I enjoyed this twisty and occasionally disturbing mystery, set in a rural Japanese village about 25 years after the end of the Second World War. Detective Kosuke Kindaichi is investigating a string of mysterious poisonings in Eight Graves hat are said to be the sacrifices demanded by the eight samurai whose graves name the village. The book was on the long side, but I was compelled to finish it in a day. I was able to predict some elements of the story (if someone says “Come meet me tomorrow, I have important information to tell you,” it is nearly certain that that person will be killed), but overall this kept me guessing and I really liked it. Looking forward to more Kindaichi adventures! ( )

Hellishly Creepy and Twisted.......................
What an amazing horror book, The Village of Eight Graves by Seishi Yokomizo turned out. The book is translated from Japanese and is a perfect horror read. If you are a beginner and looking for a horror book, then this should be your first choice. The plot literally gave me goosebumps as I was reading it in night. And, the best thing is the detailing the author has provided to brew the mystery. The same vibe flows through the whole story and, there is no point where you will get bored. Every time you turn a page, a jump scare is ready for you.

I would, definitely, give the book 5 stars. Thanks to Netgalley and Pushkin Press for providing me an opportunity to read and review the book. ( )

'There must be a story there, they'll think. And indeed, a story there is - and a strange one.'

The third of prolific Japanese author's Seishi Yokomizo's detective series to get an English translation (although, bizarrely, this is actually the 4th in the original series and is being published after the 6th in the series, The Inugami Clan - go figure!). Fans of fiendish puzzles, strange goings-on and clues a-plenty will relish this.

The story is told in the first-person by Tatsuya, who is told that he is to inherit an estate from a family he never knew. His father had gone on a killing rampage some 26 years earlier, and suddenly, now that Tatsuya has been contacted by a lawyer, more people start to die. When he finally arrives at the village that has the name of Eight Graves things get worse and, as the body count increases Tatsuya himself becomes a suspect. Enter the shabby, scruffy detective Kosuke Kindaichi - will he be able to work out just who is killing of the other members of the family?

The first-person narrative voice makes this a slightly different take on events from, say, the other two books previously published in English. The character of Kindaichi is seen only through the eyes of Tatsuya, and really isn't in the book all that much, so it is much more of a feeling of being in the midst of events rather than them being seen from a distance. The clues are there (although I'm such a dolt I can never work out what's going on), but the book is a wonderfully atmospheric and eventful ride and will ensure that you don't want to put the book down until you finish.

4 stars for fans of well-written and well-plotted crime fiction. ( )

Seishi Yokomizo is one of the most re-known murder mystery writers in Japan, famous for his character Kosuke Kindaichi. I read this due to a recommendation from a dear Japanese friend of mine who is well versed in all Japanese literature (a great asset to have!). And it was just as fun to read as I expected.

This particular book is about Tatsuya, who has been asked to come back to the village from his childhood, the Village of Eight Tombs, to claim an inheritance. However, this is a village that his mother had escaped in his youth due to a frightful attack and this is now a village that, he has been warned, he should not return to lest something horrible happen. And horrible things do happen as a series of murders follow him as soon as he learns about his inheritance.

All in all a fun read with some actually interesting notes on the differences between village versus city mentality and lifestyle.

My only huh? moment was the character Kosuke Kindaichi. He actually rarely makes an appearance in the book and isn't even needed to solve the mystery. From this one book alone I can't tell if he's supposed to be a spoof character of if he's supposed to be a highly respected character. I'd have to read another (and I will) to see if it's the same thing. But really interesting that he really doesn't play a big role at all. In fact, the police are pretty much worthless in this book. Interesting.

Fun read, nevertheless! ( )