Death on Gokumon Island
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- Create Date：2022-06-30 09:51:36
- Update Date：2025-09-06
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- Author：Seishi Yokomizo
- ISBN：1782277412
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Summary
Kosuke Kindaichi arrives on the remote Gokumon Island bearing tragic news – the son of one of the island’s most important families has died， on a troop transport ship bringing him back home after the Second World War。 But Kindaichi has not come merely as a messenger – with his last words， the dying man warned that his three step-sisters’ lives would now be in danger。 The scruffy detective is determined to get to the bottom of this mysterious prophesy， and to protect the three women if he can。
As Kosuke Kindaichi attempts to unravel the island’s secrets， a series of gruesome murders begins。 He investigates， but soon finds himself in mortal danger from both the unknown killer and the clannish locals， who resent this outsider meddling in their affairs。
Loosely inspired by Agatha Christie’s And Then There Were None， the fiendish Death on Gokumon Island is perhaps the most highly regarded of all the great Seishi Yokomizo’s classic Japanese mysteries。
As Kosuke Kindaichi attempts to unravel the island’s secrets， a series of gruesome murders begins。 He investigates， but soon finds himself in mortal danger from both the unknown killer and the clannish locals， who resent this outsider meddling in their affairs。
Loosely inspired by Agatha Christie’s And Then There Were None， the fiendish Death on Gokumon Island is perhaps the most highly regarded of all the great Seishi Yokomizo’s classic Japanese mysteries。
Reviews
Eric
，
Set in 1946， this is the second in the series featuring detective Kosuke Kindaichi。 The action takes place on an island inhabited by fishing communities and features several murders。Despite the blurb， this novel bears very little relation to 'And Then There Were None' in style， plotting， setting or methodology。 The solution to the main murder has more affinities with the impossible crime school and JD Carr， and is mildly preposterous。As with the three others I have read in the series， most of my Set in 1946， this is the second in the series featuring detective Kosuke Kindaichi。 The action takes place on an island inhabited by fishing communities and features several murders。Despite the blurb， this novel bears very little relation to 'And Then There Were None' in style， plotting， setting or methodology。 The solution to the main murder has more affinities with the impossible crime school and JD Carr， and is mildly preposterous。As with the three others I have read in the series， most of my interest was from the insights to be gained into Japanese society- here in the immediate aftermath of WW2， rather than from the rather tedious detection。The translation reads well and the publishers are to be lauded for making the books available in English。 However my enjoyment of the series has not increased the more I read。 Certainly I liked this more than 'The Village of Eight Graves'， but I am still far from being a fan。Thank you to NetGalley and Pushkin Vertigo for the digital review copy。3。5 stars。 。。。more
Abby
，
（3 1/2， rounded to 4）Thank you to NetGalley and Pushkin Vertigo for allowing me to read this ARC！Content Warning: death， violence， murder， misogyny， alcoholism， rape apologism。For more of my reviews， check out my blog！During the war， the famed private detective Kosuke Kindaichi finds himself befriending a young man from a strange， isolated island called Gokumon-to -- Hell's Gate。 When this man， Chimata Kito， sadly dies on their repatriation ship， he makes Kosuke vow that he will go to Gokumon an （3 1/2， rounded to 4）Thank you to NetGalley and Pushkin Vertigo for allowing me to read this ARC！Content Warning: death， violence， murder， misogyny， alcoholism， rape apologism。For more of my reviews， check out my blog！During the war， the famed private detective Kosuke Kindaichi finds himself befriending a young man from a strange， isolated island called Gokumon-to -- Hell's Gate。 When this man， Chimata Kito， sadly dies on their repatriation ship， he makes Kosuke vow that he will go to Gokumon and protect the lives of his three young sisters。 Although there are rumors of the island's strangeness， Kosuke is surprised by how insular the community is， relying primarily on Chimata's family for their livelihoods。 Welcomed by the island's Buddhist priest， Ryonen， Kosuke quickly discovers that this mysterious place holds many secrets -- and no one is eager to let them go。。。Upon my initial request for this book， I didn't realize that it was actually the second in a series， and I was a bit concerned about how this might impact my reading。 I didn't have the chance to fit the first in before I read this one， but I'm happy to report that while it certainly would make you more familiar with the characters， it doesn't seem to be necessary at all to understand or enjoy this installment！ Yokomizo is considered one of the finest Japanese mystery writers， one of many who thrived and， indeed， created Japan's Golden Age of detective fiction。 This book is referred to as a "locked room mystery，" but I think that's a bit misleading。 This is heavily influenced by Agatha Christie's And Then There Were None， something I also saw in another revered Japanese classic， The Decagon House Murders。 In spite of the fact that it's obviously inspired by Christie's work， this novel is decidedly its own， and its uniqueness is what made it work for me。I'm afraid I have to admit that Yokomizo's famous detective， Kosuke， is not all that interesting （at least not in this book）。 He's a bit milquetoast， a kind of springboard for the brilliance of the criminals， but I was pleased that he's not so magnificently-minded that he never makes any mistakes。 I warmed up to him over the course of the novel， but its true strength lies in the many side characters， full of eccentricities and described shrewdly and cleverly。 The female characters in particular interested me， but they are， naturally， put on the backburner （and there's some rather aggravating misogyny to boot）。 This was written somewhere around 1947/1948， I believe， so it's not exactly surprising， but disappointing nonetheless。 The mystery itself kept me engaged， and while the writing style is dry， it has that classic Japanese feel that lends itself to both introspection and readability。 It's only because of some very convoluted explanations that this doesn't quite get the full four stars， but readers of classic mysteries will find a lot to be pleased with in this intriguing story。 Recommended。 It's entertaining and full of fascinating insights into Japanese culture， and I will definitely be looking into Yokomizo's other books！ 。。。more
Jen
，
When I saw Death on Gokumon Island described as a Japanese version of Agatha Christie's And Then There Were None， I knew I had to read it。 I can see why it is pitched as such （the remote， island setting and， of course， murder mystery） but it is also such a unique little read that has it's very own charm。Translated from its original Japanese， I found the flow really easy to get into and while there were a lot of characters introduced at first， once they were all committed to memory， a really fun When I saw Death on Gokumon Island described as a Japanese version of Agatha Christie's And Then There Were None， I knew I had to read it。 I can see why it is pitched as such （the remote， island setting and， of course， murder mystery） but it is also such a unique little read that has it's very own charm。Translated from its original Japanese， I found the flow really easy to get into and while there were a lot of characters introduced at first， once they were all committed to memory， a really fun read。 It keep the suspense thrumming and delivers on a clever plot -what more could you want？ 。。。more
Doreen
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6/25/2021 3。5 stars rounded up。 Full review tk at CriminalElement。com。 6/25/2021 3。5 stars rounded up。 Full review tk at CriminalElement。com。 。。。more
Theediscerning
，
Written before "Eight Graves" and "The Inugami Clan"， this sees us skirt back to earlier books in this 77-volume series。 With me thinking the previous three I'd read improved the further from the beginning they got， will this stand up for approval？ And just what is it with this author and trios of sisters？When our investigative hero goes to the island of the title with news of a death， it leaves the main family there consisting of a mad man locked up， his three prattling teenager daughters， and Written before "Eight Graves" and "The Inugami Clan"， this sees us skirt back to earlier books in this 77-volume series。 With me thinking the previous three I'd read improved the further from the beginning they got， will this stand up for approval？ And just what is it with this author and trios of sisters？When our investigative hero goes to the island of the title with news of a death， it leaves the main family there consisting of a mad man locked up， his three prattling teenager daughters， and two cousins of his son， the deceased。 Luckily the female cousin has it within her to maintain the household as the head fishing family in the region， while the male one is still coming back from the Second World War。 A distant branch of the family lives on the opposing spur of cliff-top hills on the small mountainous rock， with a temple the only other main feature beyond the small fishing town。 It's an island whose pedigree is either pirate or exiled prisoner， so a toughness in the DNA demands they shrug off all newcomers， like our hero。 But he's had to turn up， for the dying man， his friend， spoke in his last words about his sisters being killed off， and it's only fair for our man to stick around and try and prevent that。And of course he can't。 And what the author cannot quite do， once again， is turn any worth in his premise into a dramatic crime read。 This is a plod， and if you have ever been grateful for the weather conditions being reported on the page and acting as a factor in the investigation you will change your mind by the end of this。 Once again he's got an insular population – a small island that's one-way-in， one-way-out due to the high cliffs， but once again he's not done enough with it。 The victims are labelled as victims from the start and have so little bearing on things their contribution is just to over-burden the dramatis personae list at the beginning。 Construction of the piece is really flawed， too – never mind the Chekhov's gun principle， just drag a cat into conversation when you want one to be around for a minor reason， why don't you。Struggling to the end you find a solution that is different enough， yes， but doing things differently can be left to people who toast their bread with a clothes iron – doing things the standard way is often of greater sense。 But it is such a struggle you'll like as not have lost the will to care about who did what to whom。 The final， final sting is highly satisfying， mind， and I suppose I can lay the fact this features beautiful women everywhere and is utterly bloodless and sexless to the times in which it was written as opposed to the author being so green it hurts， but he's certainly yet to get close to mastering his craft here， and this remains a lengthy ordeal to any but the completist。 。。。more
Roxana Chirilă
，
Seishi Yokomizo is definitely an author I'd read again。 "Death on Gokumon Island" （nearly） has it all: inexplicable murders， a good main character， red herrings， interesting characters and relationships， as well as a vivid post-WWII Japan。Kosuke Kindaichi used to be a great detective - and then the war came and paused all that。 In the army， he met Chimata， the son of a fishing mogul on the （fictional） Gokumon Island; and Chimata， while not a coward， had a single fear: of dying before getting bac Seishi Yokomizo is definitely an author I'd read again。 "Death on Gokumon Island" （nearly） has it all: inexplicable murders， a good main character， red herrings， interesting characters and relationships， as well as a vivid post-WWII Japan。Kosuke Kindaichi used to be a great detective - and then the war came and paused all that。 In the army， he met Chimata， the son of a fishing mogul on the （fictional） Gokumon Island; and Chimata， while not a coward， had a single fear: of dying before getting back home。But die he does， on the return trip， and he charges Kosuke Kindaichi to go to Gokumon Island and save his three sisters， who will be murdered。 The letter of recommendation he's given is addressed to three people: the priest， the mayor and the doctor who live on the island。Gokumon is an interesting world: slightly more traditional than the mainland， it's populated by an isolated people， perceived as odd and a bad lot because they're descended from prisoners and pirates。 In fact， even the author suggests， poverty might have more to do with that， and prosperity is fairly recent on the island。 Chimata's grandfather was the one who brought more affluence and who had a passion for culture and the arts， going so far as to take islanders by boat to see shows elsewhere。 （His tastes， it's specified， aren't amazing; still， it's a leap forward。）The sense of a changing world， of lives put on pause， of post-war chaos are wonderfully represented: abandoned military infrastructure， underwater mines， a temple bell that was recquisitioned for the war effort （and later returned， because it hadn't been melted yet）， a scarcity of cotton， military boots that everyone seems to have， news on the radio about soldiers returning home， careers put on pause， people missing and presumed dead。 （As someone born in 1921， Seishi Yokomizo undoubtedly had first-hand knowledge of what Japan looked like at the time， even if "Death on Gokumon Island" itself was only first published in 1971。）Even so， the islanders are traditional， living in a nearly feudal relationship with the fishing chiefs， and offering great respect to the three worthies （by way of their professions）: the priest， the mayor and the doctor。 And as is the way of many traditional， small places， everyone knows everyone， and they gossip about the affairs of the important people， with underlying assumptions and conventions about how the world around them functions， to the point where events are perceived on a nearly theatrical level。When Kosuke Kindaichi arrives， the murders start happening。 The first woman is found hanged upside down from a plum tree， tied with the obi of her kimono - and things only get odder from there。 The criminal is hard to identify; the one person who would have the most to gain from the deaths still hasn't returned home from the war， and the only newly arrived person on the island （and who might therefore be a hired killer） is Kindaichi himself。。。 Until he digs deeper and everyone seems to have potential opportunities or motives: a pirate who has escaped to the island by swimming and who may be the cousin set to inherit the business if they die; the girls' father， who is a locked up madman， and who hates them; the branch family who might be making a bid for power， or at least getting revenge out of hatred。 The solution is a bit contrived （but much less so than I'd feared）， but the atmosphere - ah， that's so well done！ I loved it。 Many thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for offering me a free ARC in exchange for an honest review。 。。。more
Macken Sloan
，
Thank you to NetGalley and Pushkin Press for the e-ARC！ Death On Gokumon Island is a murder mystery novel by famous classic Japanese author Seishi Yokomizo。 This is part of a series following a famous private detective Kouske Kindaichi。 Normally， I would never start a series from anywhere other than the beginning but this reads well as a stand alone novel。 The cast of characters was a little difficult to get acquainted with at the beginning but the character list at the beginning helps with keep Thank you to NetGalley and Pushkin Press for the e-ARC！ Death On Gokumon Island is a murder mystery novel by famous classic Japanese author Seishi Yokomizo。 This is part of a series following a famous private detective Kouske Kindaichi。 Normally， I would never start a series from anywhere other than the beginning but this reads well as a stand alone novel。 The cast of characters was a little difficult to get acquainted with at the beginning but the character list at the beginning helps with keeping everyone identified。 Overall， a pretty straight forward standard mystery novel。 。。。more
Verity Halliday
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Kosuke Kindaichi， the rumpled Japanese private detective， has returned from the defeat of war， bringing news of a fallen comrade to his bereaved family。 The comrade worried on his deathbed that his three sisters would soon be murdered and this worry causes Detective Kindaichi to start an investigation on his late friend’s behalf。 Something is wrong on the island， but who is behind it all and why？Death on Gokumon Island is an enjoyable murder mystery， with a wide cast of suspects and some intrigu Kosuke Kindaichi， the rumpled Japanese private detective， has returned from the defeat of war， bringing news of a fallen comrade to his bereaved family。 The comrade worried on his deathbed that his three sisters would soon be murdered and this worry causes Detective Kindaichi to start an investigation on his late friend’s behalf。 Something is wrong on the island， but who is behind it all and why？Death on Gokumon Island is an enjoyable murder mystery， with a wide cast of suspects and some intriguingly elaborate clues。 The satisfying conclusion is well worth five stars from me。 。。。more
ellena
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I didn't know how much I needed this book in my life until I read it！ Old-school locked room mystery set in post-war Japan that I checked out on a whim but was a delightful surprise。 A hostile close-knit community， plenty of twists， wildly elaborate murder scenes （yes， I had to suspend my disbelief wrt: plausibility， but it was fun enough that I didn't mind）， and plenty of interesting cultural seasoning with the backdrop of insular Japan in the aftermath of WW2。 Full disclosure: I didn't bother I didn't know how much I needed this book in my life until I read it！ Old-school locked room mystery set in post-war Japan that I checked out on a whim but was a delightful surprise。 A hostile close-knit community， plenty of twists， wildly elaborate murder scenes （yes， I had to suspend my disbelief wrt: plausibility， but it was fun enough that I didn't mind）， and plenty of interesting cultural seasoning with the backdrop of insular Japan in the aftermath of WW2。 Full disclosure: I didn't bother to guess whodunnit， though the elements were there， because the book is a short read and flows smoothly enough that I didn't want to put it down。 The only nitpick is that some of the cultural context / nuances didn't fully translate; as for the writing style it definitely feels a bit stilted and old-fashioned， but in a way that IMO really suits this kind of book。I wasn't exactly on the edge of my seat， but I was really charmed。 3。5 stars rounded up because I definitely haven't read anything like this before， and really appreciate the chance to enjoy some variety in my murder mysteries。 。。。more
Alan
，
'Kindaichi-san， in our world there are some things so dreadful， so terrifying that you would scarcely believe they existed。 They are things that common sense and accepted practice would dictate are impossible， but they do exist。' 'Kindaichi-san， in our world there are some things so dreadful， so terrifying that you would scarcely believe they existed。 They are things that common sense and accepted practice would dictate are impossible， but they do exist。' 。。。more
Roxana
，
It's been so much fun， as a lifelong fan of whodunits and detective novels （and someone who doesn't know Japanese） to have these translations of Seishi Yokomizo's classics available！ I've loved getting to see the classic puzzle mystery （and boy are they puzzles） in this midcentury Japanese setting， though sometimes the writing feels detached and quite stilted in a way that might be a translation issue， or might be reflective of the original text。 （I would usually lean toward the former， but ther It's been so much fun， as a lifelong fan of whodunits and detective novels （and someone who doesn't know Japanese） to have these translations of Seishi Yokomizo's classics available！ I've loved getting to see the classic puzzle mystery （and boy are they puzzles） in this midcentury Japanese setting， though sometimes the writing feels detached and quite stilted in a way that might be a translation issue， or might be reflective of the original text。 （I would usually lean toward the former， but there are some specific aspects of the story that would have been especially tricky to translate and which seem quite natural in English， so kudos to the translator for that！）As for the plot， I always feel that the mark of a great mystery is when the reader figures out some elements of the solution but not everything， and that everything they haven't worked out for themselves makes them feel like "Ah， of course， I should have gotten that！" Death on Gokumon Island gets some of this - I worked out a bit but certainly not all （more the who， much less of the how）， though the answers ultimately given didn't all feel like things I reasonably could have worked out as a reader。 Still， the less than plausible complexity is in keeping with the genre， and does hold together in the end。 （It's definitely a fair play solution， with no sly narrative tricks up the author's sleeve。） It's a surprisingly slow-feeling pace for a story that's both fairly short and has more than its share of bodies piling up， but by the end， the atmosphere， situations， and solutions were eerie， chilling， and definitely intriguing。 Fans of Agatha Christie and other Golden Age mystery novels should certainly check out Yokomizo's work， and be grateful for the new English editions being put out by Pushkin Vertigo！Thank you to the publisher for an advance copy in exchange for an honest review。 。。。more
Helen
，
This 1971 Japanese mystery novel， now available in an English translation， is the fourth book in Yokomizo’s Kosuke Kindaichi series to be published in English by Pushkin Press， but actually the second in original publication order。 It works as a standalone， with a few references to Kindaichi’s first case， The Honjin Murders， so you could easily start with this one if you wanted to。Death on Gokumon Island is set in 1946， just after the end of the Second World War， and nearly ten years after the e This 1971 Japanese mystery novel， now available in an English translation， is the fourth book in Yokomizo’s Kosuke Kindaichi series to be published in English by Pushkin Press， but actually the second in original publication order。 It works as a standalone， with a few references to Kindaichi’s first case， The Honjin Murders， so you could easily start with this one if you wanted to。Death on Gokumon Island is set in 1946， just after the end of the Second World War， and nearly ten years after the events of The Honjin Murders。 Kosuke Kindaichi is on his way to the strangely named Gokumon – or ‘Hell’s Gate’ – Island to deliver the sad news of his army friend Chimata Kito’s death。 Kindaichi knows this will be a difficult task， but what really worries him is a prediction made by the dying man that his three half-sisters， who all live on the island in the family home， are going to be murdered。Arriving on Gokumon Island， Kindaichi gets to know the members of the Kito household， including Chimata’s father who is said to be mad and kept locked up behind bars， as well as another rival branch of the family who live nearby and would benefit from deaths in the main Kito family。 The scene is set for a classic murder mystery – and it’s not long before the first murder does take place。 Kindaichi begins to investigate， but the islanders are suspicious of newcomers and are reluctant to answer questions。I struggled to get into this book at first; I felt that we were being introduced to a lot of characters all at once and it was difficult to distinguish between them。 I’ve found that with all of the Japanese mysteries I’ve read the authors seem to be more concerned with puzzle-solving than with character development， although Yokomizo is better in that respect than some of the others。 After a few chapters I had settled into the story and began to enjoy it。 It was good to see more of Kosuke Kindaichi than we did in The Village of Eight Graves; he’s quite endearing with his nervous stammer and head-scratching and the way he makes mistakes and isn’t afraid to admit to them。Louise Heal Kawai’s translation is clear and easy to read （she also did the translation for The Honjin Murders， although not Eight Graves， which was translated by Bryan Karetnyk）。 I’m sure Japanese must be a difficult language to translate into English and I do wonder if any nuance is lost along the way， but I was impressed by the way she managed to capture the meaning of the wordplay， poetry and haikus that form part of the plot。 I felt I was learning quite a lot about Japanese culture， as well as post-war life in a country that had been on the losing side。This book has been compared with Agatha Christie’s And Then There Were None， but I don’t think they have much in common other than that they are both mysteries set on islands。 This is a very different sort of island， for a start – unlike Christie’s， it’s inhabited， with a fishing community， a mayor， doctors， priests and barbers （to name just some of the characters we meet） – and although there may be a few similarities in the way the murders are carried out， the solution is completely different。 It’s a solution I didn’t manage to guess at all; I was convinced I had picked up on an important clue halfway through but it turned out to be a red herring！Now I need to find time to read The Inugami Curse， the other Yokomizo book currently available in English。 。。。more
xyZeereads
，
DNFed and won’t be “revisiting at a later date”。 Really couldn't get into this one at all。 There are too many characters， no one stood out， and they're all just the same。 I stopped reading at 33%。 Thoroughly disappointed。 DNFed and won’t be “revisiting at a later date”。 Really couldn't get into this one at all。 There are too many characters， no one stood out， and they're all just the same。 I stopped reading at 33%。 Thoroughly disappointed。 。。。more
Lady Clementina ffinch-ffarowmore
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My thanks to Pushkin Press and Edelweiss for a review copy of this book。Death on Gokumon Island by Seishi Yokomizo， first published in 1971 is the fourth of Yokomizo’s mysteries to be published in translation by Pushkin Press under their Pushkin Vertigo imprint， from the series featuring his detective Kindaichi Kosuke， which has 77 books。 The translator for this volume is UK-born and Japan-based Louise Heal Kawai， who also translated another book I read earlier in the year， The Cat Who Saved Boo My thanks to Pushkin Press and Edelweiss for a review copy of this book。Death on Gokumon Island by Seishi Yokomizo， first published in 1971 is the fourth of Yokomizo’s mysteries to be published in translation by Pushkin Press under their Pushkin Vertigo imprint， from the series featuring his detective Kindaichi Kosuke， which has 77 books。 The translator for this volume is UK-born and Japan-based Louise Heal Kawai， who also translated another book I read earlier in the year， The Cat Who Saved Books。 Set in Japan just after the Second World War， Death on Gokumon Island， opens （as did The Village of Eight Graves which I read last year） with a prologue introducing its setting （not sure if this is a device common to all of Yokomizo’s books）。 The fictional Gokumon Island or Gokumon-to， translating to ‘Hell’s Gate Island’ is a small island in the Seto inland sea， and was inhabited first by pirates and then convicts， making its people descendants of both， and very different from those on mainland—a closed community of fisherfolk， that looks suspiciously at outsiders and whose ways and lives are very different。It is to Gokumon Island that detective Kindaichi Kosuke， recently demobbed， travels， bearing news of the death of one of his war-time comrades， Chimata-san， who belonged to the most powerful of the island’s families—the Kitos。 As he arrives with a letter of introduction addressed to the Priest， Mayor and Doctor， his entry to the village is easier， and he is welcomed and given place to stay at the Senkoji temple。 But we soon learn that Kindaichi’s purpose in visiting the island was not merely to deliver news of his old friend’s death。 Chimata-san had in fact asked Kindaichi to go to Gokumon and save his three stepsisters whom he believed would be killed once he is dead。 While Chimata-san belonged to the main Kito family， there is also a branch family with which the main family have been at odds， and which stands to gain by any death in the main family。 After Chimata， his cousin Hitoshi （also from the ‘main’ family） is to be heir， but he too， is away serving in the war in Burma。 Others in the family are Chimata-san’s father， suffering mental illness and kept locked away within the home， his three step sisters—in their teens—Tsukio， Yukie， and Hanako， Hitoshi’s sister Sanae who has been running the fishing business while the men are at war， and Okatsu， former mistress of Chimata-san’s grandfather。 The branch family consists of Gihei-san， his wife Oshisho， and a handsome former soldier Ukai-san with whom all three of Chimata-san’s sisters seem to flirt。 As Kindaichi tries to get to know the village and make sense of its social structure， the first murder occurs—and in a rather gruesome manner。 Chimata-san’s apprehensions seem to be coming true， but can Kindaichi find the culprit？While this is a slower paced （particularly at the start） and not-very action packed read， it is also one steeped in place and culture， with an engrossing mystery at its centre the solution to which I didn’t see coming at all， and which I found quite a treat to read。Being set in the period just after the Second World War， the book gives one a good feel of the period。 We have soldiers being demobbed， families listening to the radio each evening， keenly awaiting repatriation news， people finding themselves not having progressed in their work （like Kindaichi’s old friend Inspector Isokawa who remains an Inspector）， remains of airbases and wartime infrastructure， now fallen into disuse， and underwater mines still going off from time to time。 Then there is also the prevalence of Western clothing with only priests， and strong， stubborn people still adopting traditional dress。 But it isn’t just the post-war feel， we are also very much in culture rich Japan with its customs and observances， Noh plays， festivals， traditional fabrics and pottery， even mythical figures like the tengu。 （But that said， the fact that some of the conversation sounded very casual as against the usual formality of language one associates with Japan， felt a bit surprising， and I wondered if this was the case in the original books。） I also really loved that Yoshimizo incorporated popular culture into the book as well—films and songs of the time， books， and so on。In terms of its fictional setting too， the book gave us an interesting look into an isolated， insular fishing community， rather suspicious of outsiders。 There are some independent fisherfolk， but most work for one of the ‘boss’ families， responsible for their welfare and growing the business， and with whom they share a more or less feudal relationship。 The priest and temple are of greatest importance， the priest perhaps the most influential among the fisherfolk who operate on absolute faith， there only being ‘half an inch of plank between them and a watery grave’。 Haiku is also something we see a lot of in the book， and which has a part to play in the plot as well， though I won’t say what for that will be a spoiler。 But we do get glimpses of the haiku of the master， Basho Matsuo and his disciple Takarai Kikaku， and the priest Ryonen is given to quoting haiku much of the time， with even macabre seeming choices at some moments。 I also enjoyed the mention of Zappai poetry which was a form new to me， and which one of the characters prefers to write。 There are some aspects that the modern reader may find problematic， like the assumption that since Gokumon was an island of priests and convicts， its people are strange， crazy even。 Then there is also Chimata-san’s mentally ill father being kept in a caged space （though it is airy， clean and large）。 Interestingly while the priest speaks of not wanting to ‘scare’ the women with the news of the murder， one woman indeed acting in a stereotypical， hysterical manner， and Chimada-san’s sisters being compared to the gorgons at one point， we also have Sanae-san， who is running the family’s fishing business on her own when the men are away at war， and womenfolk on the island being the ones who tend the fields for fishermen would never pick up a hoe。Having only read The Village of Eight Graves before this book， I was also pleased at getting to really ‘meet’ Kindaichi and see him in action， as Eight Graves had him mostly on the sidelines and solving the case ‘off the page’。 He makes for an interesting character dressed in （unusual for the time） traditional Japanese clothing with a crumpled felt hat on his head; ordinary， almost undistinguished to look at， of slight build and dark complexion but a thick ‘nest’ of hair on his head。 He has a bit of a stammer and is not the smooth operating detective， and though he is bright， the puzzle of Gokumon is a formidable one even for him， and one where he makes mistakes aplenty as well。 These aspects aside， the story is essentially a mystery， and a rather complex one at that。 Initially I was just watching events unfold as Kindaichi explored the village and talked to its people， and then the murders began to occur with no real clue as to who the possible culprit might be。 There were what seemed like clues （and which were those， but differently than I interpreted）， and at one point past the 60 per cent mark， I was sure I’d picked up a strong hint and worked out the solution， but boy， was I wrong。 When the actual solution was revealed， it was complex， convoluted and one that took me completely by surprise—I never would have worked it out at all。 But I could see in some characters and the complexities of relationships and influences， where the Agatha Christie inspiration might lie。A slow moving， but still very good read。4。25 stars 。。。more
abbie
，
Finding a specific sub-genre is a really cool thing， and I've recently found that in 1900s Japanese murder mysteries。Death on Gokumon Island is the 4th installment of the Detective Kindaichi Mysteries series， but they can be read out of order。 In this novel， Detective Kindaichi is sent to Gokumon Island by his dying friend with the request to save his three younger sisters from being murdered。Overall， I did really enjoy this book。 The writing was intriguing， it left me guessing as to who the mur Finding a specific sub-genre is a really cool thing， and I've recently found that in 1900s Japanese murder mysteries。Death on Gokumon Island is the 4th installment of the Detective Kindaichi Mysteries series， but they can be read out of order。 In this novel， Detective Kindaichi is sent to Gokumon Island by his dying friend with the request to save his three younger sisters from being murdered。Overall， I did really enjoy this book。 The writing was intriguing， it left me guessing as to who the murderer was。 It's unlike anything I've read before。 The parallels & connections made （without spoiling what they are） were very well done and seeing more of that in today's murder mysteries would be amazing。 It's definitely a little bit creepy as well in how the murders are described， which adds to the mysterious atmosphere of a small island inhabited by an unknow murderer。However， there are a few things that didn't draw me in and that are a bit dated & today are problematic。 To start with what didn't draw me in， the set up was not very engaging， it took 20% before getting interesting， and until that point I had no pull to pick up the book。 There's also a few instances where narration says "dear reader" and tells you directly something that happened in a previous book。 It only served to pull me out of the story。 And the problematic part is how mental illness is used as a plot device & many ableist terms are used。This is a good 3 star read， but is limited to 3 stars from me because of the ableism。 Without that， it would definitely move up to 4。CW: murder， death details， ableist language， mental illness to aid plotRating system:5 - absolutely love， little-to-no dislikes that did not impact my reading experience4 - great book， minor dislikes that did have an impact on my reading experience3 - good/decent book but for some reason did not hook me or there were some problematic things that just were not addressed or greatly impacted my reading experience2 - is either a book I did not click with and did not enjoy， problematic aspects are not addressed and severely impacted my reading experience， or I DNF'd but think it has potential for others1 - is very problematic， I would not recommend the book to anyoneThank you to Netgalley & Pushkin Vertigo for an eARC in exchange for an honest review。 Expected pub date: July 5， 2022。 。。。more
Annarella
，
An atmospheric， gripping， and enthralling traditional whodunnit that kept me guessing since the first pages。I fell in love with the creepy atmosphere of the island， the fleshed out characters， and the complex puzzle kept me guessing。An excellent mystery that I strongly recommend。Many thanks to the publisher and Netgalley for this ARC， all opinions are mine
Kate
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For my full review click on the link below:https://crossexaminingcrime。wordpress。。。 For my full review click on the link below:https://crossexaminingcrime。wordpress。。。 。。。more
Juli Rahel
，
Anyone with a passing familiarity with this blog knows that I love thrillers。 It's my favourite thing to read when I need to unwind， or when I need to wind myself up， or when it's a day ending in y。 But it's also a genre you can get stuck in， as a lot of novels do follow the same routine。 This is why it was high time for me to step outside of familiar territory and get to know Japan's classic private eye， Kosuke Kindaichi！ Thanks to Pushkin Press and NetGalley for providing me with a copy of thi Anyone with a passing familiarity with this blog knows that I love thrillers。 It's my favourite thing to read when I need to unwind， or when I need to wind myself up， or when it's a day ending in y。 But it's also a genre you can get stuck in， as a lot of novels do follow the same routine。 This is why it was high time for me to step outside of familiar territory and get to know Japan's classic private eye， Kosuke Kindaichi！ Thanks to Pushkin Press and NetGalley for providing me with a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review。In the sea there lies an island， with a ferry slowly moving towards it。 Upon this ferry are a few key characters， whose news will stir up the quiet island known as Gokumon。 It is a brilliant opening and it tells you a lot about the setting immediately。 Islands are great settings because they give you a closed community with a long past， which may not respond well to outsiders。 Tensions run deep， agreements go back generations， and secrets are known by everyone and yet kept quiet。 What really got to me， however， was the way Yokomizo depicts the ending of World War II。 He truly shows it to have a major impact， not just onto the soldiers sent abroad to commit horrible crimes， but also on those who stay behind， on the communities that suffer， on the families that are fractured。 While Death on Gokumon Island is a dramatic novel， sure， it nonetheless has its roots in something real and serious。Gokumon Island is a strange place with a mysterious past。 Above all， however， it is isolated from the world and is home to a close-knit community that doesn't like strangers poking in。 Enter Kosuke Kindaichi， returning from the Second World War with the tragic news that the heir apparent of the main family of the island has passed。 But this is only the beginning， as more death awaits on the horizon。 Can Kosuke prevent these deaths？ Or is there more going on than even he could imagine？ Death on Gokumon Island is one of those locked-room mysteries， in that the limited cast of the novel is all stuck on an island together， a murderer amongst them。 Yokomizo makes sure to give the reader plenty of information， from time stamps to maps to clues， to allow them to think along with Kosuke。 And yet I could not have seen the solution coming。 I really enjoyed Death on Gokumon Island; for all its oddities， it was utterly gripping。Seishi Yokomizo is a must-read in Japan， in the way that Agatha Christie is in the West。 If you like thrillers and suspense， you go to Yokomizo。 And I can see why， now。 Gokumon Island combines a whole lot of things I love， from a Gothic spooky angle to a sly sense of humour。 It must be said that the style of this novel is very different from what readers of Western thrillers may be used to。 The main thing I noticed is that we don't get as much introspection。 We have an insight into the main character， Kosuke， to a certain extent， but we don't get pages upon pages of his thoughts， worries， concerns， or memories。 The author and reader are at a little bit of a distance from it all， which makes it more of a puzzle to solve than a harrowing emotional rollercoaster。 This felt like an absolute breath of fresh air to me， in comparison to the last thriller I read。 There is definitely a feel of "classic" about Gokumon， as we know it from Agatha Christie。 Kosuke is like Poirot in his oddities and attention to detail， but loveable in a different way。 There is an enthusiasm to him， but also a sensibility that keeps him truly human。 I will definitely be looking into Yokomizo's other Kosuke Kindaichi novels so this shall not be my final foray into Japan。Death on Gokumon Island truly does feel like a classic。 While it may take some time to get into the style of these novels， I can wholeheartedly recommend them。URL: https://universeinwords。blogspot。com/。。。 。。。more
Simms
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A fine mystery， mainly notable for its interesting cultural context， very intertwined with Japan's experience in World War II， and indeed that provides the impetus for the mystery: the novel's central detective， Kosuke Kindaichi， has been demobilized after the war and is sent to the titular Gokumon Island by the dying words of a comrade-in-arms （ironically dying of illness on the way home after surviving the war）。 A disappointing aspect of the story: Kindaichi is sent to prevent the predicted mu A fine mystery， mainly notable for its interesting cultural context， very intertwined with Japan's experience in World War II， and indeed that provides the impetus for the mystery: the novel's central detective， Kosuke Kindaichi， has been demobilized after the war and is sent to the titular Gokumon Island by the dying words of a comrade-in-arms （ironically dying of illness on the way home after surviving the war）。 A disappointing aspect of the story: Kindaichi is sent to prevent the predicted murders of his late friend's sisters， but completely fails to do so and is left only to solve their murders after the fact。 Certainly escalating body counts are not uncommon in the mystery genre， and we don't usually judge Hercule Poirot or his ilk too harshly for failing to stop subsequent murders in one book， but given that his explicit goal was to save them from the start it still felt like it dinged his reputation as one of Japan's greatest private detectives。Thanks to NetGalley and Pushkin Press for the ARC。 。。。more
Ema Asmadi
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Kosuke Kindaichi was drafted by the army and forced to join the war。 Kosuke's division suffered a crushing defeat in their final battle and took to their heels。 The survivors met up with other divisions and regrouped。 That was when Kosuke met Chimata Kito。 But Chimata died on board that brought soldiers back to Japan。Kosuke was requested to come to Gokumon Island by Chimata。 In his final dying words， he asked Kosuke to prevent the killing of his sisters。 He just knew beforehand that these killin Kosuke Kindaichi was drafted by the army and forced to join the war。 Kosuke's division suffered a crushing defeat in their final battle and took to their heels。 The survivors met up with other divisions and regrouped。 That was when Kosuke met Chimata Kito。 But Chimata died on board that brought soldiers back to Japan。Kosuke was requested to come to Gokumon Island by Chimata。 In his final dying words， he asked Kosuke to prevent the killing of his sisters。 He just knew beforehand that these killings were likely to occur。Three separate murderers were each committed single-handedly。 There were separate cases， which took place one after the other。 Was it about family fortune or just a feral lot that was full of bad manners and customs？My personal rating 4。5 ⭐Thanks to @netgalley and @pushkin_press for providing an arc。 This copy will be published on this July 5th。📚#donereading #deathongokumonisland #seishiyokomizo #kosukekindaichi #emabaca #igreads #goodreads #bookstagram #malaysiamembaca 。。。more
Sarah Hudson
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We meet Private Detective Kosuke Kindaichi on his way to the titular Gokumon Island following the death of his friend on a troop transport ship at the end of WW2。 As heir to the most powerful family of the island， Kosuke’s friend explains that his imminent death will put the lives of his three step-sisters in danger and begs Kosuke to go to the island to try and save them。What follows is Kosuke’s investigation as to why the sisters may be in danger and subsequent enquiries as the sisters are kil We meet Private Detective Kosuke Kindaichi on his way to the titular Gokumon Island following the death of his friend on a troop transport ship at the end of WW2。 As heir to the most powerful family of the island， Kosuke’s friend explains that his imminent death will put the lives of his three step-sisters in danger and begs Kosuke to go to the island to try and save them。What follows is Kosuke’s investigation as to why the sisters may be in danger and subsequent enquiries as the sisters are killed in increasingly strange ways。 Being an island， this has a classic locked-room mystery feel and the various characters， including the local policeman， mayor， barber， priest， doctor， and members of various rival families， are fascinating。 I am not very familiar with Japanese culture， but the translation was great and the narrative gave a real sense of the time and place in a very accessible way。 The plot was very intricate and kept me guessing all the way to the satisfying end reveal。I will certainly be seeking out more translations of this author’s work， and would recommend it to any fans of classic detective fiction。My thanks to the author， NetGalley， and the publisher for the arc to review。 。。。more
Melisende
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The style is fairly consistent - and one the author Seishi Yolomizo explores well - deep， dark family secrets， which when brought into open， give birth to jealousy， greed and ultimately 。。。 murder。 And here again， we have all those elements: a family saga of love and hate， revenge and redemption; many suspects but always one whom you are least likely to suspect; a suspenseful mystery， tied together by a long narrative that conveys the essence of the story， location and characters to perfection。 The style is fairly consistent - and one the author Seishi Yolomizo explores well - deep， dark family secrets， which when brought into open， give birth to jealousy， greed and ultimately 。。。 murder。 And here again， we have all those elements: a family saga of love and hate， revenge and redemption; many suspects but always one whom you are least likely to suspect; a suspenseful mystery， tied together by a long narrative that conveys the essence of the story， location and characters to perfection。 This is Yokomizo's trademark。This time， the grisly deaths appear to form some sort of dramatic countenance - and Kosuke is said to have remarked: "。。。 The inhabitants of this island， do they all think this way - as if everything's like some kind of drama 。。。"Throw into this murderous mix some pirates， returned and repatriated servicemen， local politics and scandal， and you have all the ingredients for a truly satisfying murder mystery。I cannot recommend this series enough， with our detective， Kindaichi， who according to the local policeman， looks more like a criminal than a world famous detective！ 。。。more
Yen Hoang
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This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers。 To view it， click here。 3。5/5
Sue
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This is my third outing with Kosuke Kindaichi， known as the “greatest detective in Japan” by many in Japan after his solution of the Honjin murder。 The setting now is in 1945， in the months after the end of the war in Japan。 Japanese soldiers are in the slow process of being repatriated to their homes。 Families don’t know if their husbands， fathers or sons have survived the war。 Kindaichi is on his way to Gokumon Island to fulfill a promise to a dying comrade， to personally tell that family of h This is my third outing with Kosuke Kindaichi， known as the “greatest detective in Japan” by many in Japan after his solution of the Honjin murder。 The setting now is in 1945， in the months after the end of the war in Japan。 Japanese soldiers are in the slow process of being repatriated to their homes。 Families don’t know if their husbands， fathers or sons have survived the war。 Kindaichi is on his way to Gokumon Island to fulfill a promise to a dying comrade， to personally tell that family of his death。 What concerns him is the cryptic comment his friend made about the well-being of his half sisters after his death。Arrival at Gokumon Island brings an aura of heavy mist， an imposing landscape， unusual people who temporarily cow our detective。 As he works out the relationships of the families， the townspeople， local traditions， it happens that his sleuthing skills will be needed。 For murder also visits the island。I recommend this book and all of the series that has been translated into English。 Kosuke Kindaichi is an interesting character with human skills and foibles。 He also enjoys people。 The novels are full of Japanese period history as they were written at the time。 They also reflect many social and cultural aspects of Japanese life that add so much to the stories。 Enjoy！A copy of this book was provided by Pushkin Vertigo through NetGalley in return for an honest review。 。。。more
ywanderingreads
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I was excited to know this is written by the same author of ‘The Village of Eight Graves’。 I managed to read a few chapters before it expired and I enjoyed his writing enough to request for this。Kosuke Kindaichi arrived in Gokumon Island to inform a family of their loss for a deceased comrade。 He was initially reluctant to do so but man’s last words aroused his curiosity。 Kosuke made a promise to prevent the man’s sisters from getting murdered。 Things got more puzzling when he met the inhabitant I was excited to know this is written by the same author of ‘The Village of Eight Graves’。 I managed to read a few chapters before it expired and I enjoyed his writing enough to request for this。Kosuke Kindaichi arrived in Gokumon Island to inform a family of their loss for a deceased comrade。 He was initially reluctant to do so but man’s last words aroused his curiosity。 Kosuke made a promise to prevent the man’s sisters from getting murdered。 Things got more puzzling when he met the inhabitants of the small island。 Soon， the first sister is found dead and Kosuke realized he needs to figure out who the murderer is before another sister is murdered。 In a small island full of secrets， can Kosuke race against time to solve this mystery？This is a classic Japanese murder series which involves a detective trying to solve unique murders。 Like solving a puzzle， the whole story is very calm and strategic amidst the rush against time to solve this mystery。I love puzzles so I really enjoyed how the plot come together！ The story is not thrilling or particularly heart stopping but it is all about solving the puzzle。 The story builds up slowly as each of the suspect is introduced。 All the suspects had reasons to kill but who is the final piece of the puzzle？ I also love the eerie atmosphere of the island and how unique the murders were！ it really gives the plot more character and depth。Overall， I really love reading these kind of puzzle mysteries and will be on the lookout for more！Thank you Netgalley and Pushkin Press for the arc。 。。。more
Rebecca
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Although this is being published fourth， it's worth noting that it's actually the second book Yokomizo published in Japan in Kosuke Kindaichi's adventures。 That's not necessarily important in terms of the actual mystery， but rather when you think about Kindaichi himself and how he's younger than in The Eight Graves， which Pushkin Vertigo published as book three in English。 （In reality， it's the eighth book in Yokomizo's original series。） Once you get past that and simply accept that there are a Although this is being published fourth， it's worth noting that it's actually the second book Yokomizo published in Japan in Kosuke Kindaichi's adventures。 That's not necessarily important in terms of the actual mystery， but rather when you think about Kindaichi himself and how he's younger than in The Eight Graves， which Pushkin Vertigo published as book three in English。 （In reality， it's the eighth book in Yokomizo's original series。） Once you get past that and simply accept that there are a lot of references to The Honjin Murders （book one in both English and Japanese）， there's plenty to enjoy here。 Kindaichi is not the narrator， but he's very present in the story， keeping his own motivations hidden from the locals on Gokumon Island， which is a near-perfect depiction of how remote， insular island communities function。 The islanders go between trusting him and suspecting him， and this makes Kindaichi's job much more difficult as he tries to sort through the clues， which are doled out by the locals and linger on from a friend who died just after WWII。 The clues are， however， all there for both Kindaichi and the reader to find like in any good fair play mystery， and at least one is so hidden in plain sight that it makes for a real head-smacker of a reveal。 While not quite as exciting as the book which preceded it （in English）， this is still a solid， enjoyable Golden Age mystery and worth picking up if you enjoyed the other books in the series。 。。。more
Rebecca
，
Although this is being published fourth， it's worth noting that it's actually the second book Yokomizo published in Japan in Kosuke Kindaichi's adventures。 That's not necessarily important in terms of the actual mystery， but rather when you think about Kindaichi himself and how he's younger than in The Eight Graves， which Pushkin Vertigo published as book three in English。 （In reality， it's the eighth book in Yokomizo's original series。） Once you get past that and simply accept that there are a Although this is being published fourth， it's worth noting that it's actually the second book Yokomizo published in Japan in Kosuke Kindaichi's adventures。 That's not necessarily important in terms of the actual mystery， but rather when you think about Kindaichi himself and how he's younger than in The Eight Graves， which Pushkin Vertigo published as book three in English。 （In reality， it's the eighth book in Yokomizo's original series。） Once you get past that and simply accept that there are a lot of references to The Honjin Murders （book one in both English and Japanese）， there's plenty to enjoy here。 Kindaichi is not the narrator， but he's very present in the story， keeping his own motivations hidden from the locals on Gokumon Island， which is a near-perfect depiction of how remote， insular island communities function。 The islanders go between trusting him and suspecting him， and this makes Kindaichi's job much more difficult as he tries to sort through the clues， which are doled out by the locals and linger on from a friend who died just after WWII。 The clues are， however， all there for both Kindaichi and the reader to find like in any good fair play mystery， and at least one is so hidden in plain sight that it makes for a real head-smacker of a reveal。 While not quite as exciting as the book which preceded it （in English）， this is still a solid， enjoyable Golden Age mystery and worth picking up if you enjoyed the other books in the series。 。。。more
Thanh Hang NGUYEN
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Câu chuyện với thám tử Kindaichi nhận lời uỷ thác của đồng đội trước lúc lâm chung， đem thư báo tử đến nhà bạn ở đảo Ngục Môn và âm thầm điều tra những bí ẩn từ lời trăn trối。 Diễn biến nằm ngoài những dự đoán và hình dung của anh với 3 nạn nhân bị giết trong 3 đêm liên tục。 Kindaichi là người ngoài nên không biết hết ẩn tình của dân cư trên đảo， nên anh phải tận dụng mọi phương pháp để tìm hiểu quá khứ và chắp nối các chi tiết hiện tại， để tìm ra thủ phạm。Ý tưởng truyện khá hay， nhưng cách kể h Câu chuyện với thám tử Kindaichi nhận lời uỷ thác của đồng đội trước lúc lâm chung， đem thư báo tử đến nhà bạn ở đảo Ngục Môn và âm thầm điều tra những bí ẩn từ lời trăn trối。 Diễn biến nằm ngoài những dự đoán và hình dung của anh với 3 nạn nhân bị giết trong 3 đêm liên tục。 Kindaichi là người ngoài nên không biết hết ẩn tình của dân cư trên đảo， nên anh phải tận dụng mọi phương pháp để tìm hiểu quá khứ và chắp nối các chi tiết hiện tại， để tìm ra thủ phạm。Ý tưởng truyện khá hay， nhưng cách kể hơi dài dòng nên đôi khi không đẩy lên được hết sự cao trào cần thiết。 Thủ pháp tìm thủ phạm khá hấp dẫn nhưng không tạo ra bất ngờ với mình （và chắc nhiều với độc giả khác nữa） bởi thủ phạm đã dần hiện lên sau những miêu tả đôi khi sơ hở hoặc bật mí hơi nhiều。Truyện gắn với thời kỳ sau Thế chiến thứ 2 tại Nhật， nên có những chi tiết lịch sử-xã hội khá thú vị。 。。。more
Tya C。
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If you want Agatha Christie without the racist book titles， then this book is for you！ Detective Kosuke Kindaichi arrives on Gokuman Island with a mission。 On a ship with Kindaichi back home from war， the son of the island’s most important family’s last words before death warn that his three sisters will be murdered and begs the detective to go save their lives。 After Kindaichi gets there， a series of murders begins。 Can he solve this mystery and save lives？ This is the first book I’ve read in If you want Agatha Christie without the racist book titles， then this book is for you！ Detective Kosuke Kindaichi arrives on Gokuman Island with a mission。 On a ship with Kindaichi back home from war， the son of the island’s most important family’s last words before death warn that his three sisters will be murdered and begs the detective to go save their lives。 After Kindaichi gets there， a series of murders begins。 Can he solve this mystery and save lives？ This is the first book I’ve read in this series， but it won’t be my last！ I enjoyed this classic murder mystery！ The premise was very intriguing and the story kept me interested。 The atmosphere was great， and though there were lots of characters and lots of information to keep up with， I never got confused。 The writing was very clear and straight to the point， so it was easy to keep up。 I also found the reveal to be entertaining。 I figured out some things， but definitely not everything！ My only real complaint is that I wish it had been more exciting。 It was very slow paced， but I never got bored。 This was slow paced done right！ I just wanted the writing to be a little more engrossing。 I enjoyed this book and will definitely be picking up the other books in the series soon！ This was a book that you can easily read without reading any of the previous novels。 And it’s great for anyone who loves thought provoking murder mysteries！Thank you NetGalley and Pushkin Vertigo for this arc！ All opinions are my own。TW for an unchecked “when women say no they really mean yes” conversation。 。。。more
Jennie
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Death on Gokumon Island is the fourth of the Kosuke Kindaichi novels to be translated into English。 This story takes place just after World War II when Kindaichi-san is sent to Gokumon Island by his dear friend Chimata。 On his death bed， Chimata requests Kindaichi to go to his home and save his sisters from being murdered。 Death on Gokumon Island contains family rivalries， theatricality， lunatics， and even pirates。 While this is the fourth novel to be translated it is the second chronologically Death on Gokumon Island is the fourth of the Kosuke Kindaichi novels to be translated into English。 This story takes place just after World War II when Kindaichi-san is sent to Gokumon Island by his dear friend Chimata。 On his death bed， Chimata requests Kindaichi to go to his home and save his sisters from being murdered。 Death on Gokumon Island contains family rivalries， theatricality， lunatics， and even pirates。 While this is the fourth novel to be translated it is the second chronologically but that does not matter if you have read the other three as they are standalone novels that do not require the others （except the first one） in order to read them。 These translations are very good。 Sometimes translations can be difficult to read but this has a very modern language feel to it。 I highly recommend this series of novels and look forward to the next one to be translated。 。。。more
Reference
google book https://www.google.com/search?tbm=bks&q=Death on Gokumon Island
hathitrust digital library https://babel.hathitrust.org/cgi/ls?q1=Death on Gokumon Island&field1=ocr&a=srchls&ft=ft&lmt=ft