Loved this I really want to dive into the other novels the author has written. I loved the addition of the cat into the plotline and everything just kind of fell into place in the best way possible if that makes sense.

This on started with a good setting and an interesting plot but I struggled to stay hooked due to the strange rhythm.
I DNF it around 60% so I will not recommend it based on my own reading but I will include the book in one of my list of recommendation because I think a little few of my audience might enjoy it.

The book is two novella length murder mysteries. The first involves a faceless corpse buried at the
Black Cat Café, making it difficult for the police to identify the victim. As the police investigate the
owners and others involved with the café, personal relationships are revealed. As more about the
individuals is disclosed, the police rethink who the actual murderer is. A murder novella with many
twists. The second novella involves family drama, secrets and betrayal.
#MurderattheBlackCatCafe #Steerforth&Pushkin #PushkinVertigo #NetGalley

This is two novellas in one book, both murder mysteries.

The black cat cafe mystery starts off OK after the longwinded prologue. However, our detective doesn't appear until the end to do the reveal, and by renarrating the whole thing again, I lost interest and started skimming.

The second novella, well wheel, again suffers with far too much build up but the letters narration does work better. The end is suitably Japanese and relies on extreme loyalty.

I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.

Just finished Murder at the Black Cat Café by Seishi Yokomizo, and wow—what a ride. This book is eerie, clever, and full of suspense in the best way. Set in post-war Tokyo, the story kicks off with a body found buried outside a café, and the mystery just spirals from there. A dead woman, a black cat, hidden secrets, and that classic old-school detective vibe—it hooked me.

Detective Kosuke Kindaichi is such a fun character. He’s scruffy, awkward, but so sharp. I loved following his messy-yet-brilliant brain as he untangled all the twisted relationships and secrets at the café. Madam Oshima especially kept me guessing the whole time.

It has that vintage murder mystery feel, almost like an Agatha Christie book but with Japanese culture and post-war vibes layered in. Also, the bonus story The Well Wheel Creaks? Super creepy in the best way.

If you like classic whodunits, dark café aesthetics, and slow-burn mysteries full of secrets, definitely add this to your list!

This mystery from the legendary Seishi Yokomizo had all the ingredients of a classic whodunit—an intriguing murder, a cast of quirky suspects, and a noir-style setting. The premise was promising and the atmosphere drew me in, but unfortunately, the translation let it down.

Some of the translated lines were awkward or confusing, pulling me out of the story. The charm and cleverness Yokomizo is known for didn't quite shine through as it should have. It felt like the narrative got lost at times in translation, which affected the overall experience.

This book contains two separate stories, though they aren’t connected in any way. For the first time, I was actually able to predict parts of the plot, which took away some of the suspense. I found the first story quite engaging, but the second one felt implausible and didn’t come together logically.
I understand this is the book’s first publication in English, and the version I read was not the final edit. There were some spelling errors and incomplete place names, which I assume will be corrected before the final release.
Thank you to NetGalley for the ARC.

'Murder at the Black Cat Cafe' is a wonderfully plotted murder mystery with the eccentric and enjoyable Kosuke Kindaichi. The book contains not just one but two mysteries. The namesake, 'Murder at the Black Cat Cafe', as well as 'Why Did the Well Wheel Creak?'. The additional story does not directly feature private detective Kosuke Kindaichi but is suspensefully enjoyable none the less.
Seishi Yokomizo writes 'Murder at the Black Cat Cafe' through the lens of a writer and his relationship to Kosuke Kindaichi. The writer details the different types of murder mysteries and how they are related to previous cases with Kindaichi. The 'Murder at the Black Cat Cafe' is specifically a 'faceless corpse' case. The story details the events surrounding the discovery of a body at the Black Cat Cafe. The owners of the Black Cat cafe, a monk, a black cat, and underworld leader take part in the investigation leading up to the appearance of Kosuke Kindaichi. The solution of the case and Kindaichi's dialogue to the police force provides a twist that the audience will not be ready for.
Yokomizo writes in a similar style to Georges Simenon with parallels between Simenon's Maigret and Yokomizo's Kindaichi. Both have an intuitive sense toward human nature and are colorful characters with unique attributes. Both are also morally ambiguous when it comes to following the letter of the law. This is more justifiable in Kindaichi since he is a private detective.
'Murder at the Black Cat Cafe' was an entertaining read. Translating Yokomizo's works into English provides a new audience for Kindaichi's cases. He will become a new favorite to English reading audiences and his unique investigation style provides a fresh take on the detective murder mystery genre.
The second story, 'Why Did the Well Wheel Creak?', briefly mentions Kindaichi but does not involve him directly. The story begins with the writer describing a tragic case of familial loss throughout generations of three families during the Meiji Restoration period of Japan. The beginning narrative of the writer draws the audience in and then the story is related through the letters of a young girl from one of the families. Though primarily from the young girl's point of view, the description of the case by the writer creates a good backdrop for the reader to understand the story and all its moving characters. It is another tragic story with plot twist ending.
My first reading of Seishi Yokomizo was absolutely enjoyable and provided multiple twists in both stories. Though I believe there might be something of the charm and meaning lost in the translation from Japanese to English. Bringing Yokomizo to an English reading audience is essential to the murder mystery genre and places him in the category of a classic.

This was an interesting read! This book is the embodiment of a classic mystery, filled with eerie and unsettling elements. For me, the pacing and writing of this mystery were different from what I typically read. However, it was enjoyable nonetheless. I especially enjoyed the little graphical elements that added charm to the book amidst the discussions of murder, such as the black cat sitting on top of the chapter titles, and multiple maps/layouts. The first story mentioned many names, some significant and some not, which I felt confused me at moments trying to keep up with what was going on and who was involved. A second story was included. I particularly enjoyed the telling of pieces of the story in “newspaper clippings”. These two novellas were short reads and, while they are not particularly up my alley, they’re perfect for someone looking for a classic murder mystery!

This book actually consists of two stories. In the first, the longer one, a faceless corpse is discovered in the garden of a “Café” (read: Brothel) and with it the dead body of a black cat. Theories as to who it is and why and who killed the poor woman abound before Kindaichi shows up with the answers.
In the second a man returns from war blind and his family think he’s actually the illegitimate son of the deceased patriarch. It is tense, two people end up dead and Kindaichi only shows up in the very end and leaves without doing anything but taking some papers.

These stories were interesting enough and I only guessed for the second one what could be going on. But: They did not feel like proper Kindaichi stories. He plays only very small roles in both, even less so in the second. Making it 2.5 in the series feels appropriate. If you are into classic murder mysteries, these work fine.
I personally was intrigued by Kindaichi in post war Tokyo, as in the first two books he is somewhere out in the country and after ‘45 it was a VERY different city than before.
I liked the depiction of sex and sex work that was nicely non-judgemental and still free from US-puritanism that ruined a good part of that aspect of Japanese culture. (Look up “Yobai” if you are interested) The book also was pretty free of extra misogyny, especially for a book written in 1947, very refreshing.
Another thing I enjoyed here was the narrator, who was a character himself in the story, but detached so not an unreliable one and in the end he even broke the fourth wall, that was cute and very in line with the tradition these murder mysteries are part of globally.

Overall a very enjoyable read (apart from the poor dead cat, not a fan of animals getting harmed) but I miss Kindaichi proper, he just needs to be there when murders happen and corpses pile up, it’s more fun.

I have really enjoyed following this series of books and this installment is no different. The mysteries are gripping and the characters are so intriguing and enjoyable that I just cant ever seem to put it down. Its a race to the end to find out what happened every time.

What a fun, twisty little mystery! Murder at the Black Cat Café is classic Yokomizo: clever, atmospheric, and just the right amount of eerie. If you’re a fan of Golden Age detective fiction, this one delivers!

The café setting added a cozy yet sinister charm (yes, both can coexist!), and the cast of suspects is surprisingly good. Yokomizo has a way of making even the smallest details feel important—and by the end, you’re left marveling at how it all came together.

Highly recommend if you’re into locked-room-style mysteries, eccentric detectives, or just want to try a quick, classic Japanese whodunit that keeps you guessing.

Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for an advanced reader copy of this book. This was such a great mystery book with a murder plot but also adorable cat and cafe settings and characters that made this such a great and cute read. A cozy mystery that was a great read to distract from everything going on in the world right now.

Thank you so much to the publisher for the ARC! The cover art for this novel is adorable, and the title instantly snatched my attention. This review will be split into two sections, as this book contains two stories.

Murder at the Black Cat Cafe:
My initial impression upon reading was that the writing style was straightforward, without leaving much room for prose. Rather than unveiling the mystery as the plot thickens, it is instead, dictated to the readers. For those who relish being at "the scene of the crime" with the protagonist, I would say that there were a few memorable moments where I was immersed in the events of the story. The parts I thoroughly enjoyed were the ones where I was watching conflict unfold, rather than hearing about it from our main character. More often than not, I felt like I wasn't eased into the scene, but hurled. It is dialogue-heavy and most of the readers' understanding will stem from conversations that Murai has with the rest of the cast.

I will say, however, one of the aspects I found most satisfying was the inclusion of maps within the chapters. Rather than constantly having to return to the beginning to visualize the setting in which the crime happened, I could easily refer to the page that was near me. The writing style, even while being frank with its depiction of events, is much easier to visualize when accompanied by illustrations. I loved being able to actually see how things played out with visual aids.

Why Did the Well Wheel Creak?
To my surprise, there was a second short story! Did not expect it, especially with how many pages were left after the first one. I actually prefer this one over the first, as I enjoyed the deep lore of the family and the fortunes/misfortunes that befell them. Reading how events transpired and getting to know each member made for a captivating start. While the first part of the book demands attention to detail and patterns, this one is dependent on the relationships between each person. The touch of epistolary chapters also feels like breaking down the wall between writer and reader, allowing us to actively be a part of the story, rather than telling us at a distance.

I would give this a 3/5 rating :) I enjoyed parts of it, but ultimately, it isn't for me. I recommend this book to readers who prefer plot-heavy storylines and a mystery that will have you working to piece the clues together. For those who prefer something more emotionally packed, this second story may be what you're looking for.

I really liked this. Kindaichi felt very Benoit Blanc coded (though the author wrote these in the 1940s). It was a classic mystery and I really liked that. I like the breaking of the fourth wall aspect and the narrator voice

If you're looking for a mystery that will completely suck you in, you have to check out Seishi Yokomizo's Murder at the Black Cat Café. It drops you right into the middle of a dark and complicated post-war Tokyo. This book is a classic Japanese crime novel for a reason—it's an absolute masterclass in suspense, led by the brilliant (and wonderfully scruffy) detective Kosuke Kindaichi.

It all kicks off with a seriously gruesome discovery: a body is found buried in the garden of the Black Cat Café, a shady spot in Tokyo's red-light district. At first, it seems like a straightforward case of a love triangle gone horribly wrong. The police are zeroing in on the café owner, Daigo, and his wife, O-Shige, for the murder of Daigo's mistress, Ayuko. But just when you think you've got it figured out, Kindaichi starts digging and uncovers a tangled mess of lies, secret identities, and old secrets that flips the entire case on its head.

What I loved most about this book is how cleverly it's plotted. Yokomizo takes the old "faceless corpse" idea and just runs with it, leading you down one wrong path after another. Every time you think you know what's happening, a new piece of information comes to light and completely shatters your theory. It’s like a puzzle box where every character is hiding something, and you can't trust anyone's motives.

The setting is so vivid it basically becomes a character itself. The "pink labyrinth" of post-war Tokyo, with its sketchy bars, dark alleys, and the ever-present feeling of a city recovering from trauma, creates this incredibly rich and moody backdrop for the crime. You can almost feel the grit and the tension in the air.

The characters are just as well-crafted. O-Shige is this mysterious, traditional woman with a hidden past, and her story is really the core of the whole puzzle. And Kindaichi? He's the kind of eccentric, brilliant detective you can't help but root for. Watching him piece everything together is just so satisfying.

As a bonus, this edition also includes another story, "Why Did the Well Wheel Creak?", which is another great little mystery for Kindaichi to solve, this time in a more rural setting.

Honestly, if you're a fan of classic detective stories, Murder at the Black Cat Café is a book you absolutely need to read. It’s smart, atmospheric, and will keep you guessing right up to the final page. If you like Agatha Christie and want to dive into Japanese crime fiction, this is the perfect place to start.

Murder at the Black Cat Cafe is simple but still packed with mystery and questions that kept me curious. It’s a short story, so the plot moves pretty fast. It starts with the narrator — an author — meeting the famous detective Kosuke Kindaichi after the Honjin Murders case. I thought it was cool how their meeting happens by chance, and then they get into this unusual “faceless corpse” mystery, which is a fresh twist on the usual locked-room murder stories.

If you’re expecting a regular murder mystery, this one’s different — it’s smart, a bit dark, and definitely twisted. The story doesn’t have a bunch of characters or complicated side plots like some other Kindaichi stories, but the mystery itself isn’t any easier. Kindaichi solves it like it’s nothing, but I was guessing right up to the end!

Highly recommend

In this murder mystery, the reader has to figure out who the real murderer is based on the "faceless corpse" archetype of the genre. The premise of the archetype is simple: Person A commits a murder but in order to escape conviction, they must trade places with Person B (the victim). How is this done? Well, by making the face and body as unrecognizable as possible and setting the stage to kill two birds with one stone. Now Person B (the dead victim) is the prime suspect and Person A (the offender) is presumed dead and therefore free to find another identity. All this information is in the prologue as the author receives a letter with the case details from the series detective, Kosuke Kindaichi.

Now, I will be the first to say that after seeing the term "standalone" in the description, I was sceptical but assumed this was a detective series that could be picked up from any point and for the majority of the book, this was the case. Things got murky once Detective Kindaichi got involved, not because of his character, but because some parts of what he pieced together in the end were explained from his "off-page" observations rather than things the readers could have guessed at from the information given to us. Despite that, the conclusion felt surprising and well-crafted which as the author puts is, is the point of murder mystery in this genre.

The second title that comes in this book was told through letters and newspaper clippings which I found refreshing. The contrast between intimate correspondence versus the "objective" view from the newspapers was thrilling to read.

2.75 stars (review also posted on Storygraph)

The book contains two stories, Murder at the Black Cat Café, and Why Did the Well Wheel Creak?

Murder at the Black Cat Café:

This story was very fast paced, but at the same time it felt incredibly slow. This is probably because I'm so used to modern mysteries, where a lot happens, and there's twists and turns everywhere. This felt more like a classic Agatha Christie book, but I didn't enjoy this as much. The story itself was fine, but without more information, I think it would've done better as a short story rather than a novella.

If you enjoy other classic japanese mysteries, you'll probably also enjoy this one, and it is a very quick read.


Why Did the Well Wheel Creak?

This one I simply couldn't bring myself to finish. I gave it 30 pages, which is just about 1/3, and there was nothing keeping me reading, other than having to give a review, and that just wasn't enough.

Thank you Netgalley for the eARC! I was really interested in the premise of the book, however there were significant typos in the Kindle edition which made it really difficult to read and understand. I wasn’t sure if words were unfamiliar or typo’s, and had to guess the meaning of several words which took away from my experience and therefore didn’t finish the book. I would be more than happy to read it again when completed. My apologies, I hope this is a helpful review.