Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️✨ (3.25/5)

Murder at the Black Cat Café is composed of two short stories, with the first one giving the book its title.

The writing is impeccable, elegant yet accessible, and it truly immerses you in post-war Japan. Even though I had little prior knowledge of the era, I felt completely transported. It’s an atmospheric and vivid read, perfect for a cold and rainy autumn night curled up with a blanket.

The first story is fast-paced and framed as a recollection: a writer narrates a crime that has already happened. At first, I thought the solution was going to be a bit too straightforward… but I was completely caught off guard by the final twist! Yokomizo really knows how to play with reader expectations.

The second story is told through letters and newspaper clippings, offering a different tone and structure. While shorter and less intricate than the first, it still carries that classic mystery feel.

Overall, this is a short but compelling collection. Atmospheric, clever, and perfect for fans of classic whodunits with a Japanese twist. Perfect to read in one sitting!!

I love cozy murder mystery. But i think the way he write is too long enough for me to understand whats going on. I prefer a fast paced one

4 stars

I haven't read any of the other Detective Kindaichi stories but I will certainly be on the lookout for them after finishing this one. With two separate novellas published in one book, both stories are a perfect length to allow the reader into each curious murder plot and then be able to resolve it relatively quickly. 'Murder at the Black Cat Cafe' and 'Why Did the Well Wheel Creak?' are written in two different styles. Black Cat is more of a story being told to a friend of the detective, namely the author, who had requested him to send a story that followed the "faceless corpse" trope of murder mysteries. Well Wheel is more of an epistolary format, with the author prefacing a series of letters written from sister to brother regarding a strange family mystery. Both plots are engaging, charming, and easy to follow.

Thanks to NetGalley, author Seishi Yokomizo, and Pushkin Vertigo for granting me access to a free digital ARC of this book to read and review. All opinions are my own and are provided here voluntarily.

I highly recommend this book to fans of the Detective Kindaichi series who are looking for short reads. This edition features two short stories featuring the eccentric beloved sleuth. However, even though I think that these books would be better appreciated by those who are already familiar with Kindaichi, his appearance in both stories are minimal. If you prefer to see from his POV throughout the investigation, then you might be disappointed. However, both stories are solid mystery cases, so if you’re a mystery lover like me, you’d appreciate the read regardless.
Murder at the Black Cat Café was intriguing. Murder investigations are exciting in the different ways or reasons they are committed. An author opined that despite the countless cases of murder, most of them can be categorized easily into certain categories. However, one that attracted him was ‘faceless corpse’ type of murder. Through a chance encounter with Kindaichi, the narrator learned the exact type of murder that made ‘faceless corpse’ murderer almost impossible to detect. (3.5 stars)

Although this book was named after the previous short story, the second novella featured titled “When You Hear the Well Wheel Creak” was my favorite between the two. This case was similar to The Inugami Curse, one of my faves amongst Kindaichi’s. It had to do with inheritance and rivalry between three families. As the head of each family passed on to their descendants to vie as the more illustrious family, enmity ensued. Reading stories on revenge have always been fascinating to me – I get torn between feeling amused by the people’s wit to exact their revenge – but also scared to see the lengths some of them are willing to go through to achieve that. It makes for a compelling read and despite the length, it has all the ingredients needed for a satisfying plot. (4.5 stars)

I quite enjoy this edition and love the new cover design! I understand this is to entice even non-mystery readers, but I am a bit disappointed that it doesn’t go with the previous Kindaichi series I have in the collection.

A crime takes place at the Black Cat Cafe. Twists and turns lead investigators on a journey to find out how the crime occurred and who is the culprit. It was a simple, yet intriguing story.

This is a DNF for me, but I appreciated the writing itself. It just felt constantly dark to me and I couldn't get into it. I am quite sure that others will because the writer is very skilled at his craft.

Thank you to NetGalley for an advance copy of this mystery. There will be many mystery lovers who appreciate this book.

As a fun of mystery, I was immediately hooked by the description of the book and the cover itself. I’ve never read anything written by this author so I wasn’t exactly sure what to expect.

I was actually satisfied with how the book turned out to be. The main story revolves around the discovery of a “faceless corpse” in the backyard of the Black Cat Café, along with the corpse of an actual black cat. The additional story that comes right after the first case is solved, is mainly relied to the reader in the form of letters written by a seventeen year old girl, that basically, after assessing the events that occurred around the current timeframe, and seeing past all the twists and turns and false evidence, unveils the actual truth of the matter herself.

The best thing about this for me was the fact that when I thought I had figured out what was happening and who the culprit was, I was wrong. There were so many turns that I couldn’t see the ending coming to be honest. But not in a tiring way, it just kept you on your toes, questioning. If I’m being completely honest though, I have to admit that I enjoyed the second part even more. It was less complicated than the previous one but that doesn’t mean it lacked any depth. I really liked the fact that the narrator was actually involved in the situation and her letters were addressed to her brother. The way you get to witness her going back and forth, contemplating theories and putting the pieces together was so satisfying to watch.

The sole drawback of this book for me was the fact that there seemed to be some typos, or even things that were lost in translation. Now, I know that this is an uncorrected proof, but to me, it robbed the reader of the essence of the scenery that the author was trying to convey. I’m sure that this is an issue that will be taken care of in the future and won’t cause an actual problem, I just felt the need to explain the reason why I was somewhat put off by the writing.

This aside, I have to say that the ending of the main story was a tad bit disappointing to me. Not because I wanted the culprit to be a different person, or because the crime wasn’t actually as clever as it seemed or anything like that. The way they met their end was just a bit… easy in my eyes. I would have liked a different approach to that matter. But I can’t say that it was completely unfulfilling. I think it was the second most efficient way the author could end the story, and he did so pretty well for all it’s worth.

Once again, I sincerely appreciate NetGalley and the publisher for providing me with this ARC, as well as the author and translator for bringing to life such a book in exchange for my own, honest opinion.
(3.5/5)

Set in bomb-scared, post-war Tokyo's red-light district known as the Pink Labyrinth, this book is a twisting mystery full of interesting characters. This is the second Seishi Yokomizo book I've read, and I am excited to read more. I was first introduced to him through a Golden Age of Mystery podcast, and I'm so glad they are translating and printing more of his books. The sleuth Kosuke Kindaichi is just the right mix of gruff and brilliance. I also enjoyed the humor sprinkled throughout. I recommend this book, especially if you love the Golden Age of mystery.

Murder at the Black Cat Café is a fun, twisty little mystery collection by Seishi Yokomizo, featuring two short stories that keep you guessing in very different ways. It’s part of the Detective Kosuke Kindaichi series, and fans of classic mysteries will probably find a lot to enjoy here.

The first story, Murder at the Black Cat Café, kicks things off with a mysterious corpse buried behind a recently vacated café, along with a dead black cat (yes, really). At first, it feels like your typical locked-room-style mystery, only with a faceless body instead. It seems straightforward, maybe even a little too straightforward, but then the twist hits around the halfway mark and throws all your assumptions out the window. A few readers admitted they thought they had it all figured out, only to realize they’d been completely tricked. The misdirection is clever, and it’s always satisfying when a mystery manages to pull that off.

The second story, Why Did the Well Wheel Creak?, is more of a slow-burn family drama told through letters and newspaper clippings. It doesn’t feature Kindaichi much, but it has this haunting, tragic vibe that sticks with you. It’s about a sister writing to her brother in a sanatorium, trying to make sense of the strange events that unfold after their older brother comes back from the war. The letter format gives it a really personal, emotional feel, and it builds this quiet tension that ends in a pretty heartbreaking way.

Overall, both stories are fast reads with interesting setups and satisfying reveals. That said, not everything lands perfectly. The writing can feel a bit dry at times. Some parts read more like a news article than a mystery novel, and the characters aren’t super developed, so you don’t really get attached to them. A few readers also pointed out how outdated some of the gender assumptions are, which adds a bit of unintentional humor but also makes the story feel a little stuck in its time.

Still, the translation is smooth, the mysteries are clever, and the book has that old-school charm that fans of vintage detective fiction will appreciate. It’s not a perfect read, but if you’re in the mood for a quick, classic-style mystery with some smart twists, this one’s definitely worth picking up.

This is marketed as a stand-alone novel but I think you do have to at least read the first book of the series to know who Detective Kosuke Kindaichi is. I went in completely blind and I was confused why all the characters were making a big deal about this detective. Because it is marketed as a stand-alone, anybody should be able to pick up this book without reading the series and not get confused. I think if we induced to Detective Kosuke Kindaichi, I would have enjoyed it more.
This book has 2 short stories in it. I like to rate short stories individually.
Murder at the Black Cat Cafe: 2/5 stars
It was good but just so much going on. I really don't like when characters are just given the information too easily. With any murder mystery, I like going to the journey with characters while they try to find the killer. We didn't have that journey.
The Well Wheel Creaks: 3/5 stars
This was really good. It's a story told in letters a sister sent her sick brother about what was going on at the family house. I liked the style this story was written in much better.
Overall, I think this is a great book for Agatha Christie fans. It feels like it is written like a Miss Marple or Hercule Poirot story and I think Detective Kosuke Kindaichi is supposed to be like those characters, I just think we need a small induction to who Detective Kosuke Kindaichi is for a reader to be about to pick up this book without reading the series in order.

This was my first experience with the Kosuke Kindaichi mysteries, and I don't think it will be my last! This was a fascinating, winding mystery that took a little bit to get started but had amazing payoff. It was smart and well-written, and also serve as a little glimpse into that time in Japan's history. I'm glad I stuck with it. I was surprised it took so long for us to meet Kosuke, but the wait was worth it.

This is my first time reading any sort of Japanese classic crime/murder mysteries. My usual picks have tended to be Agatha Christie, Conan Doyle or the odd Dorothy Sayers so I was excited to give this a try!

Overall, I enjoyed large elements of this book. I found Seishi Yokomizo’s approach to be unique.

The book is split into 2 short stories:

Story 1 was intriguing (though a bit gruesome!) and kept me on my toes. I did, however, find the reveal to be somewhat of a let down personally. I was unsure what to expect and perhaps that’s why it felt like it ended oddly. The way it was told though was unique and interesting - it’s a Detective Kosuke Kindaichi story opening with the detective writing to our narrator. Thus the story is told from a third party narrator as opposed to an actively involved character.

I really struggled with story 2 initially yet sped through the end once the action and investigations began. I loved that it was told in a unique way, solely through letters and newspaper clippings!! This aspect I absolutely enjoyed and thought such a clever and brilliant way to tell a mystery. Unfortunately the story itself was just too slow for me but that’s personal preference - had this been story one, I may not have finished the book or even gotten far enough in to enjoy the second half of this story the way I did.

Many thanks to the publisher and NetGalley for providing an eARC of this book. I would recommend this to those wanting to branch out and try a new crime fiction that has only now been translated into English.

Thank you Netgalley for the advanced readers copy of this book! This was my first book by this author, Senshi Yokomizo, and it will not be my last!

A murder takes place at the Black Cat Cafe and detective Kosuke Kindaichi investigates it. However, the victim’s face is completely disfigured which makes the investigation much harder.

I really enjoyed the short chapter & the story of the book. I definitely recommend this if you want a quick and easy but very enjoyable story. It was a really fun thriller to read and kept me interested the whole time

Thank you NetGalley for sending it

While I did enjoy this book, I just felt it was a tiny bit hard to follow at times.
I enjoyed the mystery and the pace was quick and gripping, I just wish that things were a little easier to follow regarding the characters and plot.
Definitely enjoyed though and would recommend for those that enjoy a good mystery!

Thank you to NetGalley and Pushkin Vertigo for the arc in exchange for a free honest review!

I liked this book! It was interesting and I liked plot and the mystery, there was a lot of intrigue!! the writing was also interesting but I didn’t mind it, it was really enjoyable to read. It gave off heavy 1940s/1950s mystery vibes which I loved!!

The second story was a bit more twisty in terms of the plot, I thought it was more intricate. In general both stories being as short as they were, were good and I liked both! Going into this I haven’t read any of his other books/stories but I might have to look into his others.

⭐️⭐️⭐️/5

Another great mystery by Seishi Yokomizo!

As a long-time fan of Seishi Yokomizo’s work, I was thrilled to receive an ARC of Murder at the Black Cat Café, and it absolutely delivered on what I’ve come to love from this master of classic Japanese whodunits.

This mystery is packed with atmosphere — moody, intriguing, and laced with sharp observations of human nature. Yokomizo once again crafts a puzzle-box murder that had me hooked from the beginning pages. The twists were clever and unpredictable, and just when I thought I had the motive or culprit figured out, another layer unfolded. Just what I needed to pull me out of a reading slump.

The characters were clever, entertaining and over all a standout for me, I enjoyed their interactions and hidden secrets which I felt added emotional weight and tension that elevated the mystery even more.

Murder at the Black Café is a strong addition to Seishi Yokomizo's translated collection. I think fans of classic detective fiction and those newer to Yokomizo alike will find plenty to enjoy here.

Thank you to NetGalley and Pushkin Press for kindly giving me the opportunity to read this ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Thank you to NetGalley for providing this ARC. 

I love Japanese fiction, I love cats and I love cozy cafe mysteries so based on the cover and the description this seemed like it would be right up my alley. 

The books didn't actually end up anything like I expected, but luckily I still enjoyed it. The mystery was good and that was enough to keep me hooked, but I do think some people who pick this up based on the cover and description will be disappointed. 

The cat cafe was more of a brothel and there was a dead cat in chapter one so it was just a very different vibe. 

I did enjoy the mystery and I loved the writing style, especially with the way the prologue framed the whole thing.

I really enjoyed Murder at the Black Cat Cafe by Seishi Yokomizo! I haven’t read any of Yokomizo’s work before but was pleasantly surprised. It melts thriller with cute cosy Japanese story vibes and I found it difficult to put the book down! The one thing that was a bit disappointing was the number of typos, I put this down to a technical issue or translation as my copy seemed to be missing the letters ‘ff’ a lot, but it was easy to read through and didn’t distract from the story.

I will definitely be picking up more of Yokomizo’s books!

Thanks NetGalley for the eArc of this book!

I appreciated these pair stories by Yokomizo. Both mysteries had interesting plot hooks and some entertaining twists and turns, but I think the translation may have made some small issues to the dialogue and descriptions. Overall I do think I'd check out more Kindaichi mysteries.