Murder at the Black Cat Cafe

[KEV67]

Seishi Yokomizo has been described as a Japanese Agatha Christie. I do not know about that as I have not read any Agatha Christie. I suspect his stories are more macabre than Christie's. Yokomizo has his own detective called Kosuke Kindaichi, but he does not always take a very active role in uncovering the cases. The stories take place shortly after the end of WW2. This is an odd point in Japan's history. Cities have been firebombed during the war. Millions have been killed. Overseas settlers have had to return from China. Japan has been defeated, but their social system is still built on honour. Japan still holds onto its traditions, but it is at the beginning of a new era of modernisation. Notwithstanding the honour system, there is still much seediness in society, overlooked by the authorities. Brothels abound. Atmospherically, I liked the stories more than the plots. I can't be bothered with whodunnits.