The Meiji Guillotine Murders - Futaro Yamada

The Meiji Guillotine Murders by Futaro Yamada, translated by Bryan Karetnyk / ISBN 9781782278887 / 379-page paperback from Pushkin Vertigo

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‘An audacious puzzle mystery, woven into an exquisitely crafted historical tale. One of the most original works in the history of Japanese mystery writing’ Haruo Yuki, author of The Ark

Tokyo, 1869. It is the dawn of the Meiji era in Japan, but the scars of the recent civil war are yet to heal. The new regime struggles to keep the peace as old scores are settled and dangerous new ideas flood into the country from the West.

A new police force promises to bring order to this land of feuding samurai warlords, and chief inspectors Kazuki and Kawaji are two of its brightest stars. Together they investigate a spree of baffling murders across the capital, moving from dingy drinking dens to high-class hotels and the heart of the Imperial Palace. Can they solve these seemingly impossible crimes and save the country from slipping into chaos once more?

Futaro Yamada is the pen name of Seiya Yamada. He was born in 1922 in Hyogo Prefecture, Japan, and graduated from the faculty of medicine at Tokyo University. He made his authorial debut in 1947 with the short story 'The Incident at the Dharma Pass' and went on to write over a hundred novels and short stories. Known for his versatility, he is best loved in Japan for his series of ninja novels and historical crime novels. Many of his works have been adapted for film, television, manga and anime. He died in 2001.