The Honjin Murders
By Seishi Yokomizu, Translation by Louise Heal Kawai

This locked-room mystery was written in 1947, but feels fresher than that-probably due to the smooth, excellent translation by Kawai.

This is a short, clever little tale that plays with the genre tropes in a self conscious way. I wouldn't call it hugely original, but it's fast, invited by interesting characters, and introduces the iconic (in Japan) detective Kosuke Kindaichi in a memorable way.

It was a pure pleasure!