THE TATTOO MURDER

𝐓𝐡𝐞 𝐓𝐚𝐭𝐭𝐨𝐨 𝐌𝐮𝐫𝐝𝐞𝐫
𝐁𝐲 𝐀𝐤𝐢𝐦𝐢𝐭𝐬𝐮 𝐓𝐚𝐤𝐚𝐠𝐢
𝐏𝐮𝐛𝐥𝐢𝐬𝐡𝐞𝐫: 𝐏𝐮𝐬𝐡𝐤𝐢𝐧 𝐕𝐞𝐫𝐭𝐢𝐠𝐨 (𝟐𝟎𝟐𝟐)
𝐏𝐚𝐩𝐞𝐫𝐛𝐚𝐜𝐤: 𝟑𝟕𝟕
𝐏𝐮𝐛𝐥𝐢𝐬𝐡𝐞𝐝: 𝟏𝐬𝐭 𝐉𝐚𝐧𝐮𝐚𝐫𝐲 𝟏𝟗𝟒𝟖 (𝟏𝐬𝐭 𝐏𝐮𝐛𝐥𝐢𝐬𝐡𝐞𝐝)
𝐆𝐞𝐧𝐫𝐞: 𝐌𝐮𝐫𝐝𝐞𝐫 𝐌𝐲𝐬𝐭𝐞𝐫𝐲/ 𝐂𝐥𝐚𝐬𝐬𝐢𝐜 𝐅𝐢𝐜𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧
𝐉𝐚𝐩𝐚𝐧𝐞𝐬𝐞 𝐋𝐢𝐭𝐞𝐫𝐚𝐭𝐮𝐫𝐞
𝐑𝐞𝐚𝐝𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐘𝐞𝐚𝐫: 𝟐𝟎𝟐𝟒


Set in 1947, amidst the tumultuous aftermath of World War II in Japan, the narrative unfolds around the Nomura siblings—two sisters, Kinue and Tamae, and their brother Tsunetaro—bound by an intense fascination with tattoos. Raised by their father Horiyaso, a revered master tattoo artist, each child became a canvas for his unparalleled artistry. Horiyaso etched three legendary Japanese sorcerers onto the bodies of his beloved children, marking them as living masterpieces.
As the war raged on, Tsunetaro ventured into battle, vanishing into the fog of war, presumed lost. Tamae, tragically, was believed to have perished in the devastating atomic bombing of Hiroshima. Only Kinue, the most exquisite of the siblings, survived, her flawless, full-body masterpiece earning her the prestigious title of Best Tattoo in Japan.
Yet, despite her accolades, Kinue harbours a shadow of foreboding, haunted by the fates of her lost siblings. Her fears materialize when she meets a chilling end, murdered in a locked room, her body gruesomely dismembered, the prized torso bearing her masterpiece tattoo missing without a trace.

As the police grapple with the enigma of Kinue's murder, a sinister pattern emerges with more lives snuffed out diabolically. A mastermind lurks in the shadows, orchestrating each move with chilling precision, evading the law's grasp.
In a pivotal juncture of the tale, Takagi introduces Koysuke Kamizu, an amateur detective of exceptional intellect and a skilled chess player. Armed with a keen mind honed through the study of forensic medicine, Koysuke steps into the deadly game, matching wits with the elusive killer in a perilous dance of cat and mouse.
With each move on the chessboard of investigation, Koysuke inches closer to unravelling the twisted motives behind the murders, delving into a labyrinth of dark secrets and hidden vendettas. The battle of intellects unfolds, pitting the detective against a cunning adversary who seems always one step ahead.
In the dark streets of post-war Japan, where shadows whisper of unspeakable deeds and the echoes of war still linger, Koysuke Kamizu faces his greatest challenge yet—to unmask the face of evil and bring justice to the victims of a meticulously plotted reign of terror.

I found the motive to be somewhat mundane. While the plot is intriguing, I sensed the translation was slightly off. It would have been better if the book had been a bit shorter. A thriller enthusiast might enjoy this Japanese classic. 

My Rating:

3.5/5

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