Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #437862 in Books
• Published on: 2002-03-01
• Original language: Japanese
• Number of items: 1
• Binding: Paperback
• 324 pages

Synopsis
The Chilling Search for a Missing Torso Leads to a Dark Erotic Secret; A gripping murder mystery in the style of S S Van Dine and John Dickson Carr; Kinue Nimora survived World War II only to be murdered in Tokyo, her severed limbs being all that is left behind when she is discovered in a locked bathroom. Gone is her torso which bore one of the most beautiful full-body tattoos ever created by her late father, a highly controversial artist. Kenzo Matsushita, a young doctor, must assist his detective brother who is in charge of the case, because he was Kinue's secret lover and the first person on the murder scene.

Customer Reviews

A mystery must--not at all dated.
The story remains fresh, even today, 50 years later. Nothing in it lags. While the crime described is a horrorific one, the way the author has written about it doesn't disturb. I enjoyed this classic "puzzle" mystery--both a who-dune-it and how. The story is set in postwar Tokoyo and it's very atmospheric.

The tattoos and characters are displayed with precision
To anyone who is interested in tattoos or in postwar Japan this book is a must. Having a traditional Japanese tattoo myself I was most impressed with the treatment of the art in relation to the trials of living with the artwork,and those who seek to posses it. The way the story does not rely on the tattoos to be the entire focus of the book is refreshing. The moral and ethical questions raised by the pursuit of these tattoos is hardly touched on,but this is a murder mystery not a book about ethics. As far as the mystery goes it is very well thought out and intelligent. You get to know the characters without too much guesswork and they do not have as rough a diologue as you would first assume.(this is in reference to the strict translation that is offered)

macabre subject, interesting mystery
The murder is gruesome, the idea of preserving the tattooed skins of people who have died, for their art value, is creepy, but still it is a very readable mystery. The translation is stilted, and there are a couple of anachronisms, but that doesn't matter once you get into the story.