Year of publishing: 2005

Genre: Crime/ mystery novel

Plot: This mind-blowing thriller is hands down the best mystery work produced in Japan. When a man’s body is found and identified, police detective Kusanagi latches onto Yasuko, a single mother suspected of murdering her notorious ex-husband. However, the police’s suspicions are dismissed by Yasuko’s soft-spoken yet mysterious neighbour, who’s a mathematical genius. Caught at the centre of the most puzzling, mysterious circumstances, detective Kusanagi must use his genius skills to understand the mastermind behind this (nearly) perfectly crafted crime.

Why you should read it: The Devotion of Suspect X is the most popular modern Japanese thriller to date. It has won the 134th Naoki Prize and the sixth Honkaku Mystery Award, which is the most prestigious award for mystery novels in Japan. Moreover, the novel was recently adapted into a Hindi film, Jaane Jaan, which got rave reviews. It also has Japanese, South Korean and Chinese film adaptations.

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Year of publishing: 2006

Genre: Mystery/ detective fiction

Plot: A combination of two classic Japanese detective fiction, this book is penned by none other than Japan’s grand master of mystery Edogawa Rampo. The Black Lizard and Beast features the iconic Japanese detective Kogoro Akechi, who finds himself in an epic battle with a master criminal who’s equally deadly and beautiful. Meanwhile, Best in the Shadows chronicles the story of a mystery writer who vows to protect the woman he loves from any danger. However, things take a nasty turn when he turns into a detective.

Why you should read it: This book will enthral you with supernatural and erotic undertones. Perfect tales of obsession and revenge, these two stories have twists, turns, surprises and unexpected occurrences to keep you hooked.

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Year of publishing: 1948

Genre: Crime/ murder mystery

Plot: Pulpy, juicy and absolutely gory: The Tattoo Murder is set in the late 1940s in Tokyo, right after the horrors of World War II. The classic locked room mystery introduces us to Kinue, a beautiful tattooed woman who also happens to be the daughter of a famous tattoo artist. Days later, the celebrated woman turns into a dismembered corpse. Her severed limbs are found in a room locked from inside, but what’s missing is the part bearing the whole body tattoo.

Kinue’s terrified boyfriend joins hands with detective Kyosuke Kamizu to unravel the heinous crime. However, similar deaths follow soon. Can they catch this serial killer who’s insanely obsessed with tattooed people before another disaster strikes?

Why you should read it: It’s the most legendary whodunit in the history of Japanese literature. The book will also acquaint you with life in post-war Japan, including the food, house, and social life.

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Year of publishing: 1997

Genre: Thriller/ mystery/ crime fiction

Plot: Unlike other titles on the list, this one’s not a detective story. The novel introduces us to four women working in a bento factory in Tokyo, leading really hard lives. One of them, Yoyoi, kills her abusive husband in a fit of rage, and well, the next day, asks her colleagues to help her dispose of the body and cover up the crime. While they may have covered up the bloody murder, the real trouble awaits them as they find themselves trapped in the terrifying underworld of Japanese society.

Why you should read it: Out has won the 51st Mystery Writers of Japan Award for best novel. Moreover, its English translation was nominated for the 2004 Edgar Award for Best Novel. It’s unnerving, fantastic, and has wonderful characterisation that’s definitely not for the weak-hearted.

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Year of publishing: 1946

Genre: Murder/ crime/ historical fiction

Plot: This locked-room murder mystery introduces us to the wealthy Ichiyanagi family, who are buzzing with excitement ahead of the marriage of their son, Kenzo. Amid the wedding preparations, there’s a rise in worrying rumours of a masked man asking questions about the Ichiyanagis across the village.

Well, the sinister rumours end on the fateful night of the wedding. An assailant murders the bride and groom in a locked room, and what’s left behind is a bloodied Samurai sword and a handprint. Detective Kosuke Kindaichi is tasked to get to the bottom of the mayhem.

Why you should read it: One of the first novels featuring detective Kosuke Kindaichi, The Honjin Murders is one of the best examples of honkaku wherein no unexpected twists or villains show up at the end and readers are given a fair chance to solve the murder. It’s a wickedly fun, short and engaging mystery.

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Year of publishing: 1951

Genre: Murder mystery

Plot: The book is a part of the murder mystery series which started with The Honjin Murders, starring the ace detective Kosuke Kindaichi. It follows the murder of Sahei Inugami, the wealthy patriarch of the Inugami clan. The whole family is marred by dark and dirty secrets, which start to unravel when a series of murders begin following the death of the head. The string of possible heirs and a new will further complicate the murders as multiple people stand to benefit from the deaths. Kosuke Kindaichi uses his wits to unravel the dark truth.

Why you should read it: It’s a very intricately plotted whodunnit about family fortune, a family feud and family secrets. Dramatic, rich in symbolism and full of suspense, The Inugami Curse tests your intelligence and patience as you try to trace the killer.

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Year of publishing: 1981

Genre: Thriller/ crime/ mystery fiction

Plot: An artist lives with his seven family members, who are all women. His twisted mind has plotted the murder of each one of his family members, penning the execution in detail in his notes and diaries. However, before things can go according to his plan, he’s murdered. In this classic honkaku locked room style, he’s killed in his office room locked from the inside.

However, the murders don’t stop here. What follows is the death of the other women in an eerily similar manner as described in the artist’s books. The gruesome three-part crime novel begins with the death of the artist Umezawa, the rape and murder of his daughter and finally, the gory dismemberment of the other six women. It’s a massive bloodbath you’re not ready for.

Why you should read it: The story progresses quickly once the detectives make some progress in their roles. And more importantly, this book has hands-down the best climax ever. Simply mind-blowing. You’ll be left numb for hours to follow.

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Year of publishing: 1950

Genre: Mystery, Fiction

Plot: Another Kosuke Kindaichi detective story, The Village of Eight Graves takes readers back to a 16th-century lore about eight samurais who had taken refuge deep in the mountains, only to be killed by the inhabitants. A dark curse then befalls the village, giving it the infamous name. Centuries later a man named Tatsuya arrives in the Village of Eight Graves, and what follows is a series of deadly poisonings. Who is this new arrival and what dark history plagues the village?

Why you should read it: The novel is absorbing and addictive, with the village itself being the main character at the centre of all murders. Neatly tucked in feudal history, myth and the scenic mountain countryside, The Village of Eight Graves is an immersive read.

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Year of publishing: 1996

Genre: Murder/ crime fiction

Plot: Kunihiko Hidaka is a famous novelist who’s planning to leave Japan and relocate to Vancouver. However, before he can embark on this new chapter, he’s brutally murdered in his home. His wife and best friend  Osamu Nonoguchi find his body in the office, and their alibis are rock solid. Police detective Kyochiro Kaga is tasked to solve this crime mystery. During his investigation, one interesting fact comes to the forefront. Nonoguchi turns out to be the detective’s former colleague at a public school, who left his teaching job to pursue a career in writing…however… he didn’t turn out even nearly as successful as Hidaka.

Why you should read it: The book offers a modern and more gripping take on the classic Japanese locked-room mystery. The past connection between Nonoguchi and Detective Kaga brings an interesting spin to the investigation, something you really can’t miss. Moreover, there’s a murder confession in the middle of the novel, but that’s just the beginning…

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Year of publishing: 1987

Genre: Mystery/ thriller

Plot: The book pays homage to Agatha Christie’s bestselling novel And Then There Were None. It takes you on a thrilling adventure undertaken by the members of a university mystery club who visit an isolated island where multiple locked-room murders have happened in the past. The students slowly fall into the murderous trap while staying at the island’s only remaining building, The Decagon House and are picked off one by one. The remaining amateurs rush against time to find the murderer after receiving an eerie letter from the now-deceased owner of the island. Is the killer among the remaining students or is it the mysteriously deceased owner of the Decagon House?

Why you should read it: It has one of the best climaxes ever written! Littered with unexpected twists and trails of hints along the way, The Decagon House Murders will urge you to put all your brain cells to use.

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