The Noh Mask Murder

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By Akimitsu Takagi & Jesse Kirkwood

Publisher Description

"A wickedly plotted mystery with a metafictional twist that feels far fresher than those of more contemporary versions with the same idea" — The New York Times

A bewildering locked-room murder occurs as an amateur crime writer investigates strange events in the Chizurui mansion in this prizewinning classic Japanese mystery

The 1st book in English from Akimitsu Takagi since his “Clever, kinky, and highly entertaining” The Tattoo Murder Case (Washington Post)

This ingeniously constructed masterpiece, written by one of Japan's most celebrated crime writers and translated into English for the first time, is perfect for locked-room mystery fans who can’t resist a breathtaking conclusion.

In the Chizurui family mansion, a haunting presence casts a shadow over its residents. By night, an eerie figure, clad in a sinister Hannya mask is seen roaming around the house. An amateur murder mystery writer, Akimitsu Takagi, is sent to investigate — but his investigation takes a harrowing turn as tragedy strikes the Chizurui family.

Within the confines of a locked study, the head of the family is found dead, with only an ominous Hannya mask lying on the floor by his side and the lingering scent of jasmine in the air as clues to his mysterious murder.

As Takagi delves deeper into the perplexing case, he discovers a tangled web of secrets and grudges. Can he discover the link between the family and the curse of the Hannya mask? Who was the person who called the undertaker and asked for three coffins on the night of the murder? And do those three coffins mean the curse of the Hannya mask is about to strike again?

The Noh Mask Murder’s legendary ending offers locked-room mystery fans the perfect coda to an ingenously constructed mystery.

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74 Reviews

3.5

Ian without an e

Created 7 days ago

“This book embodies the concept of “slow start, strong finish” although admittedly there were times where the story felt dragging. Still, it’s a breath of fresh hair compared to its Western counterparts with faster pacing, yet sometimes hit or miss conclusion.”

One-dimensional Slow start, strong finish Setting fits the story Sexual assault

ross bugbee

Created 12 days ago

Aryan Kunti

Created 26 days ago

“Finished my first novel of the year. I read the back of the book before starting the it and there it said that, it had "breathing ending" and the back wasn't lying. Of all the Japanese Detective fiction I have read so far, this one was the most thought providing. And all them had characteristically had great suspense and complex characters, are if not always a mind boggling twist or climax. And this too was no exception. I always end up comparing a Japanese detective story I finished with the others I read before it. They are all so similar, yet unique in their own rights and almost feel like they take place in the same world of fiction, which is what makes them wo fascinating to me. Kindaichi, Takagi, Galileo are all part of the same Honkaku world.”

Believable Memorable Addictive Clever plotting Atmospheric Dark Beautifully-written Easy to read

tinycl0ud

Created about 1 month ago

“I read his previous book, ‘The Tattoo Murder Case’, which made me feel a little nauseated as a tattooed person myself. This book is a lot less gory—the deaths are bloodless and there is no dismemberment haha—but with twice the drama. So much drama. There should be a movie adaptation. This is one of the more structurally interesting uses of nested narratives because the author himself features as a character. The premise goes that the ‘author’, an engineer, received a request from a chemist, Koichi, about the illustrious Chizui family, but we are informed that Koichi and the entire family died in the process of solving the mystery. Soon after, the prosecutor in charge sends the ‘author’ Koichi’s journal sandwiched between two letters. I was very amused by how Koichi’s journal portrayed the ‘author’ in an unflattering light. It was very tongue-in-cheek and provided levity in what is otherwise quite a complicated detective story. The Chizui family is a hot mess. They had one good ancestor who died under mysterious circumstances, then the rest are sick or depraved in some way. Given the time period, a 28-year-old unmarried woman is considered a pitiful and desperate spinster. The locked room components were interesting mechanical puzzles but required a bit of imagination. I liked the Noh references and the fact that at the end of the day, justice was served even if it ran contrary to the law. There was also a surprising number of references to Shakespeare’s ‘The Merchant of Venice’. A renowned scientist hiding a coded message in poetic verse, and his daughter doing likewise in a poem from a love letter? It’s not often you see such interdisciplinary harmony in a detective novel.”

About Akimitsu Takagi

AKIMITSU TAKAGI was born in Japan in 1920 and went on to work as an aeronautical engineer until the end of the Second World War. He later decided to become a mystery writer on the recommendation of a fortune teller. He went on to become one of the country's most popular crime authors. The Noh Mask Murder won the prestigious Mystery Writers Club Award and is considered one of the great classic Japanese whodunits. It is his second novel to appear in English, following The Tattoo Murder Case.

JESSE KIRKWOOD is a literary translator working from Japanese into English. The recipient of the 2020 Harvill Secker Young Translators’ Prize, his translations include The Kamogawa Food Detectives by Hisashi Kashiwai, Tokyo Express by Seicho Matsumoto and A Perfect Day to Be Alone by Nanae Aoyama.