If you’re a fan of murder mysteries and you haven’t added Japanese books of the genre to your reading lists, then you need to rectify this stat!
In the 1920s, a subgenre of Japanese crime fiction literature called Honkaku was formed. Novels belonging to this genre featured clever and complex mysteries that could be solved through logical deductions. These murder mystery novels focused on the process of criminal investigation and didn’t rely on unexpected plot twists to tie everything together. In fact, some authors offered tools like detailed maps and list of clues to the reader to encorage them to solve the mystery alongside the characters in the book.
Fortunately for us non-Japanese reading crime fiction enthusiasts, these Honkaku mystery novels have been translated in different languages over the years. If you want to enter the thrilling world of Japanese crime fiction literature, here are a few titles you can add to your reading lists now!