to my spouse that I believe this is the first time in reading a book where there were only two people I liked, and that was Kindaichi and the dead Viscount. Reader beware -- if you're someone who has to like the people inhabiting your books, you might be a bit disappointed.
I am beyond happy to report that I did not guess the who until nearly the end when Yokomizo almost hands it to the reader (boo!) although I will say that I did sort of figure out the underlying why in a vague way a bit earlier. If I explain what it was that made me get that far, it wouldn't be fair to people who may decide to read this book, so we'll leave it there. Bottom line: when all is said and done, The Devil's Flute Murders is a solid and compelling mystery that regular readers of Japanese mysteries in translation or regular readers of the Pushkin Vertigo Kindaichi series novels should absolutely not miss, although it is very different in many ways from its predecessors.
I did want to mention that the best film adaptation of the two I watched was done by NHK Television in 2018, available on YouTube with subtitles; do consider reading the novel before watching the movie.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hDEOR...
April 22, 2024
Narrated by Akira Matsumoto
Presented by Bolinda Audio
This was so good I now want to read the whole series. Minus a star for over-enthusiastic narrator.
Murder and intrigue in post-war Japan sees detective Kindaichi interviewing the noble Tsubaki family after the death of one of their own. Things become complicated when the dead man seems to reappear to cause all kinds of drama for the family.
So many murders, so much drama! God, it was so addictive!
There were so many elements to the mystery and I just could not figure any of it out. I knew things would be connected but I couldn't figure out HOW and I LOVED that!! It just kept twisting and getting stranger and stranger and WOW. Did not see any of it coming.
Narration was okay but just ... too much. It didn't seem to fit what the author was describing and he had a habit of making the female characters sound ridiculously emotional. I didn't like it. Flawless Japanese pronunciations, which was appreciated, but over the top performance.
I enjoyed listening, but I think I would have got more out of this if I'd read it. I'm keen to go back to book 1 and see how it compares.
With thanks to NetGalley for an audio ARC
Presented by Bolinda Audio
This was so good I now want to read the whole series. Minus a star for over-enthusiastic narrator.
Murder and intrigue in post-war Japan sees detective Kindaichi interviewing the noble Tsubaki family after the death of one of their own. Things become complicated when the dead man seems to reappear to cause all kinds of drama for the family.
So many murders, so much drama! God, it was so addictive!
There were so many elements to the mystery and I just could not figure any of it out. I knew things would be connected but I couldn't figure out HOW and I LOVED that!! It just kept twisting and getting stranger and stranger and WOW. Did not see any of it coming.
Narration was okay but just ... too much. It didn't seem to fit what the author was describing and he had a habit of making the female characters sound ridiculously emotional. I didn't like it. Flawless Japanese pronunciations, which was appreciated, but over the top performance.
I enjoyed listening, but I think I would have got more out of this if I'd read it. I'm keen to go back to book 1 and see how it compares.
With thanks to NetGalley for an audio ARC
Read
June 1, 2023The Devil's Flute Murders was definitely a stronger entry for me than the past two books in the series. In this book, Kindaichi is approached by a young woman named Mineko who involves him in a convoluted case associated with her not-so-long-ago aristocratic family. Mineko's father, Viscount Tsubaki is supposed to have committed suicide but it seems that his ghost is haunting their family, especially her mother Akiko. Tsubaki was also briefly a suspect in a horrific killing spree, but was later set free. And what about the haunting melody that was the viscount's last creation? Why does someone keep playing it whenever the viscount's ghost makes an appearance? As Kindaichi takes the case, he has to see three more people lose their lives before he can reach at the heart of this mystery that was set into motion a long time ago.
The Japanese morals and ideals of that time play an important role in the plot, which is sure to keep its readers engaged. However, I have to say I am getting a little tired of the writer's writing style, who makes the detective as well as the other characters gasp, sigh so many times. Multiple times a chill keeps running down their spines and their surprised expressions are becoming too cliched and seem to repeat in the story too often. Apart from these minor niggles, a good novel.
Thanks to Netgalley and Pushkin Vertigo for the review copy.
The Japanese morals and ideals of that time play an important role in the plot, which is sure to keep its readers engaged. However, I have to say I am getting a little tired of the writer's writing style, who makes the detective as well as the other characters gasp, sigh so many times. Multiple times a chill keeps running down their spines and their surprised expressions are becoming too cliched and seem to repeat in the story too often. Apart from these minor niggles, a good novel.
Thanks to Netgalley and Pushkin Vertigo for the review copy.
October 14, 2025
(1) Divination! How exciting!
(2) The original Japanese title is 'The Devil Came and Played His Flute".
(3) I watched the movie adaptation recently and it is quite impressive!
(4) I like the plot twists in the story!
(2) The original Japanese title is 'The Devil Came and Played His Flute".
(3) I watched the movie adaptation recently and it is quite impressive!
(4) I like the plot twists in the story!
June 12, 2023
This has definitely been the most complex Kindaichi book so far translated. If I'd known when I started reading how much I'd need to concentrate I'd have got a pad and pen out to make notes. However it probably would have made zero difference. I'm always convinced I know the murderer and I'm always wrong. This time was no different.
I won't even attempt to describe the story apart from to say its absolutely diabolical, very near the knuckle and thankfully, not particularly bloody. The characters are generally unlikeable, some are quite revolting. Even Kindaichi seems more scruffy and out of sorts than his usual self.
However I still love these stories. They are far more Christie than Rankin. Not totally cosy but definitely story and character driven than trying to shock you with the actual crime.
I knocked a star off because the complexity finally gave me a headache. The good news is that the killer does explain everything in detail so if you're still a little befuddled it will make sense in the end.
Thanks to Netgalley for the advance review copy.
I won't even attempt to describe the story apart from to say its absolutely diabolical, very near the knuckle and thankfully, not particularly bloody. The characters are generally unlikeable, some are quite revolting. Even Kindaichi seems more scruffy and out of sorts than his usual self.
However I still love these stories. They are far more Christie than Rankin. Not totally cosy but definitely story and character driven than trying to shock you with the actual crime.
I knocked a star off because the complexity finally gave me a headache. The good news is that the killer does explain everything in detail so if you're still a little befuddled it will make sense in the end.
Thanks to Netgalley for the advance review copy.
February 4, 2021
Đây là cuốn tiểu thuyết trinh thám thứ hai trong series về thám tử Kosuke Kindaichi của tác giả Yokomizo Seishi mà mình đọc, sau cuốn “Đảo Ngục Môn”. Phải nói là tác giả một lần nữa không làm mình thất vọng với câu chuyện trong “Khúc Ca Tú Cầu của Ác Quỷ”.
Cuốn sách này hội tụ đủ những gì mình muốn đọc trong một cuốn tiểu thuyết trinh thám cổ điển Nhật Bản. Chúng ta có một ngôi làng heo hút mang tên Làng Đầu Quỷ; mạng lưới các nhân vật với những mối liên hệ, dây mơ rễ má phức tạp, đặc trưng của một xã hội “sau lũy tre làng”; một vụ án bí ẩn hai mươi ba năm về trước chưa có lời giải rõ ràng; và một chuỗi án mạng là cái chết của các cô gái trẻ trong làng, với việc các thi thể được sắp đặt theo tư thế kỳ lạ được mô tả trong bài đồng dao chơi tú cầu cổ xưa.
Nói đến mạng lưới nhân vật, quả thực nếu không có bản liệt kê tên các nhân vật ở phần đầu cuốn sách trước khi vào câu chuyện, thì chắc mình đã không biết ai là ai rồi :D Mặc dù thế, mình cũng vẫn gặp một số khó khăn nhất định trong quá trình đọc truyện, vì tên người Nhật thì các bạn đã biết rồi đó, không dễ phân biệt và dễ nhớ chút nào :)))) Nhưng mà càng đọc, càng tiếp xúc với các nhân vật thì mình lại càng nhớ và biết ai là ai hơn ^^
Cuốn này ban đầu đọc thấy hơi lôi cuốn thôi, nhưng càng đọc về sau, nhất là cỡ 100 trang cuối, khi vụ án được phá nhờ vào tài suy luận tài tình của Kindaichi, thì phải nói là mình chỉ biết ngấu nghiến từng trang sách thôi ^^ Cảm giác hồi hộp theo dõi xem chân tướng hung thủ là ai, cách thức gây án, nguyên nhân gây án, và nhất là mối liên hệ với vụ án bí ẩn hai mươi ba năm về trước nữa. Trời ơi twist nối twist, thật không thể ngờ một ngôi làng heo hút biệt lập như thế lại có thể ẩn chứa những bí mật động trời đến như vậy. Và danh tính hung thủ thì mình cũng không thể ngờ được nốt :))) Yokomizo Seishi quả không hổ danh là một trong những tác giả trinh thám cổ điển nổi tiếng của Nhật Bản ^^ Mình sẽ đọc tiếp một số tác phẩm của bác này. Cơ mà không biết cuốn “Thôn Tám Mộ” đã được IPM xuất bản chưa nhỉ?...
Cuốn sách này hội tụ đủ những gì mình muốn đọc trong một cuốn tiểu thuyết trinh thám cổ điển Nhật Bản. Chúng ta có một ngôi làng heo hút mang tên Làng Đầu Quỷ; mạng lưới các nhân vật với những mối liên hệ, dây mơ rễ má phức tạp, đặc trưng của một xã hội “sau lũy tre làng”; một vụ án bí ẩn hai mươi ba năm về trước chưa có lời giải rõ ràng; và một chuỗi án mạng là cái chết của các cô gái trẻ trong làng, với việc các thi thể được sắp đặt theo tư thế kỳ lạ được mô tả trong bài đồng dao chơi tú cầu cổ xưa.
Nói đến mạng lưới nhân vật, quả thực nếu không có bản liệt kê tên các nhân vật ở phần đầu cuốn sách trước khi vào câu chuyện, thì chắc mình đã không biết ai là ai rồi :D Mặc dù thế, mình cũng vẫn gặp một số khó khăn nhất định trong quá trình đọc truyện, vì tên người Nhật thì các bạn đã biết rồi đó, không dễ phân biệt và dễ nhớ chút nào :)))) Nhưng mà càng đọc, càng tiếp xúc với các nhân vật thì mình lại càng nhớ và biết ai là ai hơn ^^
Cuốn này ban đầu đọc thấy hơi lôi cuốn thôi, nhưng càng đọc về sau, nhất là cỡ 100 trang cuối, khi vụ án được phá nhờ vào tài suy luận tài tình của Kindaichi, thì phải nói là mình chỉ biết ngấu nghiến từng trang sách thôi ^^ Cảm giác hồi hộp theo dõi xem chân tướng hung thủ là ai, cách thức gây án, nguyên nhân gây án, và nhất là mối liên hệ với vụ án bí ẩn hai mươi ba năm về trước nữa. Trời ơi twist nối twist, thật không thể ngờ một ngôi làng heo hút biệt lập như thế lại có thể ẩn chứa những bí mật động trời đến như vậy. Và danh tính hung thủ thì mình cũng không thể ngờ được nốt :))) Yokomizo Seishi quả không hổ danh là một trong những tác giả trinh thám cổ điển nổi tiếng của Nhật Bản ^^ Mình sẽ đọc tiếp một số tác phẩm của bác này. Cơ mà không biết cuốn “Thôn Tám Mộ” đã được IPM xuất bản chưa nhỉ?...
December 3, 2023
Es increíble lo simples que son las historias de Yokomizo, cómo muy obviamente usa los tropos del género, y sin embargo lo mucho que me entretiene.
Tramas en las que aparentemente hay fantasmas y maldiciones, pero obviamente no, porque esto es una historia de detectives y aquí todo tiene una explicación. Aunque realmente al autor le interesa más la atmósfera y la intriga que explicar el crimen. Se explica, pero el último crimen, por ejemplo, ni siquiera se explica cómo se llevó a cabo. ¿Para qué? La mandanga estaba en todo lo anterior y ya había salido a la luz.
Es muy entretenida, muy vieja historia, y si se han leído las otras novelas de Yokomizo traducidas en España, esta también es muy recomendable.
Tramas en las que aparentemente hay fantasmas y maldiciones, pero obviamente no, porque esto es una historia de detectives y aquí todo tiene una explicación. Aunque realmente al autor le interesa más la atmósfera y la intriga que explicar el crimen. Se explica, pero el último crimen, por ejemplo, ni siquiera se explica cómo se llevó a cabo. ¿Para qué? La mandanga estaba en todo lo anterior y ya había salido a la luz.
Es muy entretenida, muy vieja historia, y si se han leído las otras novelas de Yokomizo traducidas en España, esta también es muy recomendable.
July 2, 2023
This is definitely a case of it's me, dear book, and not you. I found this book very confusing. The cast of characters was huge and I tried to use the character list in the beginning of the book but I should have written my own. Honestly, I should have had a pad and paper out the whole time to make my own notes. I found nuances within the story also confusing, times when Kikue would get giggly or Kindaichi would get stuttery and I couldn't seem to decipher why that was significant or what had changed in the situation to warrant it being noted. I also found Kindaichi easily flustered and a bit bumbling. Reading other reviews, I think I would have found him in a better light had I read the first book in the series and not started with this one.
So, if this one sounds good to you, You should give it a try - especially if complex mysteries full of a huge cast of characters and small clues to lead you to the killer, then this is definitely for you!
A huge thank you to the author and publisher for providing an e-ARC via Netgalley. This does not affect my opinion regarding the book.
So, if this one sounds good to you, You should give it a try - especially if complex mysteries full of a huge cast of characters and small clues to lead you to the killer, then this is definitely for you!
A huge thank you to the author and publisher for providing an e-ARC via Netgalley. This does not affect my opinion regarding the book.
October 6, 2024
As with his other murder mysteries, Seishi Yokomizo brings an eerie, leaden atmosphere to immediate postwar Japan. The atmosphere of his books never fail to disappoint. And it seemed that this would be yet another fascinating mystery, ready to keep me glued to its pages to the end. That didn't happen, because Flute Murders takes an incredibly long time to set up. The pieces aren't fully prepared until almost half way through the book. Then, of course, it begins its race to the end. And that seemed enough, originally, to get past the labored beginning. But then it begins to grind to a repetitive ending that simply stretches out on end. I appreciate Seishi Yokomizo's methodical writing style. But this is too methodical. Better than many a contemporary thriller, but not in the class of some his other novels.
April 14, 2024
The music of the flute, a death. No wonder it is called The Devil's Flute. Some great mysterious deaths in this, including a locked room. Originally written in 1953 as part of the Detective Kosuke Kindaichi series (number 5, this one), this classic book has been given new life with a great Bolinda Audio edition. Thanks to NetGalley for the ARC.
February 26, 2023
This is the forth Kosuke Kindaichi mystery I've read and up to now, I have enjoyed them to a greater or lesser degree, but this one didn't really work for me. I felt it got a bit bigger down with too many separate strands to the plot and by the end I couldn't have cared less who the culprit was.
After a terrible crime in Tokyo, one of the suspects goes missing and then turns up dead, but his family start to see him around. Hitachi goes to the family home where they all seem to be fighting amongst themselves, and soon the family members start to get murdered.
*Many thanks to Edelweiss Plus and Pushpin Vertigo for a copy in exchange for an honest opinion.*
After a terrible crime in Tokyo, one of the suspects goes missing and then turns up dead, but his family start to see him around. Hitachi goes to the family home where they all seem to be fighting amongst themselves, and soon the family members start to get murdered.
*Many thanks to Edelweiss Plus and Pushpin Vertigo for a copy in exchange for an honest opinion.*
May 14, 2023
Continue to enjoy these, they continue to not stick too closely to a formula so you never quite know what you're going to get. And this one is surprisingly racy for the day!
October 7, 2024
This is a plodding, convoluted mystery about an unbelievably messy family. You really need to take notes while reading this because there are a lot of characters and interconnected plot lines, however I don’t think it’s worth the effort. I’ve preferred other books by this author. 2.5 stars I received a free copy of this book from the publisher.
June 23, 2023
This is my 1st Seishi Yokomizo book I read, WELL I AM IN AWE. Since the twist is somewhat stunning, the crimes themselves weren't as vicious as you are led to assume. Please take a note for the details cause this is not the kinda simple mystery book you're looking for. I might try to read another Detective Kindaichi's books for sure, ofc.
Thank you to the publishers and NetGalley for providing me with an e-ARC.
Thank you to the publishers and NetGalley for providing me with an e-ARC.
June 26, 2023
This was my first Detective Kosuke Kindaichi novel. It took me a little while to get used to the writing style, and the convoluted relationships between the characters (iykyk) took a while to wrap my head around too. I think having too many things happening at once took away a little bit from the final reveal. Overall it was entertaining and the suspense was done pretty well, but the complexity did make the case a bit hard to follow at times.
Note: this review is based on a pre-release copy provided by Pushkin Press through NetGalley.
Note: this review is based on a pre-release copy provided by Pushkin Press through NetGalley.
July 31, 2023
Another read from the series and I love how this instalment was quite similar in term of its setting and plot to both The Inugami Curse and The Honjin Murders. Set in the postwar Tokyo, The Devil’s Flute Murders brought me to unravel a series of murders surrounded a house of once-noble family when the old viscount Tsubaki, a flautist and composer was found dead after days of his disappearance. When Kindaichi was requested to involve upon invitation from Mineko, Tsubaki’s daughter, a number of unexpected events and a gruesome locked-room murder happened in the household leaving Kindaichi to travel west to untangle the mystery and secrets that he believed to be a clue to those deaths in the family.
A thrilled nerve-racking plot to me, unsettling and intense with its bleak mysterious backdrop that explored a thorough observation on a dysfunctional family and its dynamic. I love the interaction in between Kindaichi and Detective Degawa as well their investigation journey in Kobe; I could make my guess on the suspect yet the puzzling and twisty plotline gets me so engrossed on how Kindaichi would reveal the fiendish motive and its howdunnit.
The culture and tradition parts were appealing much with insightful glimpses on the aftermath of war and how it impacted and changed the economy and its societal perspective. Neat execution that progressed without much red herrings but having that charms of a chilling whodunnit plot; the haunting sound of flute rendition that secretly hold the final revelation— of humiliation, disgrace and resentment on family scandal and generational secrets that can be unhinged and too grisly that somehow I felt a bit sad after knowing about the truth.
“I felt not a shred of remorse after I killed… indeed, I felt a sense of relief, as if I’d rid the world of a harmful pest. I almost regret not giving him an even more painful end.”
A riveting catch for a classic Japanese crime and locked-room mystery fan. This probably be my most fav Kindaichi’s character in the series so far— he was so quirky and endearing as always and I love his witty interaction with Chief Inspector Todoroki. Would go with 5 stars to this!
Thank you Pansing Distribution for sending me a copy to review!
A thrilled nerve-racking plot to me, unsettling and intense with its bleak mysterious backdrop that explored a thorough observation on a dysfunctional family and its dynamic. I love the interaction in between Kindaichi and Detective Degawa as well their investigation journey in Kobe; I could make my guess on the suspect yet the puzzling and twisty plotline gets me so engrossed on how Kindaichi would reveal the fiendish motive and its howdunnit.
The culture and tradition parts were appealing much with insightful glimpses on the aftermath of war and how it impacted and changed the economy and its societal perspective. Neat execution that progressed without much red herrings but having that charms of a chilling whodunnit plot; the haunting sound of flute rendition that secretly hold the final revelation— of humiliation, disgrace and resentment on family scandal and generational secrets that can be unhinged and too grisly that somehow I felt a bit sad after knowing about the truth.
“I felt not a shred of remorse after I killed… indeed, I felt a sense of relief, as if I’d rid the world of a harmful pest. I almost regret not giving him an even more painful end.”
A riveting catch for a classic Japanese crime and locked-room mystery fan. This probably be my most fav Kindaichi’s character in the series so far— he was so quirky and endearing as always and I love his witty interaction with Chief Inspector Todoroki. Would go with 5 stars to this!
Thank you Pansing Distribution for sending me a copy to review!
August 7, 2023
A solid entry in the classic Japanese mystery genre.
Devil's Flute is the fifth translation of the Kosuke Kindaiichi mysteries, and perhaps the second best volume so far (behind the Inugami Curse). Devil's Flute is set two years after the end of the second world war, where Japan is attempting to rebuild, and adjust to the abolition of its prewar nobility system. The mystery focuses on a series of murders that take place at the estate of a former viscount and two associated families. The mystery (which includes a locked-room murder) was a pull, along with most of the cast of characters. Some characters are a bit one-dimensional, but Yokomizo gives the important ones enough context to keep you interested.
Flute suffers from a couple weaknesses typical to the genre. First, the characters have complex relations with each other, so I found myself flipping back to the handy 'list of characters' page at the beginning of the book. Some of the characters are perhaps a tad melodramatic in their reactions, and Yokomizo will sometimes repeat the reactions. Female characters, with perhaps one exception, are not given as much agency as the cast of male characters, so it might grate on some modern sensibilities. Kosuke Kindaiichi, the detective, has a modest amount of personality, but lacks a sidekick to help reveal more of his personality and motivations. Finally, you will have to suspend disbelief in at least one area where science has rendered one key plot point extremely unlikely.
Flute has some pretty great upsides, though. Yokomizo gives us great setting variations, with Kobe, an offshore island in the Kansai region, and the decaying estate forming a good contrast as the detective moves between them. The resolution is distinct from others in the series so far in how visceral it is. Yokomizo clearly has some opinions about the old nobility here. The translator has also done a superb job at rendering differences in Japanese dialects for the translation, and what could have been a sticking point felt natural in the flow of the narrative. For fans of the Japanese mystery genre (and there are PLENTY of great entries in English available here), i give this a strong recommend. I would make sure to start out, however, with Honjin (the first in the series) or Inugami to set the stage for this one.
Devil's Flute is the fifth translation of the Kosuke Kindaiichi mysteries, and perhaps the second best volume so far (behind the Inugami Curse). Devil's Flute is set two years after the end of the second world war, where Japan is attempting to rebuild, and adjust to the abolition of its prewar nobility system. The mystery focuses on a series of murders that take place at the estate of a former viscount and two associated families. The mystery (which includes a locked-room murder) was a pull, along with most of the cast of characters. Some characters are a bit one-dimensional, but Yokomizo gives the important ones enough context to keep you interested.
Flute suffers from a couple weaknesses typical to the genre. First, the characters have complex relations with each other, so I found myself flipping back to the handy 'list of characters' page at the beginning of the book. Some of the characters are perhaps a tad melodramatic in their reactions, and Yokomizo will sometimes repeat the reactions. Female characters, with perhaps one exception, are not given as much agency as the cast of male characters, so it might grate on some modern sensibilities. Kosuke Kindaiichi, the detective, has a modest amount of personality, but lacks a sidekick to help reveal more of his personality and motivations. Finally, you will have to suspend disbelief in at least one area where science has rendered one key plot point extremely unlikely.
Flute has some pretty great upsides, though. Yokomizo gives us great setting variations, with Kobe, an offshore island in the Kansai region, and the decaying estate forming a good contrast as the detective moves between them. The resolution is distinct from others in the series so far in how visceral it is. Yokomizo clearly has some opinions about the old nobility here. The translator has also done a superb job at rendering differences in Japanese dialects for the translation, and what could have been a sticking point felt natural in the flow of the narrative. For fans of the Japanese mystery genre (and there are PLENTY of great entries in English available here), i give this a strong recommend. I would make sure to start out, however, with Honjin (the first in the series) or Inugami to set the stage for this one.
April 18, 2024
Tsubaki house is morning the loss of old viscount. When the family decides to hold a séance, another death occurs and that triggers an irreversible impact of mysterious murders. The detective is called, but so little truth in the light, makes his work ever more difficult.
The goofy setting and the angle of a spirit being involved are what lured me in. The solving part, that followed later felt a bit too stretched to me. On the scale of predictability, the book did have a high score, but connecting the dots felt a little difficult with so much information. I wish a bit more concise since we did not have that many plot twists. The narrators did catch the accent really well, particularly the detective who had a deep course voice. His voice was so distinguishable from the rest that one could easily comprehend when the narrative style changed.
Thank you @netgalley @bolindaaudio @pushkin_press for the Audiobook ARC.
Genre: #mysterythriller
Rating: 3.5/5 ⭐️
#TheDevilsFluteMurder
The goofy setting and the angle of a spirit being involved are what lured me in. The solving part, that followed later felt a bit too stretched to me. On the scale of predictability, the book did have a high score, but connecting the dots felt a little difficult with so much information. I wish a bit more concise since we did not have that many plot twists. The narrators did catch the accent really well, particularly the detective who had a deep course voice. His voice was so distinguishable from the rest that one could easily comprehend when the narrative style changed.
Thank you @netgalley @bolindaaudio @pushkin_press for the Audiobook ARC.
Genre: #mysterythriller
Rating: 3.5/5 ⭐️
#TheDevilsFluteMurder
November 17, 2025
Plus un 3 1/2, mais je l'ajuste à la baisse, car le livre est un peu trop long, et avec un peu trop de répétitions. Mais j'ai bien aimé la solution du locked-room, et j'ai trouvé très rigolo que le détective soit toujours en train de gasper avec ses bulging eyes, ou encore en bégayant de surprise et en se grattant furieusement la tête au point de propulser des pellicules sur les femmes autour.
May 31, 2024
Classic Japanese whodunits set in a specific historical time is becoming a personal comfort genre! I've been eyeing the Honjin Murders for awhile now (I love the covers of this series) but this book turns out to be my first foray into Yokomizo's Detective Kosuke Kindaichi stories when I received an ARC for it.
What a cozy yet compelling read, very reminiscent of the vibes from Sir Arthur Conan Doyle's and Agatha Christie's works, clear inspirations of the genre. I adored diving into not only the intriguing and all-consuming mystery, but also post WWII Japanese society. Murder mysteries such as this are surprisingly handy in exploring specific nuances in society during its time period setting, and seems to be a particular strong point for classic Japanese murder mysteries as authors use their art to express commentaries otherwise oppressed.
I am a fan of Kindaichi himself as he does not come off too cocky, just someone with a quick, curious mind who has a high tolerance for brutal drama and crime scenes. While you will have to stomach the occasional unnecessary remark on women like "she is not considered a beauty" or "she placed her heavy hips on the stool...", the overall characterisations of the female characters have surprising depth and are varied. I also forgive the author on account of calling one of the annoying male characters a toad.
I binged this as an audiobook and I loved that experience, the narrator Akira Matsumoto went all out! Each character has a distinct voice and feel, and he went above and beyond voice acting emotional scenes. The narrator has an Australian accent and while that is an absolute win for me, listeners not used to the accent might find the narration of this story quite surprising.
Thank you to NetGalley, Bolinda Audio and the author for this advance reader copy. I leave this review voluntarily.
What a cozy yet compelling read, very reminiscent of the vibes from Sir Arthur Conan Doyle's and Agatha Christie's works, clear inspirations of the genre. I adored diving into not only the intriguing and all-consuming mystery, but also post WWII Japanese society. Murder mysteries such as this are surprisingly handy in exploring specific nuances in society during its time period setting, and seems to be a particular strong point for classic Japanese murder mysteries as authors use their art to express commentaries otherwise oppressed.
I am a fan of Kindaichi himself as he does not come off too cocky, just someone with a quick, curious mind who has a high tolerance for brutal drama and crime scenes. While you will have to stomach the occasional unnecessary remark on women like "she is not considered a beauty" or "she placed her heavy hips on the stool...", the overall characterisations of the female characters have surprising depth and are varied. I also forgive the author on account of calling one of the annoying male characters a toad.
I binged this as an audiobook and I loved that experience, the narrator Akira Matsumoto went all out! Each character has a distinct voice and feel, and he went above and beyond voice acting emotional scenes. The narrator has an Australian accent and while that is an absolute win for me, listeners not used to the accent might find the narration of this story quite surprising.
Thank you to NetGalley, Bolinda Audio and the author for this advance reader copy. I leave this review voluntarily.
Want to read
July 4, 2023Kosuke Kindaichi returns to investigate a mystery within the Shingu/Tsubaki household. When a young woman comes to him with a story of her father's mysterious disappearance and death Kindaichi is not sure what there is to investigate but then the woman tells him her mother doesn't believe he is dead. She asks him to come to the family home as they try to contact the dead. From there the mystery grows as bodies begin piling up.
The writing style is clear and easy which is good because the mystery is complicated. There is a large cast of characters, mostly unlikable, and therefore many suspects. Another mystery that gripped Japan just before the disappearance also has a connection.
The story comes at a time of change for the aristocracy. There are uneasy family relations. A disturbing flute recording holds a clue. A creepy, brooding atmosphere hangs over everything. We are warned at the beginning how twisted the tale is. Nothing prepared me to figure it out. Read this if you like dark mysteries.
The writing style is clear and easy which is good because the mystery is complicated. There is a large cast of characters, mostly unlikable, and therefore many suspects. Another mystery that gripped Japan just before the disappearance also has a connection.
The story comes at a time of change for the aristocracy. There are uneasy family relations. A disturbing flute recording holds a clue. A creepy, brooding atmosphere hangs over everything. We are warned at the beginning how twisted the tale is. Nothing prepared me to figure it out. Read this if you like dark mysteries.
August 19, 2023
I've really been enjoying my foray into classic Japanest mysteries. Seishi Yokomizo's Detective Kosuke Kindaichi is an interesting fellow: a former soldier, he is called on occasionally by the police for help, particularly for the more baffling murder mysteries.
It's 1947 now, and Japan is dealing with the aftermath of WWII and power and other shortages. Kosuke Kindaichi is approached by a young woman, Mineko, whose father Hidesuki Tsubaki, a former Lord, committed suicide some months earlier. The family, however, are perturbed by recent sightings of the dead man. Kindaichi is intrigued, and arrives at the family compound and meets the Mineko's mother and her spiritualist/doctor, and a variety of in-laws and their spouses, families and staff. Kindaichi quickly feels the tensions, and soon after a ritual to ascertain if the dead man is still alive, the first murder occurs.
Inspector Todoroki informs Kindaichi that Lord Tsubaki had been interrogated intensively as a possible suspect in another set of shocking murders. Tsubaki was eventually ruled out, but committed suicide soon after.
Kindaichi's investigation takes him through the family members' histories and motives and leads him to a town Tsubaki had travelled to months ago to ascertain if what the man did or saw there factored into his suicide, and the current murder(s).
This is a story full of genuinely unlikeable people in a family who used to enjoy the privileges of nobility prior to the war. There is a sense of entitlement in some of the family members, and their relationships are complex, and complicated by old secrets and terrible acts. Kindaichi gradually teases out the truth, and it's all uglier than he imagined.
There are multiple murders along the way, and Kindaichi despairs of understanding the situation at the heart of the family. Author Yokomizo kept me guessing and flummoxed as he slowly revealed how one awful action in the past echoed through several people's lives. It's a twisty, slowly unfolding story, with a satisfying, tragic payoff at the end.
Thank you to Netgalley and to Pushkin Press for this ARC in exchange for my review.
It's 1947 now, and Japan is dealing with the aftermath of WWII and power and other shortages. Kosuke Kindaichi is approached by a young woman, Mineko, whose father Hidesuki Tsubaki, a former Lord, committed suicide some months earlier. The family, however, are perturbed by recent sightings of the dead man. Kindaichi is intrigued, and arrives at the family compound and meets the Mineko's mother and her spiritualist/doctor, and a variety of in-laws and their spouses, families and staff. Kindaichi quickly feels the tensions, and soon after a ritual to ascertain if the dead man is still alive, the first murder occurs.
Inspector Todoroki informs Kindaichi that Lord Tsubaki had been interrogated intensively as a possible suspect in another set of shocking murders. Tsubaki was eventually ruled out, but committed suicide soon after.
Kindaichi's investigation takes him through the family members' histories and motives and leads him to a town Tsubaki had travelled to months ago to ascertain if what the man did or saw there factored into his suicide, and the current murder(s).
This is a story full of genuinely unlikeable people in a family who used to enjoy the privileges of nobility prior to the war. There is a sense of entitlement in some of the family members, and their relationships are complex, and complicated by old secrets and terrible acts. Kindaichi gradually teases out the truth, and it's all uglier than he imagined.
There are multiple murders along the way, and Kindaichi despairs of understanding the situation at the heart of the family. Author Yokomizo kept me guessing and flummoxed as he slowly revealed how one awful action in the past echoed through several people's lives. It's a twisty, slowly unfolding story, with a satisfying, tragic payoff at the end.
Thank you to Netgalley and to Pushkin Press for this ARC in exchange for my review.
January 8, 2024
The style is fairly consistent - and one the author Seishi Yolomizo explores well - deep, dark family secrets, which when brought into open, give birth to jealousy, greed and ultimately ... murder. And here again, we have all those elements: a family saga of love and hate, revenge and redemption; many suspects but always one whom you are least likely to suspect; a suspenseful mystery, tied together by a long narrative that conveys the essence of the story, location and characters to perfection. This is Yokomizo's trademark.
In this instance we have a mysterious disappearance, a locked room murder mystery, a jewel robbery, and the haunting and ominous tones of a flute.
I cannot recommend this series enough, with our detective, Kindaichi, who according to the local policeman, looks more like a criminal than a world famous detective!
In this instance we have a mysterious disappearance, a locked room murder mystery, a jewel robbery, and the haunting and ominous tones of a flute.
I cannot recommend this series enough, with our detective, Kindaichi, who according to the local policeman, looks more like a criminal than a world famous detective!
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