The Inugami Curse by Seishi Yokomizo (Author), Yumiko Yamakazi (Translator)
The most well-known investigator in Japan appears in this twisted classic murder mystery by one of the country’s greatest crime novelists.
The affluent clan leader of the Inugami family passes away in 1940s Japan, and his family excitedly awaits the reading of his will. But as soon as its peculiar details are made public, a string of unusual and horrifying murders starts. In order to locate the culprit and remove the curse exacting brutal retribution against the Inugami’s, Detective Kindaichi must uncover the clan’s horrific secrets of forbidding relationships, horrifying cruelty, and hidden identities.
The Inugami Curse, written by a titan of Japanese crime fiction and starring the illustrious investigator Kosuke Kindaichi, is a wicked, cleverly organized classic mystery.
The Inugami Curse by Seishi Yokomizo (Author), Yumiko Yamakazi (Translator)
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The Inugami Curse was initially written between January 1950 and May 1951 for the Kodansha Press publication King. This occurred at the conclusion of the American occupation after the government had removed its ban on Western-style detective puzzles. It was one of the Kindaichi series’ most well-liked tales.
One of the towns in Nagano Prefecture is where the narrative is situated. It concerns Sahei Inugami, the head of that country’s silk mill industry. Since Japan’s modernization in the middle of the 19th century, silk mills have grown to be one of the country’s leading industries. Sahei Inugami had reached the pinnacle of the field during the Sino-Japanese War, Russo-Japanese War, and the Pacific War.
As he lies on his Japanese futon at the opening of the book, family members are waiting for him to say anything about who will inherit the company as they sit on the tatami floor around him. But he stops breathing and remains silent, simply stating that his will is with the family attorney and that its details can only be revealed in the presence of the entire family. Kiyo Inugami, the oldest son, who is returning from World War II, is the only person who is missing.
The oldest son’s return from the war is crucial for the family since it will determine who will inherit the family company. The plot centres on a string of horrifying and unexplained killings carried out in accordance with the will. But you also get a glimpse of how the war in Japan affected not only the one who went to fight but also the others who stayed at home and hoped that their loved ones would return home safely. Being a member of the post-war generation, I find that to be interesting.
