In the morning outside Kuki Station, a body is found lying next to the railway tracks, shot dead. This body belongs to the owner of a local mill which was embroiled in a labor dispute. Suspicion instantly falls on the worker’s union. Chief Inspector Onitsura and his assistant Tanna follow the clue, which brings them across Japan to find the killer.

There is strong Japanese cultural involvement in the story. The story is presented at a fast pace with a very detailed timeline and the Chief Inspector Onitsura and Tanna's route journey. But this story misses out some actions, just like a cake which is cut off before the person blows their birthday candle.

The event of murder really needs some description of it. It will be more interesting if there is the suspect’s POV. Also, it needs much more suspense to make the reader more thrilled about what happened in the story.

This story has so many characters that it makes me really confused about whom the main character is if I do not read the blurb carefully. Poor character introduction and it needs more description. The story itself is running out in the circle and pretty blunt for me. I’m so sorry. I don’t think I really enjoy this book, plus I also know who is the suspect in the middle of the story and it is not fun anymore. The one and only thing that I like about this book is the killer meticulous plan and that’s it.

It's not anything like the crime novels I usually read and that is refreshing. I really liked this.

Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for the chance to read this eARC in exchange for my honest opinion.

I'm not sure if the translation was weird or if it's the actual writing of the book, but the dialogue was really weird and kind of off-putting. It made it a slog to continue to read.

The s-l-o-w pacing of The Black Swan Mystery was common when it was written especially because it was serialized first. The detective and his assistant don’t even appear until the halfway point of the book. But the tempo and all the hard-to-remember character & location names made this book a difficult read for this American reader. As a golden age mystery fan, I wanted to like it but somehow didn’t. The conclusion was particularly disappointing. It is recommended only for diehard classic mystery fans. 3 stars.

Thanks to NetGalley and Pushkin Vertigo for providing me with an advanced review copy.

Tetsuya Ayukawa’s The Black Swan Mystery is a masterclass in precision plotting, atmospheric detail, and one of the most brilliantly executed examples of the alibi deconstruction mystery ever written. Originally published in Japan and long considered a crown jewel of classic honkaku (orthodox) mystery fiction, this intricately woven puzzle now finds its rightful place among international crime literature’s elite thanks to a sharp new translation.

The novel opens with a chilling discovery: the body of a mill owner found dead beside the railway tracks outside Kuki Station in 1960s Japan. At first glance, the death might seem like an accident or perhaps a suicide—but Ayukawa wastes no time peeling back layers of motive, opportunity, and cunning misdirection. Was it the disgruntled labor union? The shadowy new religious sect gaining traction in the area? Or something much deeper, colder, and more calculating?

Enter Chief Inspector Onitsura and his sharp-eyed assistant Tanna, whose journey to uncover the truth takes them on a tour of mid-century Japan—from the urban hum of Tokyo to the cultural soul of Kyoto, the bustling cityscape of Osaka, and the misty, evocative coastline of Kyūshu. Along the way, the killer stays one step ahead—and keeps killing.

What elevates The Black Swan Mystery beyond its whodunit peers is Ayukawa’s meticulous craftsmanship in constructing (and dismantling) seemingly airtight alibis. Every time you think you’ve caught the killer in a logical snare, the ground shifts beneath your feet. Fans of Agatha Christie’s 4.50 from Paddington and Seichō Matsumoto’s Tokyo Express will feel right at home in Ayukawa’s world of railway timetables, conflicting testimonies, and psychological subtlety.

Yet this isn’t just a mechanical puzzle. Ayukawa, writing during Japan’s post-war reconstruction era, embeds his story within a socially resonant context—touching on labor unrest, spiritual uncertainty, and a society grappling with rapid modernization. The portrait of 1960s Japan is rich, authentic, and quietly poignant, lending emotional depth to a narrative otherwise defined by cool logic and procedural elegance.

The Black Swan Mystery rightfully earned the Japanese Detective Writers Club Prize, and it’s not hard to see why. Ayukawa’s intricate plotting and razor-sharp deductions are utterly engrossing. For connoisseurs of the classic detective story—especially those who delight in alibi breakdowns, red herrings, and sleight-of-hand solutions—this is not just a recommendation, it’s required reading.

I was reminded of an Agatha Christie novel in many ways while reading this. Many of the similarities are in the long buildup and bouncing around to different suspects and theories. The beginning starts out interesting and then as it goes on it’s a little harder to follow and keep up with the different characters and stories unfolding. Though while I’m reading it I am mostly enjoying it I find I enjoy it more thinking back on it. Definitely a fun tale though for fans of the genre!

Thank you to NetGalley and Pushkin Press for the arc!

The Black Swan Mystery is a classic Japanese whodunnit, packed with trains, decoys, poisons, and an intricate murder investigation set in postwar 1950s Japan. When a mill president is found dead on the tracks amid a heated labor strike, two detectives dive into the case—only for more bodies to follow. Eventually, Inspector Onitsura and his assistant Tanna take over, traveling across the country, chasing down clues tied to train schedules and crisscrossing timelines.

The mystery unfolds methodically, with step-by-step detective work, interviews, and clue gathering that fans of classic crime fiction may appreciate. There's also a deeper social layer, with themes of worker exploitation, poverty, and the influence of cults and corruption.

That said, the book isn’t without flaws. The narrative can feel long-winded, the cast is large but forgettable, and the resolution—despite all the buildup—lacks impact. Onitsura, who seems positioned as a recurring lead, doesn’t appear until halfway through, and his dynamic with Tanna never quite clicks in the way of great detective duos. Additionally, some outdated and off-putting remarks about women detract from the experience.

While it’s not a standout in the genre, fans of vintage-style mysteries and train-centric plots may still enjoy this slow-burn classic—just don’t expect a thrilling finale.

A big thank you to NetGalley and Pushkin Press | Pushkin Vertigo for an advanced copy in exchange for an honest review.

A Japanese murder mystery, the director of a prominent textile firm is murdered, as there is a trade union strike underway at the firm the union bosses come under suspicion. The detectives tasked with investigating travel by train, bus and foot as they try to unravel what happened.
A very engaging tale, from a time before computers and fast cars. Very interesting how the threads were untangled and the solution established.
My thanks to NetGalley and the publishers for the arc.

A very good mystery thriller that will be enjoyed by readers who like Agatha Christie, Dashiell Hammet and/ or Earle Stanley Gardener. A mystery flavored with different POVs and settings geared to an Asian audience. It is a cultural education of sorts for non-Asian readers. An enjoyable read.

The Back Swan Mystery is a slow burn crime classic that every murder mystery lover will enjoy! 💫💫💫💫💫

The president of the local textile mill is found dead. He was dealing with an intense battle with the union workers. He was found shot on a railway track. An investigation begins, and while that is set in motion, another murder occurs. This is when Detective Onitsura and Tanna step in and begin an intense investigation into several suspects. Each scene is detailed to perfection, and the clever tricks in which the murderer is slowly reveals really makes the murder mystery so much more enjoyable.

Thank you, Netgalley and Pushkin Press, for my Arc. All opinions are entirely my own.

My thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for this book.

I love the old classic Japanese mysteries and this is another chip from a fine old block. Tetsuya had written this book nearly 65-66 years ago and its translation brings the mystery to new shores. This book is convoluted in many ways and keeping up with the alibis that characters provide requires an app in itself or the kind of thread diagram that investigators use to plot mysteries. This is not a casual reading material, it requires all faculties on alert to keep up with the story and is perfect for people like me who appreciate plots and like to solve puzzles. A story that defines the old classic golden age detective fiction set in postwar Japan.

The body of a mill owner is found by the train tracks and things start to unravel into a mystery involving labor tensions, a secretive religious cult, and a series of murders. Chief Inspector Onitsura and his assistant are on the case with an investigation that leads them across the country chasing clues hidden in time tables, train schedules and trying to unravel conflicting witness statements. This is the kind of plot that many people may fail to appreciate as it is a cerebral detective story where Tetsuya shows his exquisite control over his craft with a slow burn story where I, as a reader got to read every small detail, while appreciating the use of locations and transport.

The pacing is sluggish on occasions and the characters needed more work especially the detectives (maybe it happens in subsequent adventures). Unlike other great detectives in literature, CI Onitsura does not stand out but the plot does.

The setting is fantastic and Tetsuya paints a vivid picture of Japan in the 1960s, with its social changes, urban landscapes and lingering post-war tensions. This is something that I see is unique to Japanese detective fiction.

Love to untangle a murder step by step then this is book suited for you. The payback is uber satisfying.

I've read Japanese fiction before, but this one just wasn't my cup of tea. However, I did enjoy how the story unraveled with each new chapter and how I felt like I knew each new character after only being introduced to them a few pages before.

It might have just been too much for me to keep up with, but I could definitely see how others who are into untangling a mystery would gobble this up!

I ma a real fan of Japanese crime fiction and it’s fascinating to trace the parallel developments of the genre alongside our own English language tradition from the Golden Age of crime fiction onwards. This is an interesting novel to read about Japanese culture and to have a narrative sweep of large swathes of the country that made me really want to go to Japan and see it all. I think as a story this perhaps wasn’t the strongest contender in the Pushkin series but it is perhaps a novel for someone who takes trying to solve the central crime very seriously. The author is very assiduous in providing all the clues with full railway timetables being reprinted throughout the novel. I suspect that if you wanted to sit down and try and solve the novel - in short treat this like a puzzle book rather than a story - you would get rather a lot out of this!

I received an arc in exchange for a review.

The Black Swan had shit to do with this mystery. It was a place they went to one time and played an insignificant role in the story. The title should have been railway-themed considering the amount of times trains and train schedules were mentioned and how vital they were to the killer's schemes and the killer's downfall.

I know this was written in the ancient times but god were the depiction of women atrocious. The only woman who nearly escapes unscathed from the neverending misogyny and fatphobia was the killer herself but even that was barely a mercy.

The high body count was unnecessary and only served to lengthen the mystery, which would have benefited from a little brevity.

This Japanese traditional detective novel was originally published in 1960, but has only recently been translated into English. The structure was unusual, with people from the murdered man’s company leading the investigation as amateur detectives in the first half of the book. The police detective duo of Inspector Onitsura and his assistant Tanna don’t appear until the halfway mark in Chapter 10. I felt that the pace and flow of the story improved at this point—before this, it was interesting but lacked focus.

If you love trains and psychologically improbable train timetable alibis, you are going to love this book. If (like me) you could take ‘em or leave ‘em, you will still find plenty to enjoy. This book is a time capsule of postwar Japan—food, clothes, lifestyles, manners—and that was interesting in itself. The characters are varied and come from many walks of life. Much is made of the setting, and especially the police investigator’s plight as he pounds the pavement tracking down leads in hot weather. There was a suspenseful moment right near the end when two characters visit a roof garden. All in all, an enjoyable mystery!

I really enjoyed this Japanese translated mystery. It’s something I’ve been getting more into reading, and this one caught my attention from the beginning and held my interest all the way through. While there may have been some issues with the Kindle upload, it didn’t prevent me from enjoying the book. Overall, an enjoyable read.

The Black Swan Mystery is a solid classic mystery. It starts with a mill owner found dead by the train tracks, and the police have to untangle a web of suspects. There’s a labor union, a religious group, and a lot of family drama.

The story is all about the puzzle. Timelines, alibis, and train schedules really matter. Ayukawa lays out all the clues clearly, and it's fun to try to work it out as you read. One thing to note: the main detective, Chief Inspector Onitsura, doesn’t show up until halfway through, and that threw me off a little, but once he arrives, the investigation gets sharper.

The writing is simple and direct, and the translation flows well. It feels old-fashioned in a good way, and if you like classic Golden Age mysteries, then this is a great book that feels both familiar and new at the same time.

The kindle version didn’t transfer well.

There were multiple typos and it threw off the pacing of the book at times.

Still it was a good mystery book, definitely a recommendation for people into the genre.

Murder mystery in mid-century Japan as tradition clashes with modernity
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To describe this as a murder mystery would be to lead a future reader down the garden path; it is a murder mystery but it is also so much more than that. The closest thing that I could liken it to is a Dickens, as books with overarching themes and populated by grotesques, antiheroes and the downtrodden; and if you approach this book as a murder mystery plus, you might be able to appreciate the fiendish ingenuity and self-awareness that the author brings to bear. A murder happens, and Chief Inspector Onitsura comes in to solve the who, the why and the how; but before the crime gets unravelled, you will meet the entire spectrum of family, employees, rivals and enemies that make up the world of the deceased and the perpetrator.

It’s impossible to distill this eye-opening book into a few hundred words, but as a whole, I say that it’s a Dickensian portrait of mid-century Japan as tradition clashes with modernity. One of my theses is that defeated countries work hardest to overcome their negative former selves; in this, Ayukawa shows the struggle to develop a new sense of class and self in a world still in turmoil, with modern life intruding on traditional values, on Western progress versus Japanese social norms. There’s also plenty here for any crime and mystery reader, with a plot that revolves and resolves around train timetables, but that’s just extra colour on top of the fascinating creatures with which Ayukawa populates his gritty Japan.

Four and a half stars

I have thoroughly been enjoying these older Japanese mysteries that are being translated by Pushkin press. This novel completely hooked me and I was unable to put it down as the mystery delved into workers rights in this time period in Japan. A very enjoyable read.