The Mystery, Crime, and Thriller Group discussion

This is your space to discuss The Tokyo Zodiac Murders, by Soji Shimada. Carol will be the discussion leader.


If you would like a spoiler thread for this book, I'll be happy to provide one. Have fun and happy reading!

This book is fabulous and has that classic locked room murder mystery and the almost sly wit and humour of the golden age writers

Zoe wrote: "This book is fabulous and has that classic locked room murder mystery and the almost sly wit and humour of the golden age writers"

I loved this book. Absolutely.

If you plan to participate in this read, please comment on whether you'd like a separate spoiler thread. If we don't have one, then our choices are to hide all spoilers for the entire month, which can make discussion challenging, or to use spoiler tags to hide spoilers until at least [May 15th][or pick a different date], then all bets are off.

Who's in? If you plan to join (this isn't a blood commitment), what's your preference on setting up a spoiler thread vs. not?

PSA: I started Tokyo Zodiac last evening and recalled a friend of mine in the Japanese Lit group commenting on not being a fan of the beginning but being a fan of the novel overall. If, like me, you're not a fan of the style of the narrator in the Prologue, don't despair. Stick with it because the style/voice will change after the Prologue (say 30 pages, depending on your copy). Or so I've been assured.

I'll read it again with you. Rare, but rereads do happen.

Carol wrote: "PSA: I started Tokyo Zodiac last evening and recalled a friend of mine in the Japanese Lit group commenting on not being a fan of the beginning but being a fan of the novel overall. If, like me, yo..."

Thanks for mentioning this! It took me two days of trying to read the prologue to get through it and I was wondering if I would like this book. But I'm a few pages into where it shifts to 1979 when there is rekindled interest in the 1936 crime. Much better!

Carol wrote: "If you plan to participate in this read, please comment on whether you'd like a separate spoiler thread. If we don't have one, then our choices are to hide all spoilers for the entire month, which ..."

I, for one, like a "no spoiler" thread and a separate "spoilers allowed" thread rather than one thread with spoiler alerts. It seems to be a standard practice for this group which I appreciate. Is that correct, Nancy?

Suzy wrote: "Carol wrote: "If you plan to participate in this read, please comment on whether you'd like a separate spoiler thread. If we don't have one, then our choices are to hide all spoilers for the entire..."

I'm very happy to create a spoiler thread, Suzy. Not a problem.

done

Nancy wrote: "done"

Thanks!

Nancy wrote: "I'll read it again with you. Rare, but rereads do happen."

Excellent!

Found my book -- sure, I can juggle 3 books at once. No problem.

:)

Nancy wrote: "Found my book -- sure, I can juggle 3 books at once. No problem.

:)"

Of course you can! Heck, if I were down to only 3, I'd pat myself on the back...

If it's a purely entertainment read, I can wedge a third one in -- otherwise, forget it. I have one day book and one night book and it works.

Nancy wrote: "If it's a purely entertainment read, I can wedge a third one in -- otherwise, forget it. I have one day book and one night book and it works."

That would be why you're the adult in the room :)

I know SO many people who would completely disagree with that statement, but if you want to believe it, okay.

:)

Nancy wrote: "I know SO many people who would completely disagree with that statement, but if you want to believe it, okay.

:)"

Shhhhhhhh.

The prologue for me was tedious with a lot of facts that I didn't really care about. I am now 52 pages in and I can't say that I am really enjoying this at all.

Re the prologue: it tells us quite a lot about the mental state of Heikichi Umezawa, and as is typical in a novel with a prologue, it's likely that most everything learned in that section has a purpose and will show up later in the novel. Plus I look at it in this way: it's written in sort of a flat, dry, style, but it makes the brutality that he describes so matter of factly even worse. Like this is all normal stuff that artists would do, and he definitely considers himself an artist.

Nancy wrote: "Re the prologue: it tells us quite a lot about the mental state of Heikichi Umezawa, and as is typical in a novel with a prologue, it's likely that most everything learned in that section has a pur..."

True, that. I found the style challenging enough to skim the second half of the prologue so I could move on to the next part of the novel, but with full knowledge that I need to re-review it or take the consequence of missing a connection the author deliberately drew for me.

All the food in this book is making me want to cook Japanese. The mention of Okonomiyaki in Act 3 made me want some.

Finished. It's been so long since I've read it that I had completely forgotten the big twist. I was just as blown away this time as I was the first time around.

Nancy wrote: "Finished. It's been so long since I've read it that I had completely forgotten the big twist. I was just as blown away this time as I was the first time around."

I'm glad to see this as an incentive to keep at it! I'm still in Act 1 and it feels like a slog of details even though it's better than the prologue in terms of keeping me engaged. I also haven't read any passages about food, so that should up the interest!

Suzy wrote: "Nancy wrote: "Finished. It's been so long since I've read it that I had completely forgotten the big twist. I was just as blown away this time as I was the first time around."

I'm glad to see this..."

It definitely is a slog of detail at first, since they're reviewing the murders. We are getting everything known from the case, especially from the book (within this book) called The Tokyo Zodiac Murders, along with all of the theories about the case from people who've tried to solve it.

This book represents a very different form of mystery writing:

http://honkaku.com/english.html

Nancy wrote: "Suzy wrote: "Nancy wrote: "Finished. It's been so long since I've read it that I had completely forgotten the big twist. I was just as blown away this time as I was the first time around."

I'm gla..."

Yes, that fact that it's a very different approach is what inspires me to keep going as well. A new experience, even if it takes more concentration!

Carol wrote: "PSA: I started Tokyo Zodiac last evening and recalled a friend of mine in the Japanese Lit group commenting on not being a fan of the beginning but being a fan of the novel overall. If, like me, yo..."

Thanks for mentioning this. I just started and not too crazy about the beginning. But if it picks up I'll stick with it for a bit.

Excellent read. Thank you for selecting. Totally surprised when time for the reveal. I appreciated how it read like an Ellery Queen mystery. Looking forward to the next read!

Matt wrote: "Excellent read. Thank you for selecting. Totally surprised when time for the reveal. I appreciated how it read like an Ellery Queen mystery. Looking forward to the next read!"

It does have the ring of Ellery Queen to it, doesn't it? I was thinking more along the lines of Clayton Rawson, whose specialty was locked-room/impossible crime novels.

Nancy wrote: "Matt wrote: "Excellent read. Thank you for selecting. Totally surprised when time for the reveal. I appreciated how it read like an Ellery Queen mystery. Looking forward to the next read!"

It does..."

Clayton Rawson is a new author to me. I reviewed his profile. Which of his novels is the best or your favorite?

Carol wrote: "Nancy wrote: "Matt wrote: "Excellent read. Thank you for selecting. Totally surprised when time for the reveal. I appreciated how it read like an Ellery Queen mystery. Looking forward to the next r..."

For sure The Headless Lady. I need to reread these (I have the whole series here somewhere) because it's been ages, but he is very good at setting up these completely impossible situations and giving his magician/detective free rein to solve the crimes. And like in Shimada's book, red herrings abound.

Nancy wrote: "Carol wrote: "Nancy wrote: "Matt wrote: "Excellent read. Thank you for selecting. Totally surprised when time for the reveal. I appreciated how it read like an Ellery Queen mystery. Looking forward..."

Excellent. Thanks!

I'll check that out as well!

Speaking of Clayton Rawson,

https://penzlerpublishers.com/?utm_so...

I also thought aha Ellery Queen!

Nancy wrote: "Suzy wrote: "Nancy wrote: "Finished. It's been so long since I've read it that I had completely forgotten the big twist. I was just as blown away this time as I was the first time around."

I'm gla..."

Nancy wrote: "Suzy wrote: "Nancy wrote: "Finished. It's been so long since I've read it that I had completely forgotten the big twist. I was just as blown away this time as I was the first time around."

I'm gla..."

I've read (and loved!) most of the books mentioned in this link; the others are currently sitting in my TBR.

Suki wrote: "Nancy wrote: "Suzy wrote: "Nancy wrote: "Finished. It's been so long since I've read it that I had completely forgotten the big twist. I was just as blown away this time as I was the first time aro..."

Pre-ordered all, and now I just wait.

aPriL does feral sometimes wrote: "I also thought aha Ellery Queen!"

It's hard not to! Have you ever watched one of the old Ellery Queen tv shows? They actually stop and give you a moment to solve the mystery before going on.

The TV show is what got me interested in the mystery magazine of the same name of short mystery stories, too.

: )

When I was still a high school kid, I discovered The Benson Murder Case starring Philo Vance as the expert ‘locked door’ detective. There is an entire series. Some of you may enjoy these too, but they truly are old style!

aPriL does feral sometimes wrote: "When I was still a high school kid, I discovered The Benson Murder Case starring Philo Vance as the expert ‘locked door’ detective. There is an entire series. Some of you may enjoy t..."

And there's always John Dickson Carr for locked-room mysteries, if you have the patience.