Inspector Imanishi Investigates

By: Seicho Matsumoto, Beth Cary - translator

Narrated by: Kenichiro Thomson

Brought to you by Penguin.

A thrilling crime classic, from the bestselling author of Tokyo Express
Tokyo, 1960. As the first rays of morning light hit the rails at Kamata Station, a man’s body is found on the tracks. With only two leads – a distinctive accent and a single word, ‘kameda’ – senior inspector Imanishi Eitaro is called in to solve the puzzle.

Setting aside his beloved bonsai and haikus, he must cross Japan in search of answers, from Osaka to Akita, accompanied by junior detective Yoshimura. At each new town, they encounter traces of the avant-garde Nouveau Group – young Tokyo artists who are bringing new ideas from the West. What to make of this modern collective? And how to stop another mysterious death occurring? Inspector Imanishi investigates…

A fascinating glimpse into Japanese society at a time of great change, this is one of Seicho Matsumoto’s best-loved novels – a riveting mystery from the master of Japanese crime.

'An absolute classic, and a whole new world to explore ... irresistible' Lee Child
'Beautiful and melancholic, Inspector Imanishi Investigates is not just an ingenious and elegant mystery, but a fascinating window into 1960s Japan' Paula Hawkins


© 1989 Seicho Matsumoto (P)2024 Penguin Audio

Different and confusing

The book was different but also interesting. I usually like those golden era detective novels but because I really love Japan and Japanese people I wanted to try this book. The story was little bit confusing and I didn't quite follow all the nyances, but I did like ten book. Perhaps I listen it again some day.

Difficult to tell the characters apart

Enjoyed the page-turner sort of story. However, the narration made it difficult to follow at times as the characters sounded overly similar.