Sesishi Yokomizo's The Inugami Curse

 

Thanks to the overnight success of the English Translations of kiego Higashino, many forgotten classics from Japanese Mystery have started finding their way to global readers. The efforts of  Pushkin Vertigo in reviving many of the forgotten Japanese classic murder mysteries and presenting them to bibliophiles worldwide are also worth mentioning.

Since this one is a mystery, and I don't wish to spoil the fun for those who are yet to read it, I am not going much into the plot details. But if you ask me to brief a bit, here it is- The story is set in the 40 s, the wealthy head of the Inugami clan has just died, and his family is eagerly waiting for the reading of his will. But a series of bizarre, graphic murders ensue, and how these all are connected with Inugami's will and his past is what the Novel is about.

Though this work is almost 82+ years old, it has to be noted that it hasn't become outdated. The twists and turns feel fresh, and not even during the narrative can the reader feel that the whole story is happening in an era where mobile phones and modern gizmos were unheard of. It is also recalled that even though this work was written a long time ago, that hasn't given way to any jarring plotholes in the narrative. Though I have had this book with me for almost a year now, I had so far refrained from picking it up to read as I had anticipated this one to be a confusing mystery. Still, I am glad this one ended up as a pretty straightforward, engaging Mystery for me. Special thanks to the Publishers for including the character list upfront so those who might find it difficult to follow the character names can use this as a ready reckoner. The translation is quite good, and special mention the efforts taken by Yumiko Yamazaki for making this an enjoyable read for present-day readers. The backdrop of the War and Japanese tradition also comes across nicely in the Novel.

On the downside, I found the climax revelation slightly underwhelming. Agreed, all the loose ends have been tied up, but still, the villain's identity didn't come as a shocker to me.

Overall, The Inugami Curse by Seishi Yokomizo, Published by Pushkin Vertigo, is engaging. If you love Mystery thrillers, you should try this one.

-nikhimenon