The Village of Eight Graves
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- Create Date：2021-12-15 08:51:02
- Update Date：2025-09-07
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- Author：Seishi Yokomizo
- ISBN：1782277455
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Summary
The third title in Japan’s most popular murder mystery series — after The Honjin Murders and The Inugami Curse — fiendish classics featuring investigator Kosuke Kindaichi。
Nestled deep in the mist-shrouded mountains， The Village of Eight Graves takes its name from a bloody legend: in the Sixteenth Century eight samurais， who had taken refuge there along with a secret treasure， were murdered by the inhabitants， bringing a terrible curse down upon their village。
Centuries later a mysterious young man named Tatsuya arrives in town， bringing a spate of deadly poisonings in his wake。 The inimitably scruffy and brilliant Kosuke Kindaichi investigates。
Nestled deep in the mist-shrouded mountains， The Village of Eight Graves takes its name from a bloody legend: in the Sixteenth Century eight samurais， who had taken refuge there along with a secret treasure， were murdered by the inhabitants， bringing a terrible curse down upon their village。
Centuries later a mysterious young man named Tatsuya arrives in town， bringing a spate of deadly poisonings in his wake。 The inimitably scruffy and brilliant Kosuke Kindaichi investigates。
Reviews
Vivienne
，
“You see this map， darling？ You must always keep it safe。 Don’t ever lose it。 One day it may make you a very lucky person。 So don’t tear it up， don’t throw it away。 Most importantly， though， don’t ever tell anyone about it…” Tsuruko to her son， Tatsuya。 My thanks to Pushkin Press Pushkin Vertigo for an eARC via NetGalley of ‘The Village of Eight Graves’ by Seishi Yokomizo。 It was originally published in Japan in 1951 and translated in 2021 from the Japanese by Bryan Karetnyk。 This is the third d “You see this map， darling？ You must always keep it safe。 Don’t ever lose it。 One day it may make you a very lucky person。 So don’t tear it up， don’t throw it away。 Most importantly， though， don’t ever tell anyone about it…” Tsuruko to her son， Tatsuya。 My thanks to Pushkin Press Pushkin Vertigo for an eARC via NetGalley of ‘The Village of Eight Graves’ by Seishi Yokomizo。 It was originally published in Japan in 1951 and translated in 2021 from the Japanese by Bryan Karetnyk。 This is the third detective novel by Seishi Yokomizo featuring Detective Kosuke Kindaichi to be translated to English。 Book 4， Gokumon Island， is forthcoming next year。 The Village of Eight Graves， nestled deep in the mountains， takes its name from a local legend that tells of eight samurais， who in the sixteenth century had taken refuge there along with a secret treasure。 When the inhabitants murdered the samurai they are said to have brought down a terrible curse upon the village。 A curse believed to continue。In this mystery Kosuke Kindaichi is more of a supporting character。 The narrator of the tale， who is writing of these events， is Tatsuya Tarade。 His mother， Tsuruko， had left the village when he was a child and he was unaware of his origins。 Now he has been contacted by a solicitor with news of an inheritance。 He also learns some disturbing facts about his family。 He returns to the village of Eight Graves to discover more。 However， a spate of poisonings accompany Tatsuya and suspicion quickly falls upon him。 The outwardly scruffy yet brilliant Kosuke Kindaichi investigates。 （Kosuke Kindaichi unassuming appearance and razor-sharp mind could almost make him a prototype of Columbo）I found this an unusual and complex mystery。 Seishi Yokomizo’s plotting is meticulous and provides plenty of twists。 He is acknowledged as the Master of Golden Age crime fiction in Japan。 I enjoyed it very much。 Again， I am so pleased that Pushkin Press have undertaken to publish his Detective Kindaichi mysteries in English。 Also， kudos to the publishers’ design team for creating a set of extremely eye-catching covers。 。。。more
SH
，
This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers。 To view it， click here。 Seishi Yokomizo's novels are often set in rural environments， when a typically urban outsider is dropped into a rural community， with its myriad secrets， superstitions and tensions。 Yokomizo is a master of using the superstitions of a place to evoke an atmosphere of dread and terror。 In the Village of Eight Graves， he again displays his mastery of atmosphere， crafting a tale set in a paranoid village with a cruel history， and a house beset with a recent history of violence。Another of Yokomizo's Seishi Yokomizo's novels are often set in rural environments， when a typically urban outsider is dropped into a rural community， with its myriad secrets， superstitions and tensions。 Yokomizo is a master of using the superstitions of a place to evoke an atmosphere of dread and terror。 In the Village of Eight Graves， he again displays his mastery of atmosphere， crafting a tale set in a paranoid village with a cruel history， and a house beset with a recent history of violence。Another of Yokomizo's strengths is the strength of his set pieces， written almost as if they were intended for the screen。 In this novel， there are some strong scenes which evoke strong visuals; [SPOILERS] including the wax corpse in the samurai armour， a fatal poisoning of a monk in a family party， impish twin octogenarians descending into a secret passage， and a scramble in the curves being pursued by a paranoid mob。 This is to say， I thought this novel was fun and because it was， I enjoyed it， for its pulpish horror and mystery elements。 There is a sense in which the denouement of his novels always involve the puncturing of the mystery and the atmosphere that had been painstakingly built up， typically ending in an explanation of how everything was due to some human element， sometimes bizzare， that makes sense only in specific context。 I thought the ending of this did have some （vaguely misogynistic） evil woman vibes （The evil women were also clearly contrasted against the good women， who the narrator trusted instinctively due to their kindness yadda yadda。）。 。。。more
Miru_reads
，
I requested The Village of Eight Graves via NetGalley to give Seishi Yokomizo a second chance！ I really did not enjoy the Inugami Curse at all but Yokomizo wrote 77 novels featuring detective Kosuke Kindaichi so his work is most definitely popular。 Surely I must be missing something？Well， now I get it！ The Village of the Eight Graves kept me far more engaged in the mystery but also the characters too。 That was a major failing for me in the Inugami Curse as I really didn’t care what happened to t I requested The Village of Eight Graves via NetGalley to give Seishi Yokomizo a second chance！ I really did not enjoy the Inugami Curse at all but Yokomizo wrote 77 novels featuring detective Kosuke Kindaichi so his work is most definitely popular。 Surely I must be missing something？Well， now I get it！ The Village of the Eight Graves kept me far more engaged in the mystery but also the characters too。 That was a major failing for me in the Inugami Curse as I really didn’t care what happened to that unlikeable family。 This time I was rooting for narrator Tatsuya and wanted to know who was behind all these deaths。 As the story was told through Tatsuya’s eyes， we don’t have much of an insight into the thinking of detective Kindaichi。 He pops up now and again and Tatsuya tells us what he does and that’s enough。 The reader gets to experience the mystery rather than just spectate。 Didn’t think I would say it but I look forward to reading more by Yokomizo！Thank you to Pushkin Vertigo and NetGalley for the opportunity to read this story。 。。。more
Ecem Yücel
，
Many thanks to NetGalley and Pushkin Press for the advance copy of the book in exchange for an honest review。This was my first Seishi Yokomizo novel， though I also have the previous ones added to my to-read list for a long time。 Though it's a Detective Kosuke Kindaichi novel， it's a standalone one， so reading the newest novel of Yokomizo in English before the previous ones didn't cause any issues。 I've read online that Yokomizo is called Japan's Agatha Christie， and I surely saw some similaritie Many thanks to NetGalley and Pushkin Press for the advance copy of the book in exchange for an honest review。This was my first Seishi Yokomizo novel， though I also have the previous ones added to my to-read list for a long time。 Though it's a Detective Kosuke Kindaichi novel， it's a standalone one， so reading the newest novel of Yokomizo in English before the previous ones didn't cause any issues。 I've read online that Yokomizo is called Japan's Agatha Christie， and I surely saw some similarities between the styles of this novel and Hercule Poirot novels。 But the Japanese cultural elements definitely enriched the former and put it on an original， different track than the latter。 I loved how the author wove Japanese superstitions into a detective mystery。 The way the events unfold is very well-written since it makes the reader keep guessing until the end。 The story also flows easily and quickly that you don't realize you've read so many pages in one sitting。 All in all， I really liked the book， and will definitely read The Honjin Murders and The Inugami Curse soon。 。。。more
Pamela Scott
，
https://thebookloversboudoir。wordpres。。。I really enjoyed The Village of Eight Graves and will probably read the other two books。 I tend to enjoy Japanese fiction and crime fiction so thought I’d enjoy this。 I was pulled into the book from the early pages recounting the massacre that made the village infamous。 This is the kind of book you get caught up in， full of twists， turns and misdirection until you start to suspect nobody can be trusted。 I thought this was terrific。 https://thebookloversboudoir。wordpres。。。I really enjoyed The Village of Eight Graves and will probably read the other two books。 I tend to enjoy Japanese fiction and crime fiction so thought I’d enjoy this。 I was pulled into the book from the early pages recounting the massacre that made the village infamous。 This is the kind of book you get caught up in， full of twists， turns and misdirection until you start to suspect nobody can be trusted。 I thought this was terrific。 。。。more
Lata
，
3。5 stars。The Village of Eight Graves got its name from the eight samurai murdered for the gold they had and buried there many years before the start the narrator’s recounting of a series of murders at this same village。 The villagers believe their village， or specifically， one of the village families， is cursed for perpetrating the samurai murders， especially after a descendant of this family went on a rampage， killing several of the villagers， many years after the initial eight murders。Years l 3。5 stars。The Village of Eight Graves got its name from the eight samurai murdered for the gold they had and buried there many years before the start the narrator’s recounting of a series of murders at this same village。 The villagers believe their village， or specifically， one of the village families， is cursed for perpetrating the samurai murders， especially after a descendant of this family went on a rampage， killing several of the villagers， many years after the initial eight murders。Years later， Tatsuya， a solitary young man living in Kobe， is contacted and told he’s wealthy， and must come to this village。 It turns out Tatsuya is the son of the man who killed his fellow villagers， but Tatsuya is not apprised of his father’s rampage till shortly before leaving Tokyo。 Unfortunately， it appears the curse is still in effect， for when Tatsuya’s grandfather comes from the village to meet Tatsuyo， he dies unexpectedly， tainting Tatsuya’s expectations for this new stage of his life， and several other villagers are murdered once Tatsuya arrives at Eight Graves， casting suspicion upon him as the son of a murderer。Unexpectedly， a rumpled-looking detective， Kosuke Kindaichi， comes to the village and investigates the events， until he reveals the identity and motives of the murderer。 The pacing is slow by modern standards， but I liked the atmosphere of the village; it felt insular， quiet， suspicious of outsiders， and I liked how Tatsuya felt odd and out of sorts there。 Also， with each successive murder， the tension was nicely built。 I did find Tatsuya's understanding of women to be mostly nonexistent， and one of his relationships never made any sense to me。 Also， I'm not sure that the clues entirely pointed to who the murderer actually was， but I still enjoyed this book。Thank you to Netgalley and to Pushkin Press for this ARC in exchange for my review。 。。。more
Marcy Thomas
，
Keep these books coming Pushkin！I absolutely love Yokomizo’s work。 Now being translated to English for the first time， we finally get to read these crime novels。 It’s very obvious that there are Sherlock Holmes influences in The Honjin Murders and The Inugami Curse， with the detective being almost a carbon copy of him， but he still has enough of an identity to still be interesting。So it’s odd that Yokomizo’s takes a different approach to this one。 This novel is told from a new perspective， of a Keep these books coming Pushkin！I absolutely love Yokomizo’s work。 Now being translated to English for the first time， we finally get to read these crime novels。 It’s very obvious that there are Sherlock Holmes influences in The Honjin Murders and The Inugami Curse， with the detective being almost a carbon copy of him， but he still has enough of an identity to still be interesting。So it’s odd that Yokomizo’s takes a different approach to this one。 This novel is told from a new perspective， of a man haunted by a the gruesome events of his family， and now those events are repeating themselves again， and he is seen as the main culprit。It’s an interesting choice to make， and while it worked， I did miss our detective。 He hardly showed up in the narrative， only appearing to make his deductions， and I wish he had a bigger role。It’s still a very good novel， with Yokomizo’s familiar style and wit， and I am eager to read more if his books。 I can’t wait to get my hands on it when the next one is available。 。。。more
Charlotte
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4。5 starsThe Village of Eight Graves has a bloody and murderous history; so when Tatsuya is contacted about an inheritance and must return and his feelings of unease are justified as before he steps foot in the village someone dies and the deaths don't stop。 Is the curse on the village real or is someone out for blood。The dark history of the village and the characters were all beautifully written and I was captivated; the terrible dark history of the village had me fearing for Tatsuya but as soo 4。5 starsThe Village of Eight Graves has a bloody and murderous history; so when Tatsuya is contacted about an inheritance and must return and his feelings of unease are justified as before he steps foot in the village someone dies and the deaths don't stop。 Is the curse on the village real or is someone out for blood。The dark history of the village and the characters were all beautifully written and I was captivated; the terrible dark history of the village had me fearing for Tatsuya but as soon as the scruffy Kosuke arrived on the scene I knew that he was the one who would solve the mystery A gripping read that I couldn't put down。Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for a copy of the novel in exchange for an honest review 。。。more
Mru Natu
，
The title of the book was enough to give me the creeps and pick it right away。 I was aware of the success of The Honjin Murders and The Inugami Curse by the same author， and that is why I decided to pick this book immediately when I saw it on NetGalley。 I was not disappointed。 Terrible myths， curses， murders， madmen， fugitives， the prodigal son， a picturesque village， and a hidden treasure。 Combined with brilliant story-telling and ingenious plot twists。 And I was unable to put this book down。 I The title of the book was enough to give me the creeps and pick it right away。 I was aware of the success of The Honjin Murders and The Inugami Curse by the same author， and that is why I decided to pick this book immediately when I saw it on NetGalley。 I was not disappointed。 Terrible myths， curses， murders， madmen， fugitives， the prodigal son， a picturesque village， and a hidden treasure。 Combined with brilliant story-telling and ingenious plot twists。 And I was unable to put this book down。 It was an absolutely thrilling and nerve-tingling ride。 I enjoyed the mystery immensely and could never have imagined by whom and why the multiple murders were committed。 I like that the author explored the perspective that killers explore the superstitious nature of villagers to commit horrific deeds， by misusing old myths。 The characters were so varied and immensely entertaining， and the mystery of the hidden caves and their ambiance and maze-like structure， where all the action happened， was truly bone-chilling。 Also， the Japanese culture， traditions， and myths that I learned in the process were very entertaining and enlightening as well。 If you enjoy mythical stories and cultural mysteries that thrill， this one is a must-read for you。 。。。more
Megan
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*I received an eARC via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review。*I had so much fun reading this book！ It had so many things I love in classic mysteries like family secrets in isolated， small villages and there's a potentially unreliable narrator。The prologue tells us the history of the village and how it got its name and then we are introduced to Tatsuya， our narrator， who having been raised with no knowledge of his extended family has been informed that he has connection to a wealthy family *I received an eARC via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review。*I had so much fun reading this book！ It had so many things I love in classic mysteries like family secrets in isolated， small villages and there's a potentially unreliable narrator。The prologue tells us the history of the village and how it got its name and then we are introduced to Tatsuya， our narrator， who having been raised with no knowledge of his extended family has been informed that he has connection to a wealthy family in a remote village。 So begins the drama。 I love that we get a feel for this period of Japanese history （post WWII） and how Seishi Yokomizo pulls in small town superstition with the myths/lores of the region to create a really unique atmosphere。 I also really liked the fact that the book was from Tatsuya's perspective rather than Detective Kindaichi's， though that maybe because as this is only the second of the books I've read in the series I haven't grown attached enough to Kindaichi to feel his absence like I do in some of the Poirot novels where Christie does the same thing。 I would highly recommend this to fans of Golden Age mystery novels or anyone who is looking for a mystery/thriller novel that actually is more mystery than thriller。 。。。more
Jordan Fox
，
Absolutely goddamn brilliant - a perfect blend of moreish mystery， continuous suspense， heinous crimes， and old-world superstition。 Picked this up based on the book cover （how great is that artwork？） and the brief blurb and was not disappointed in the slightest。 Will be reading everything else that has been translated。
Solace
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TW: Rape， domestic abuse， mass killing/serial murdersWhat I liked: A very innovative murder mystery with a unique premise。 The village characters we are introduced to are intriguing to follow。 The murder plot was unpredictable and quite shocking。 There are some supernatural elements which I enjoyed too。 This book has it all; outrageous villagers， creepy grandmas， a cursed village， a hidden treasure， a weird love triangle， and an amazing mystery。 What I didn't like: The famous detective is in onl TW: Rape， domestic abuse， mass killing/serial murdersWhat I liked: A very innovative murder mystery with a unique premise。 The village characters we are introduced to are intriguing to follow。 The murder plot was unpredictable and quite shocking。 There are some supernatural elements which I enjoyed too。 This book has it all; outrageous villagers， creepy grandmas， a cursed village， a hidden treasure， a weird love triangle， and an amazing mystery。 What I didn't like: The famous detective is in only 3-4 scenes and doesn't seem to have much impact on the story。 The fact that almost every woman was throwing herself onto the main character was too much for me。 And was everyone screwing their cousin back in the day！？ 。。。more
Verity Halliday
，
The Village of Eight Graves is the third in Pushkin's translations of Seiko Yokomizo's classic detective stories featuring shambling Columboesque private investigator Kosuke Kindaichi。 This novel is narrated by a young man with complicated family relationships， whose arrival in a small rural village coincides with some horrific poisonings。 There are dark secrets galore， hidden caves， samurai treasure and even a bit of a love interest。 The body count gets quite high before it's all finally resolv The Village of Eight Graves is the third in Pushkin's translations of Seiko Yokomizo's classic detective stories featuring shambling Columboesque private investigator Kosuke Kindaichi。 This novel is narrated by a young man with complicated family relationships， whose arrival in a small rural village coincides with some horrific poisonings。 There are dark secrets galore， hidden caves， samurai treasure and even a bit of a love interest。 The body count gets quite high before it's all finally resolved！An enjoyable addition to the series - I hope there are many more。Thanks to the publisher and NetGalley for providing a review copy in exchange for honest feedback。 。。。more
Eric
，
Pushkin Press and the translator deserve praise for making another classic Japanese mystery available to a wider reading public。 However I regret I did not find this latest release to my taste。Having almost given up completely during my reading of the horrifying Prologue， I did persist but found this entry in the Kindaichi series rather tedious。 Perhaps it was because the endearing detective appears little or because the plot was uninterestingly complex but I enjoyed this much less than The Honj Pushkin Press and the translator deserve praise for making another classic Japanese mystery available to a wider reading public。 However I regret I did not find this latest release to my taste。Having almost given up completely during my reading of the horrifying Prologue， I did persist but found this entry in the Kindaichi series rather tedious。 Perhaps it was because the endearing detective appears little or because the plot was uninterestingly complex but I enjoyed this much less than The Honjin Murders and The Inugami Curse。Thank you to NetGalley and Pushkin Vertigo for the digital review copy。 。。。more
Purple Lorikeet
，
Tatsuya was born in the Village of Eight Graves but left with his mother as a young child after his father went on a homicidal rampage in the village。 Years later， he is invited back to the village by two aunties who see him as the heir to the family estate。 A series of murders occur as he returns， putting him in the spotlight， both as the child of a murderer and as having some connection to the current murders。 Famous detective Kosuke Kindaichi arrives in the village and helps investigate the c Tatsuya was born in the Village of Eight Graves but left with his mother as a young child after his father went on a homicidal rampage in the village。 Years later， he is invited back to the village by two aunties who see him as the heir to the family estate。 A series of murders occur as he returns， putting him in the spotlight， both as the child of a murderer and as having some connection to the current murders。 Famous detective Kosuke Kindaichi arrives in the village and helps investigate the current murder mystery。 At the same time， Tatasuya is trying to find answers and is assisted by some of his new acquaintances。 Kosuke Kindaichi is a well-known character in Japanese detective fiction。 This is the third story in the series and it's just as enjoyable as the first one。 Kindaichi is less central to this story than in the first one。 It seems to be assumed he is working on this all along but his appearances are fairly limited until the end。 Instead the focus is on Tatsuya as he figures out a lot for himself。 There aren't just the mysteries of the murders but also about himself and his place in the family。 As expected in series like this， there's a good ending that explains everything。Overall， I rate this a 3。5 stars。 I would like to thank Edelweiss for sharing an advanced reader copy。 This review is provided voluntarily。 。。。more
Priyadarshini
，
A place is called the village of Eight Graves。 A place doesn’t get such a name without a bloody history that over the years gets transformed into legend — complete with its samurais and labyrinths， superstitions and curses， and even rumours of buried treasure！ Cut to post-war Japan and one young man is contacted by a lawyer， informing him that he is an heir to an affluent and influential family in the village of Eight Graves。 But when he goes to this village， bodies start dropping like flies。 Fo A place is called the village of Eight Graves。 A place doesn’t get such a name without a bloody history that over the years gets transformed into legend — complete with its samurais and labyrinths， superstitions and curses， and even rumours of buried treasure！ Cut to post-war Japan and one young man is contacted by a lawyer， informing him that he is an heir to an affluent and influential family in the village of Eight Graves。 But when he goes to this village， bodies start dropping like flies。 For someone who was quite bored while reading The Honjin Murders， I was completely hooked to the mystery and thrill of The Village of Eight Graves， despite some of its caricature-like characters。Perhaps a one line review of this book is that I had forgotten to download the ARC from @Netgalley on my iPad and it was only available to me in an extremely tiny font on my phone — and I still finished the book。 However， for a book marketed as a detective Kosuke Kindaichi mystery， there wasn’t much presence of the detective himself in the book。 A minor gripe in an otherwise enjoyable read。 。。。more
Jayoti Mondal
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•~Book Review~•🍃If you have heard the name 'Seishi Yokomizo'， I have no doubt that you are well acquainted about the famous Kosuke Kindaichi detective mystery book ' The Honjin Murders '。 So here comes another one of the most famous Kosuke Kindaichi detective mystery novel ' The Village of Eight Graves '。 Far away from Japan， there's a small village hidden in deep mist with a bloody history， the killings of eight samurais from the Amago dynasty。 Killed by the villagers out of greed for their gol •~Book Review~•🍃If you have heard the name 'Seishi Yokomizo'， I have no doubt that you are well acquainted about the famous Kosuke Kindaichi detective mystery book ' The Honjin Murders '。 So here comes another one of the most famous Kosuke Kindaichi detective mystery novel ' The Village of Eight Graves '。 Far away from Japan， there's a small village hidden in deep mist with a bloody history， the killings of eight samurais from the Amago dynasty。 Killed by the villagers out of greed for their golds。 The death wrecks havoc so much so that the villagers finally repent and build them a shrine and hence comes the name of the village。 Many centuries pass by and one day， a young man Tatsuya arrives there and so does starts， the mysterious killings of eight people。 The history repeats。 And this time， the brilliant Kosuke Kindaichi investigates and solves the mystery。 How you ask？ You have to read the book。 🍃This is the first time that I have read a detective novel that unfurls in the perspective of one of the main characters but not the detective's。 The history was engaging， there were times where I felt my attention dwindling but the plot picks up from the middle and I was thoroughly engaged and couldn't put the book down。 I enjoyed the book very much。 。。。more
Jessica
，
The Village of Eight Graves is a fun， classic mystery novel。 It has a frame narrative， i。e。 "I found this manuscript but didn't write it，" and a quirky detective。 The narrator is not the detective， which was fun。 The narrator， instead， is Tatsuya， the main suspect （to everyone except the detective Kosuke Kindaichi）， so readers know he is not committing the murders， but are left in the dark as to who is。 The history of the town， with all its supernatural elements， makes this closed room mystery e The Village of Eight Graves is a fun， classic mystery novel。 It has a frame narrative， i。e。 "I found this manuscript but didn't write it，" and a quirky detective。 The narrator is not the detective， which was fun。 The narrator， instead， is Tatsuya， the main suspect （to everyone except the detective Kosuke Kindaichi）， so readers know he is not committing the murders， but are left in the dark as to who is。 The history of the town， with all its supernatural elements， makes this closed room mystery extra suspenseful。 Add hidden under ground tunnels， a mummified corpse， and villagers with torches， and the novel is right on the verge of being a paranormal thriller。 I really enjoyed this book， and will go back and read the others in the series。 I wish I had access to many more of them， so I hope the publisher keeps translating them！ 。。。more
Simms
，
A fine piece of detective fiction， although the detective in question plays a relatively minor role -- the narration is from the POV of someone who is believed erroneously by some to be the culprit， who does a decent amount of investigation into the ever-increasing body count （in order to clear his own name）。 Some mysteries from decades ago come across as a little stilted now， but this book doesn't suffer from its age， and rather benefits from its sense of place and time -- part of the underlyin A fine piece of detective fiction， although the detective in question plays a relatively minor role -- the narration is from the POV of someone who is believed erroneously by some to be the culprit， who does a decent amount of investigation into the ever-increasing body count （in order to clear his own name）。 Some mysteries from decades ago come across as a little stilted now， but this book doesn't suffer from its age， and rather benefits from its sense of place and time -- part of the underlying tension in the eponymous village comes from the societal upheaval in postwar Japan， including city-dwellers returning to their home village after the cities they lived in having been so wrecked that they can't or don't want to live there anymore。 Thanks to NetGalley and Pushkin Press for the ARC。 。。。more
Virginia
，
This is an engaging whodunnit that had me second guessing all my theories the whole time I was reading it。 There's murder， family history and village myths， murder， love and hate， murder， creeping around in the middle of the night and in caves， murder， maybe some treasure， murder， and a satisfactory end。There are a lot of characters so it is best read in a short time period。 This is a Japanese classic translated to English and I would definitely like to read another from this series。Thanks to ne This is an engaging whodunnit that had me second guessing all my theories the whole time I was reading it。 There's murder， family history and village myths， murder， love and hate， murder， creeping around in the middle of the night and in caves， murder， maybe some treasure， murder， and a satisfactory end。There are a lot of characters so it is best read in a short time period。 This is a Japanese classic translated to English and I would definitely like to read another from this series。Thanks to netgalley and Pushkin for a digital review copy。 Publish date November 30， 2021。#21classicsin2021 。。。more
Lady Clementina ffinch-ffarowmore
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My thanks to Pushkin Press and NetGalley for a review copy of this book。While I have read and enjoyed a fair few Japanese titles， despite all good intentions， I hadn’t gotten down to picking up any mystery title yet; this book gave me the chance to remedy that， and I enjoyed it very much indeed。 The Village of Eight Graves is the third of the 77 detective novels featuring detective Kosuke Kindaichi published between 1946 and 1980 to be translated into English under the Pushkin Vertigo imprint。Th My thanks to Pushkin Press and NetGalley for a review copy of this book。While I have read and enjoyed a fair few Japanese titles， despite all good intentions， I hadn’t gotten down to picking up any mystery title yet; this book gave me the chance to remedy that， and I enjoyed it very much indeed。 The Village of Eight Graves is the third of the 77 detective novels featuring detective Kosuke Kindaichi published between 1946 and 1980 to be translated into English under the Pushkin Vertigo imprint。The Village of Eight Graves opens with the rather cruel and horrifying legend that gives the fictional village that is our setting its unusual name; the betrayal and murder of eight samurai hiding out in the village by the villagers， for the treasure they were rumoured to be carrying， resulting in the entire village being cursed。 We fast forward in time to some twenty-six or twenty-seven years before the current events when the village is subjected to another set of shocking events， a murderous spree that claimed many lives， and was attributed to that very curse。 In the present， our narrator is twenty-eight-year-old Tatsuya， brought up by his mother and later step-father who one day discovers his true antecedents （it was his father who was responsible for all those deaths twenty-seven years ago）。 His ‘real’ family， or rather the family of his father has been seeking him as he is the heir to the family estate with his only （half） brother being on the verge of death。 Alongside， his maternal grandfather has also come to town （Kobe） in search of him。 But before Tatsuya can even set out for Eight Graves， his grandfather falls down dead， poisoned。 Tatsuya also receives an anonymous threatening letter warning him off returning to Eight Graves。 All the same， he is escorted by Miyako Mori， a young widow who’s been living in her ancestral home in the village， and who provides him much needed support on the journey and on his first entry into the village where he finds most villagers hostile to his arrival， believing that this will only unleash another bout of terror。 And indeed， it does， for his grandfather’s death is only the first of a series of senseless murders that begin to take place in the village。 And in each instance Tatsuya is the prime suspect。 While the police and with them Detective Kosuke Kindaichi are investigating the case， and seem to at least partly believe Tatsuya， we essentially follow Tatsuya’s narrative all through as he tries to cope with his new surroundings， get to know his new-found family， and also come to terms with the terrifying events unfolding around him。This enjoyable mystery/adventure unfolds somewhat differently from the conventional whodunit， for our narrator Tatsuya while looking into matters is not really following the Detective Kosuke Kindaichi， except for the times they interact; and so the police and Kindaichi’s investigations we learn of are only as Tatsuya learns them， and take place for the most part， off the page。 The events as we follow them are Tatsuya’s narrative of his experiences which includes not only the mysterious and seemingly senseless murders that are taking place and which place Tatsuya at the centre of accusations but also his navigating his new-found family and the village， learning his mother’s story， and his exploration of family secrets and relationships。While Tatsuya and the police are convinced the events taking place are entirely in the human realm， events unfold in a rather creepy and unsettling atmosphere for we have the background of the village curse， the murderous rampage that Tatsuya’s father went on， the superstitions and rumours doing the rounds， and also some ill omens like lightning splitting an ancient tree。 This made for a pretty eerie background for out story to play out in even though we too， know that the answer is nothing to do with any curse。Another aspect of the background which I liked was the feel we get of Japan in this period， just after the Second World War—the position people find themselves in， the changing face of things， and also people’s struggle to make ends meet。 There is also a glimpse of myth and tradition in rituals， mentions of Tengus， etc。 And then there is also the remote village we find ourselves in where superstition looms large， people seem easily manipulated， and the police despite their powers can do little to reign in a mob once provoked which makes the situation for Tatsuya rather grave， fear we can feel with him。 As far as the whodunit itself was concerned， I wasn’t able to guess which of the possible suspects might have done it for there were quite a few with reason enough。 With Tatsuya as our narrator， rather than us following the detective’s perspective， I was also not sure how far we were to accept his version and whether we were to look for hidden meanings or inconsistencies。 But the solution was satisfactory and there were some hints to it earlier in the book as well。 There is also an adventure thread related to the legend of the Samurais’ treasure and past events which takes Tatsuya and others exploring some underground caves and tunnels which had me thinking of old Enid Blyton favourites， and which was great fun。 Tatsuya’s mother’s story and his relationship with his half-sister Haruko bring in some emotional moments and alongside， there is also a thread of romance。 This was all in all a very satisfying and enjoyable read， with a nice and creepy atmosphere， interesting mystery and characters， and quite a few parallel threads to keep one reading all through。 4。25 stars 。。。more
Yumiko Hansen
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My first Seishi Yokomizo’s murder mystery series “The Village of Eight Graves” which I borrowed from my student who is a huge fan of Yokomizo （1902-81） who was one of Japan's most famous and best-loved mystery writers。It was okay， let’s just say it wasn’t my cup of tea。 My first Seishi Yokomizo’s murder mystery series “The Village of Eight Graves” which I borrowed from my student who is a huge fan of Yokomizo （1902-81） who was one of Japan's most famous and best-loved mystery writers。It was okay， let’s just say it wasn’t my cup of tea。 。。。more
Danni The Girl
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Thank you Netgallt for my copy of this read。 This was a really interesting read。 I haven't read any detective/ mystery murder books in a while。 Tatsuya recieves a weird message at work about his long lost family and immediately goes to them。 Once he arrives， things start becoming weird。 Murder after murder and everyone is a suspect。 Things aren't what they seem Nd Tatsuya must find the truth。 I found with this read there were lots and highs， some parts I found repetitive espeically when they spe Thank you Netgallt for my copy of this read。 This was a really interesting read。 I haven't read any detective/ mystery murder books in a while。 Tatsuya recieves a weird message at work about his long lost family and immediately goes to them。 Once he arrives， things start becoming weird。 Murder after murder and everyone is a suspect。 Things aren't what they seem Nd Tatsuya must find the truth。 I found with this read there were lots and highs， some parts I found repetitive espeically when they spent so much time in the caves。 However， it was a good mystery and I was intruged throughout the whole book。 。。。more
Helen
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Over the last few years I have discovered several Japanese crime authors – including Soji Shimada and Yukito Ayatsuji – thanks to Pushkin Press making them available in English translations， but the one who has impressed me the most is Seishi Yokomizo。 I really enjoyed The Honjin Murders， one of his many books to feature the detective Kosuke Kindaichi; I didn’t like The Village of Eight Graves， another from the same series， quite as much， but it’s still an entertaining read。First published in 19 Over the last few years I have discovered several Japanese crime authors – including Soji Shimada and Yukito Ayatsuji – thanks to Pushkin Press making them available in English translations， but the one who has impressed me the most is Seishi Yokomizo。 I really enjoyed The Honjin Murders， one of his many books to feature the detective Kosuke Kindaichi; I didn’t like The Village of Eight Graves， another from the same series， quite as much， but it’s still an entertaining read。First published in 1950， the novel is set in the small Japanese village of Eight Graves where， centuries earlier， eight samurai were brutally murdered， bringing down a curse upon the village and giving it its sinister-sounding name。 In the 1920s the curse struck again when a village leader went on a violent killing spree。 Now， twenty-five years later， our narrator Tatsuya Terada， a young man who has been raised in Kobe by his mother and stepfather， is informed by a lawyer that his real father was the man responsible for those terrible murders。 It seems that Tatsuya is now the heir to the family estate and must return to Eight Graves to claim his inheritance – but before he has even left Kobe he receives an anonymous letter warning him to stay away。On his arrival in Eight Graves， Tatsuya finds that most of the other villagers are hostile and unwelcoming， believing that his presence will bring bad luck and tragedy to the village yet again。 And so， when more murders begin to take place， suspicion immediately falls on Tatsuya – but as he is our narrator， we know that he is innocent。 Or is he？ Kosuke Kindaichi is called in to investigate， but at the same time Tatsuya is carrying out investigations of his own to find the real culprit and clear his own name。Unlike in The Honjin Murders， where the untidy and unassuming Kindaichi plays a big role in the story， in this book we hardly see him at all。 Almost as soon as he arrives in Eight Graves he disappears into the background again。 We know that he is working on solving the mystery， but we don’t actually watch him doing it because we stick exclusively with Tatsuya’s narration and he and Kindaichi have very little interaction until nearer the end of the book。 This makes this one less of a detective novel and more of a thriller or adventure novel， as Tatsuya explores the village alone looking for clues and stumbling into danger。Yokomizo creates a wonderful atmosphere in this book with Tatsuya’s investigations leading him into networks of tunnels， caves with stalactites， and underground lakes and caverns。 The legend of the eight murdered samurai is also incorporated into the story， along with a search for hidden treasure said to be buried somewhere within the village and a rivalry between two branches of Tatsuya’s family: the ‘House of the East’ and the ‘House of the West’。 It’s an entertaining novel and there’s always something happening – but I did think the parts where Tatsuya is wandering around in the caves and tunnels became a little bit tedious。 The absence of Kosuke Kindaichi for most of the book was also disappointing and I think I would have preferred a more conventional detective novel with the focus on solving the mystery rather than on treasure hunting。Still， this book was fun to read and I loved the setting。 Now I need to read the other Yokomizo novel currently available in English: The Inugami Curse。 。。。more
Adele
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This was my second mystery novel by Seishi Yokomizo。 The other one I read was "The Inugami Curse" where I had quite a few problems with the word choice of the detective and also with the foreshadowing。 But the descriptions in this novel where in the most cases not nearly as offensive as in the other book， which could go in hand with the change of perspective as this book is not told from the detectives point of view。 I think this makes it pretty interesting。 We still find foreshadowing in this b This was my second mystery novel by Seishi Yokomizo。 The other one I read was "The Inugami Curse" where I had quite a few problems with the word choice of the detective and also with the foreshadowing。 But the descriptions in this novel where in the most cases not nearly as offensive as in the other book， which could go in hand with the change of perspective as this book is not told from the detectives point of view。 I think this makes it pretty interesting。 We still find foreshadowing in this book as well but not nearly as much and predicting as in "The Inugame Curse"。 I guessed quite a few things in between but forgot them again until they were actually revealed， but that's what happens to me with most mysteries and it was still really enjoyable。 But I must say the actual reveal at the end felt kinda off for me。 Though the epilogue was funny to read。Also because of personal matters it took me 10 days to read this book and if I had read it faster and all the details would have stayed with me I might have guessed more of the whole picture， so I would recommend reading it with a bit of time on your hand in one weekend。Here already my rating: A solid 4/5 for me。The next part might spoil you because I speak about tropes and the things I guessed so please refrain from reading if you want to read the book and want to guess along:------I love that again I get some femme fatale but the actual motive was a bit sad to be honest。 Also I guessed that it was an ABC murder case but I can't pinpoint anymore if that wasn't because of some foreshadowing。 Still it was clear to me pretty early on。 I also had guessed the situation with eisen far before the reveal。 But I forgot it again anyway so the reveal was still enjoyable。 Just after that it started to feel a bit off。 Also it was clear to me that they would let Miyako die at the end。 I want to mention one question was in my mind for most of the time in the second half of the book。 How where the places of the cave known to the villagers but at the same time nobody knew of the caves。 I think there I had some problem with the connection of all the different information。 On the one hand nobody knew these tunnels existed for they would have found the body of old man Tajimi there if they had known， but on the other hand half of the village used the caves and there were even superstitions about the different places。 That had me a bit lost。 。。。more
Leighton
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Thank you to Pushkin Vertigo and NetGalley for this ARC in exchange for an honest review！The Village of Eight Graves is the 3rd title in the Detective Kosuke Kindaichi mystery series to be translated into English。 The story revolves around Tatsuya， who arrives in the titular village against the premonitions and a centuries-long curse。 In the past， eight samurais were murdered in the village in the mountains， and their secret treasure was never found。 Tatsuya arrives just as a series of deadly po Thank you to Pushkin Vertigo and NetGalley for this ARC in exchange for an honest review！The Village of Eight Graves is the 3rd title in the Detective Kosuke Kindaichi mystery series to be translated into English。 The story revolves around Tatsuya， who arrives in the titular village against the premonitions and a centuries-long curse。 In the past， eight samurais were murdered in the village in the mountains， and their secret treasure was never found。 Tatsuya arrives just as a series of deadly poisonings begin。 Fortunately， Detective Kindaichi is there to sort out the case and find the culprit。 Will the Detective find the murderer before it's too late？Here is a bloody excerpt from an opening chapter， which is told from Tatsuya's perspective:"When I took the letter， I had a horrible premonition。 The envelope was made of blotting paper， course and of very poor quality - hardly the sort of stationery used by a lawyer with an office on the fourth floor of the Nitto Building。。。You must never set foot in the village of Eight Graves again。 Nothing good will come of it。 The gods here are angry。 If ever you come back， there will be blood！ Blood！ The carnage that took place twenty-six years ago will repeat itself， and the village will once again become a sea of blood。"Overall， The Village of Eight Graves is a solid mystery that will appeal to fans of earlier books in the Detective Kosuke Kindaichi series。 I thought really hard about what rating to give this book。 I have loved previous books from Pushkin Vertigo， such The Decagon House Murders， and I was really looking forward to reading this book。 Unfortunately， this story set in the 40's just didn't hold up for me as a contemporary reader。 There were moments when I felt creeped out and felt a sense of Victorian suspense， similar to what I felt watching an old Sherlock Holmes TV show。 However， there were also moments that failed to hold my interest。 If you're intrigued by the excerpt above， or if you're a fan of Sherlock Holmes-type mysteries， I recommend that you check out this book when it comes out in December！ 。。。more
Richard
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Having read The Honjin Murders， I was delighted to get the opportunity to read The Village of Eight Graves a second case for Kosuke Kindaichi a renowned private detective。Indeed I have also bought The Inugami Clan as I love a crime series and I have taken to author， Seishi Yokomizo’s gently paced writing and tense mysteries。We all need to be grateful for the efforts and commitment of Pushkin Vertigo of revising old classics and often discarded authors， by bringing their work into an English tran Having read The Honjin Murders， I was delighted to get the opportunity to read The Village of Eight Graves a second case for Kosuke Kindaichi a renowned private detective。Indeed I have also bought The Inugami Clan as I love a crime series and I have taken to author， Seishi Yokomizo’s gently paced writing and tense mysteries。We all need to be grateful for the efforts and commitment of Pushkin Vertigo of revising old classics and often discarded authors， by bringing their work into an English translation。 I have discovered Stefan Zweig’s writing in this way and these Japanese crime novels are another case in point。 These gems， uncovered and sparkling in all their glory， enable others to share the beauty of forgotten mysteries。 Check out Pushkin Press on line。Set in a time of uncertainty， after the defeat in World War II， this novel is an insight into rural communities， local gossip， customs and superstitions。 The author takes his time explaining both the geography and idiosyncrasies of village life。 Almost unchanged over time， isolated and insular， The Village of Eight Graves is quite a threatening place for an outsider。The story is told through Tatsuya who narrates his own journey to the village of his family。 He has been called back from his city life to take charge of his ancestral home as the potential heir of the family estate。 For various reasons many do not want him around; he has few friends outside his immediate household and his late father was a notorious man who went on a killing spree soon after Tatsuya was born。 Indeed his presence seems to be a curse， the Spirit’s demand of retribution for historical events。 A series of killings start upon his return and suspicion quickly turns on him。 His only hope seems to be a famous detective visiting these parts but strange happenings seem to compound local fears。 In a sense he doesn’t know who to trust and as the murders continue without clear motive he is left more isolated and wishing he never left his city life。A wonderful multilayered story that remains full of mystery and suspense。 A true ‘who done it’ unlike anything you may have read before。I loved the sense of place and time。 There is tension and danger with each recounted incident。 You feel the young man’s fear and his need to risk all for the sake of those he cares about。 It appears there are clues aplenty， multiple suspects but little police action to apprehend the killer。You even wonder if the narrator is being truly honest and it is no surprise when he feels the villagers’ hostility running into a lynch mob， seeing him as culpable for the mayhem that has overtaken the community。But the book draws you in。 You want to make sense of it all and so need to read on， almost hoping for the best。Quite ingenious。 Like a full deck of cards， each is turned over but only when all are face up do you begin to see the labyrinth of language， the cardsharp’s dodgy dealing and realise the dots were all there in plain sight。 Joining them all up in the detective’s denouncement the author shows his skill and why he is viewed as a great mystery writer。 。。。more
Azread
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Yes。 As usual， the author never dissapoint me！ A murder mystery with a setting of whodunit。 I think for the first 100 pages， the story is quite slow but a page turner at the same time。 I don't know how to describe。 You just cannot stop reading because you want to know what's the progress。 Thank you Netgalley and publisher for providing me an ARC of this book。 Looking forward to read more books from this publisher！ Yes。 As usual， the author never dissapoint me！ A murder mystery with a setting of whodunit。 I think for the first 100 pages， the story is quite slow but a page turner at the same time。 I don't know how to describe。 You just cannot stop reading because you want to know what's the progress。 Thank you Netgalley and publisher for providing me an ARC of this book。 Looking forward to read more books from this publisher！ 。。。more
Elisa
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The synopsis describes this as Japan's most popular murder mystery series， and I can see why， Following Japanese tradition， the author gives readers all the clues， even if it’s not so easy to see whodunit until after it has been explained by Inspector Kindaichi。 This volume also features secret underground caves and a hidden treasure， so it’s also partly an adventure novel besides a mystery。 Tatsuya arrives to the titular Village of Eight Graves only to see a series of murders point directly at The synopsis describes this as Japan's most popular murder mystery series， and I can see why， Following Japanese tradition， the author gives readers all the clues， even if it’s not so easy to see whodunit until after it has been explained by Inspector Kindaichi。 This volume also features secret underground caves and a hidden treasure， so it’s also partly an adventure novel besides a mystery。 Tatsuya arrives to the titular Village of Eight Graves only to see a series of murders point directly at him。 These kind of novels usually feature distinctive detectives， so I was surprised that Kindaichi is enough in the background that I didn’t really get a great idea of him。 I was also frequently confused by the characters’ names - which is all my fault of course， since I don’t speak Japanese。 Despite this， I was engrossed enough to go with the flow， and I particularly enjoyed the creepy ghost stories and the chases in the dark cavern。 I also found the ending very satisfying and was surprised by the resolution of the mysteries。 I chose to read this book and all opinions in this review are my own and completely unbiased。 Thank you， NetGalley/#Pushkin Vertigo！ 。。。more
Rebecca
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