The Inugami Curse by Seishi Yokomizo

The Inugami Curse Review

Rating: ★ ★ ★ ☆ ☆ (4.25 out of 5)

The Inugami Curse is an unpredictable, intense murder mystery set in post-World War II rural Japan. Originally written in Japanese, I read the English copy translated by Yumiko Yamazaki. As some long-time readers may remember, I began Eunabi Reads by reviewing mainly murder mystery books, as the genre is exciting and interesting to follow. This book was a refreshing reminder of my love for murder mystery books. The puzzling plot and vivid imagery kept me on the edge of my seat. Following the death of the head of the wealthy Inugami clan, the contents of Sahei Inugami's will are revealed, causing a great rift within the already quarreling family. Soon, members of the Inugami clan are killed, and as tensions grow, detective Kindaichi must discover who is committing the murders.

Throughout the novel, the seemingly impossible murders are described in gruesome detail, yet the violence continues as Kindaichi struggles to determine the perpetrator. At times, I found the plot to be extremely confusing. It follows Kindaichi's progress, but he is often perplexed by the situation and comes to incorrect conclusions. His inconclusive thoughts clouded my understanding of the murders. However, I found it interesting that the writing mirrored the confusion one might feel in such a bizarre case, and the storyline added to the novel's complexity. As I turned each page with anticipation, my excitement and interest in the book grew. Although I am sure some of the original writing may have been lost in translation, the translation was well done, and the writing style was relatively easy to read. The dialogue was not awkwardly worded, and scenes were depicted with great detail. The beginning of the novel includes a character list, which was very helpful in distinguishing the various characters and establishing their connections to the late Sahei Inugami.

The immediate family members of Sahei Inugami are painted as selfish and greedy, impatiently waiting for the contents of Sahei Inugami’s will to leave all of his wealth to themselves. The narrator describes and analyzes the behavior of each relative, detailing their glares full of hatred for one another. Throughout the novel, the evil lengths that Sahei’s daughters are willing to go to become abundantly clear. Their heartless conversations and disregard for others added depth to their characters. Rather than reading as flat side characters, the relatives added interesting moments to the dialogue and complex plot. Standing at around 300 pages, the book was well-paced and would make a fantastic weekend read. I would recommend this to readers who love unpredictable endings and intricate murder mysteries.  

When Sahei Inugami, the head of the wealthy Inugami clan, passes away, his family impatiently waits for the contents of his will to be revealed. However, when the details of the will are disclosed, the family is outraged by the unexpected, bizarre conditions. Soon, violent, bloody murders begin to eat away at the remaining Inugami clan. Detective Kindaichi must identify the perpetrator to stop the killings, but surrounded by a family of deception and distrust, the Inugami Curse presents a perplexing case.