Author(s): Seicho Matsumoto

Novel | Translated fiction | Japan | Crime and Thriller

In a rocky cove in the bay of Hakata, the bodies of a young and beautiful couple are discovered. Stood in the coast's wind and cold, the police see nothing to investigate- the flush of the couple's cheeks speaks clearly of cyanide, of a lovers' suicide. But in the eyes of two men, Torigai Jutaro, an old and shabby detective, and Kiichi Mihara, a young gun from Tokyo, something is not quite right. Together, they will begin to pick at the knot of a unique and calculated crime...

A coiled mystery in the vein of Georges Simenon, Tokyo Express is Seicho Matsumoto's bestselling masterwork.

Review: Tokyo Express is an irresistible Hitchcockian gem: a fiendishly-plotted crime novel told in crisp, elegant prose -- Paula Hawkins, author of The Girl on the Train
This classic of postwar Japanese crime fiction was banned in its day for its 'decadent western ideas'. Now, the fascinatingly detailed investigations of Inspector Torigai echo those of Simenon's Maigret in a pared-down narrative shot through with political critique. * Financial Times, Summer Reads 2022 *
A labyrinth of convincing alibis and false leads... Matsumoto's classic status is richly deserved * Daily Mail *
Tense, enigmatic, thrillingly weird - a glorious find -- Kevin Barry, author of Night Boat to Tangier
The debut novel of bestselling writer Seicho Matsumoto, first published in Japan in 1958 and never out of print, is an ingeniously plotted railway mystery * Guardian *
An absolute corker of a read -- so brilliantly shrouded in mystery that it was impossible to put it down -- Lisa Hall, author of Between You and Me
A fiendishly complex case. A deep understanding of human nature drives this intricately plotted masterpiece of Japanese crime writing. A timely and welcome opportunity for a new generation to discover Seicho Matsumoto -- Brian McGilloway, author of The Empty Room
The Simenon of Japan. . . a legendary writer * Le Monde *
The greatest Japanese writer of detective stories of the past century. . . Matsumoto infused the genre with social conscience. Highly recommended * La Repubblica *
Matsumoto is a necessity, reading him is like having a bowl of rice you never get tired of -- Masato Ara

Author Biography: Seicho Matsumoto (Author) Seicho Matsumoto was born in 1909 in Fukuoka, Japan. Self-educated, Matsumoto published his first book when he was forty years old and he quickly established himself as a master of crime fiction. His exploration of human psychology and Japanese post-war malaise, coupled with the creation of twisting, dark mysteries, made him one of the most acclaimed and best-selling writers in Japan. He received the prestigious Akutagawa Literary Prize in 1950 and the Kikuchi Kan Prize in 1970. He died in 1992.