Mysteries to Die For Book Club: "Tokyo Express" by Seichō Matsumoto
About this Event
The Mysteries to Die For Book Club is led by Elsie Souza, reading M**der, mayhem, and marvelous prose. From Nordic noir to British whodunits, each book reveals how crime and storytelling cross borders, and what our favorite detectives can teach us about culture, justice, and the human heart.
This month, we're reading Seichō Matsumoto'sTokyo Express—a classic of Japanese crime fiction and a fiendishly clever mystery built around train schedules, alibis, and a seemingly airtight case. When the bodies of a young couple are discovered on a secluded beach in Hakata Bay, the evidence points to a lovers' suicide. But two detectives aren't convinced. Their investigation leads them into an intricate puzzle in which a few minutes on a railway timetable may mean the difference between an impossible crime and a perfectly calculated one. First published in Japan in 1958, Tokyo Express pairs the pleasures of a meticulously constructed whodunit with a sharp portrait of postwar Japan, political corruption, and a rapidly changing society.
ABOUT THE BOOK:
In a rocky cove at Hakata Bay, the bodies of a young and beautiful couple are discovered. Standing on the cold beach, the police see nothing to investigate: The flush of the couple’s cheeks and the empty juice bottle speak clearly of cyanide, of a lovers’ suicide. But in the eyes of two men, senior detective Torigai Jutaro and Kiichi Mihara, a young gun from Tokyo, something is not quite right. Together, they begin to pick at the knot of a unique and calculated crime.
Now widely available in English for the first time, Tokyo Express is celebrated around the world as Seichō Matsumoto’s masterpiece.
PRAISE FOR THE BOOK:
“The debut novel of bestselling writer Seichō Matsumoto . . . first published in Japan in 1958 and never out of print, [is an] ingeniously plotted railway mystery.”—The Guardian
“[Tokyo Express] stands out thanks to the ‘elegant spareness of the prose,’ as Amor Towles writes in his introduction, but also because of the ingenuity of the tightly coiled plot . . . this novel floored me, and I expect it will floor other new readers, too.”—New York Times Book Review
“The descriptions are elegant, the plotting even moreso, with complex characterizations that belie the slim size of the volume. If you read one reissue this year, pick up this one.”—CrimeReads
“A timetable mystery par excellence!”—Ed Park, author of Same Bed Different Dreams
“Tokyo Express by seasoned Japanese mystery writer Seichō Matsumoto is a brilliant reminder that mysteries and thrillers are not unique to the Western world . . . Japanese crime fiction fans will especially like [it]. Nonetheless, this book is perfect for all dedicated to crime investigations and the entire gamut of personnel found once a crime has been committed.”—Great Mysteries and Thrillers
“Matsumoto’s debut novel is credited with launching the mystery genre in Japan. The story is built on the meticulous examination of data; timelines and maps and train schedules figure prominently. Its underlying message about malignant corporate growth in the aftermath of World War II adds poignancy and raises the novel above the genre’s parameters. . . . A tidy vintage whodunit with a forensic flavor.”—Kirkus Reviews
“’Japan’s Agatha Christie’ gets an overdue wide launch . . . [Tokyo Express is] a work of art.”—Book Riot
“A tight and fun read that is really perfect if you’re traveling.”—Maris Kreizman, The Maris Review
ABOUT THE AUTHOR:
Seichō Matsumoto was born in 1909 in Fukuoka, Japan. Self-educated, Matsumoto published his first book when he was forty years old, and he quickly established himself as a master of crime fiction. His exploration of human psychology and Japanese postwar malaise, coupled with the creation of twisting, dark mysteries, made him one of the most acclaimed and highest selling writers in Japan. He received the prestigious Akutagawa Prize in 1950 and the Kikuchi Kan Prize in 1970. He died in 1992.
Where is it happening?
Event Location & Nearby Stays:
USD 21.28
