Kosuke Kindaichi is back to uncover the murder involving a complex and tangled love, jealousy and family tangled web.

Having read all of the other Kosuke Kindaichi novels Murder at the Black Cat Cafe did not disappoint. I love the descriptions of the characters as they always feel exceptionally real with the emotions present on the page. As the story unfolds I was more gripped with the family history and the jealousy that came from it. I read the novel in one sitting and couldn't put the book down until the very last page; 3.5 stars.

Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for a copy of the novel in exchange for an honest review.

This book is a quick read if you’re itching for a whodunit story! Set in 1940s Japan, the story starts off with a unique setting of finding a woman with a decomposing face buried next to a black cat found behind The Black Cat Cafe. As the crime unravels, it’s clear that this is a plot of twists and turns through love, betrayal, and jealousy.

This story is something to be compared to a classic mystery detective novel such as Sherlock Holmes or Agatha Christie. If those are your favorite types of novels to read, I would highly recommend picking this one up! It grabs your attention and will not let go until the whole story unravels.

I downloaded this eARC as a kindle file. There were many formatting and spelling errors in this document. Almost every page had a typo (the font size was standard on kindle). It seems like there was some sort of error or corruption… the majority of the typos seems to be words missing ‘fi’ (errors caught: ocers=officers?, rst=first?, o=off?,difcult=difficult?). This did make the story hard to read at times. The sentences did not flow smoothly, so I often found myself rereading certain parts with typos.

Along with the formatting errors, I found some of the sentences to be wordy and a bit hard to follow. Within the detective and characters monologues, it was hard to keep track of all the names and faces we were meeting. There were times where so much information was being given, it was hard to process it all. You need to be focused and take mental notes to follow their line of thinking. Personally, I enjoy a slower world build and story progression. This book was meant to be consumed in one or two focused sittings, so it may have not been for me.

Overall, the story was good but it was easy to get lost. This is more of a translation/file formatting issue than a story issue, which is why I rated this 3 stars.

Thank you to Netgalley and Steerforth & Pushkin for a copy of this eARC! ❤️🐈‍⬛

2.5/5
Thank you for this eARC.
This was very quick read with interesting twist and turns. However, it was not to my personally preference.
I did have issues with the formatting on my kindle which ruined the reading experience for me - many words were misspelt or missing letters. i feel as if the option to send to kindle shouldn't be available if the formatting for it isn't set up for kindle.
However, I can see how this book would appeal to people who prefer a more traditional mystery setting in a book.

Im a massive fan of books set in japan so this was a great read, i really loved the murder mystery style and found it intriguing as its not normally a book i usually pick up.

I do want to read more from this author.

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 liked the short chapters, the twists and turns and the messiness of the characters’ relationships.

I read this book very rapidly and would recommend it to anyone that wants a quick whodunnit read.

Thanks to NetGalley for a copy of this book.

🖤 Book Review: Murder at the Black Cat Café by Seishi Yokomizo
🌟🌟🌟🌟
📚 Detective Kindaichi Mysteries
⭐️ Pub Date: September 9, 2025
#MurderattheBlackCatCafé #NetGalley #pushkinvertigo

Thank you #NetGalley and #steerforthpress @pushkinpress_us for the ARC!

Imagine stepping into post-war Tokyo, where shadows linger in alleyways and secrets bloom behind closed café doors… That’s exactly where Seishi Yokomizo takes us in this darkly delightful and compact murder mystery, featuring the ever-charming, scruffy sleuth Kosuke Kindaichi—Japan’s own answer to Hercule Poirot.

From the chilling opening—a headless body and a mysteriously dead cat found buried in a café garden—I was hooked. The setting, The Black Cat Café, is eerie and atmospheric, with just the right touch of noir. Nothing here is what it seems: not the body, not the cat, and certainly not the people surrounding the case.

Oshima, the enigmatic café madam, is a character I won’t soon forget. Her secrets unfold delicately, and the tangled web of jealousy, betrayal, and past sins feels straight out of an Agatha Christie novel. The pacing is sharp, the mystery is twisted just enough, and Kindaichi’s clever deductions reminded me so much of Poirot’s flair—except in a much more rumpled, loveable form.

This is my first book by Seishi Yokomizo, and I’m already in love with his writing! As a big Agatha Christie fan, I felt right at home—twists, suspense, and a brilliant detective with quirky charm. No wonder Yokomizo is called the “Agatha Christie of Japan.” His eerie plots and the unforgettable Kosuke Kindaichi hooked me instantly. Absolutely impressed—can’t wait to read more of his books and explore the manga adaptations too!

The bonus short story “The Well Wheel Creaks” was the cherry on top—a perfect little ghostly riddle with classic Japanese mystery vibes.

💭 If you love:
Classic whodunits
Unpredictable twists
A detective who looks unremarkable but thinks like a genius
Atmospheric, slightly spooky café settings

And Agatha Christie-style storytelling
…this book is your next favorite!

#MurderMystery #AgathaChristie #KosukeKindaichi #DetectiveStory #JapaneseCrimeThriller #MustRead #seishiyokomi

I love the mystery, plot and characters but I’ve noticed several spelling mistakes (I did send this to my kindle so I’m unsure if it’s a formatting issue or such). In the prologue alone there are several typos, for example: ‘…it was quite di erent…’ meaning different, ‘…had gone o to…’ with an additional O, ‘…grinning before he oered…’ and ‘I nally relaxed’ meaning finally.

I feel like this book changed my brain somehow. It made me thing differently for days, and I walked around being all detective-y towards my husband. I read this book aloud to my work-partner (blind) and he liked the way the authors way of describing things clearly. That’s high praise. I am now on my way to read all of Seishi’s books no matter what that does do me. Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for giving me the chance to play detective at home.

I will start this review by saying that this is a different genre of book than I normally read- normally I mostly read fantasy/romantasy books, but I have recently read some thrillers and romance books that I really enjoyed! So keep this in mind when reading my review!

This definitely wasn’t a bad book by any means, Seishi Yokomizo has painted a very detailed and thought-out story that I can see a lot of people really enjoying. I was hopeful that I also would be one of those people. However, I think I found the book a bit confusing and wordy- I had some trouble following along with the story. I wasn’t completely sure what was going on at quite a few points in the story or what characters were being referred to. I think the correct words to describe this book would be very analytical and detailed. I will make a point of saying that there were definitely moments where I was enjoying the story too though, which is why I would rate this 3 stars, but I got lost along the way.

I did, however, really love the setting of the book- I really love books that are set in Japan and I found it that extra bit interesting considering it was set in a past time period! I thought that the concept surrounding the book and the setting was really interesting!

Although this particular book wasn’t personally for me, I would like to read more books from this author to see if there are any that would be!

Thank you to Netgalley and Pushkin Vertigo for letting me read this ARC!! 🩵

This classic Japanese murder mystery was an entertaining, short read. There were twists throughout, and the writing style is similar to Agatha Christie’s Hercule Poirot stories. I thoroughly enjoyed it, and am grateful to have been able to read an early review copy!

Thank you Pushkin Vertigo (via Netgalley) for providing me with an eARC, all thoughts expressed are my own.

This was an ARC from Steerforth and Pushkin and Netgalley and is made up of two short stories.

Although the title may suggest otherwise, this was different from what I usually go for. I found the prologues for both, quite arduous at times and it took a while to get into the stories which isn't what you want from a short story.

I actually preferred Why Did the Well Wheel Creak to the titular story and enjoyed that is was told in the form of letters and newspaper articles.

I found the pacing quite slow for both but did enjoy the content.

This was not my favorite Kosuke Kindaiche book. Most of the action takes place before he enters the picture and he serves only to explain what actually happened. We spend very little time with him doing detective work, which is a shame for such an interesting, quirky character. Overall, most of the characters felt thin, but I did enjoy the way the post-war setting was used and ultimately was integral to the central mystery.

3 out of 5

Seishi Yokomizo’s Murder at the Black Cat Café is a curious entry in the canon of classic Japanese mystery fiction—one that hasn't yet been released, but early readers will no doubt find themselves puzzling over long before the first body hits the floor.

The most immediate impression is the lengthy, almost meandering introduction, which takes its time setting the scene with the deliberate pace of someone recounting a memory they’re reluctant to let go of. For fans of Yokomizo’s atmospheric setups, this may feel familiar—but here, the effect is amplified to the point of excess. Readers may find themselves wondering when, exactly, the “murder” promised in the title will begin to unfold.

The prose is dense and laden with detail, a far cry from the breezy whodunits Western readers might expect. Yokomizo asks for patience, and a lot of it. While his writing rewards close attention, the sheer weight of exposition and internal digression risks overwhelming even seasoned mystery fans. This isn’t a book you can skim through on a lazy afternoon—it demands commitment.

Then there’s the titular Black Cat Café, and the truly puzzling fixation on black cats—plural. One has apparently been buried, while the other prowls around very much alive. The symbolism here is opaque at best and distracting at worst, unless you're prepared to dive deep into possible allegorical interpretations. Is this a metaphor for duality? Death and rebirth? Guilt and innocence? Or is it simply an eccentric flourish? Either way, the focus borders on obsessive, and not always in a satisfying way.

Despite these quirks, Yokomizo’s knack for moody, slow-burn storytelling still surfaces here and there, and mystery aficionados willing to brave the fog may uncover a rewarding tale underneath the layers of literary dust. But for the casual reader, Murder at the Black Cat Café might feel more like a riddle wrapped in fur than a gripping page-turner.

Rating: ★★★★

"Murder at the Black Cat Café" by Seishi Yokomizo features the brilliant Kosuke Kindaichi. The book includes two cases, and I actually enjoyed the second one a bit more—it felt sharper and more atmospheric.

I have to give credit where it’s due: I couldn’t guess the culprit in either story, which made the reveals genuinely satisfying. There were a few typos, but they didn’t get in the way of the reading experience.

Overall, a clever, well-plotted mystery that left me wanting more.

This book gave me exactly what I didn’t know I was looking for, a crime story that manages to be both atmospheric and oddly playful. Murder at the Black Cat Café is full of smoke, secrets, and sharply drawn characters. The pacing felt intentionally erratic at times, almost like the narrative was leading me in circles on purpose and weirdly, I liked that. It made the solution, when it came, feel earned.

What I enjoyed most wasn’t just the puzzle itself, but the way Yokomizo lets small details build tension slowly. The café isn’t just a setting, it becomes a character in its own right. The tone is melancholic but never heavy; there’s a sense of mischief in the storytelling that balances the darker moments.

Some parts felt slightly over-explained, but it didn’t take away from the experience. I read it in two sittings and found myself thinking about it afterward, especially the last few pages.

★★★★☆ 4 out of 5 stars

I think this book was fine. It reminds me of Nita Prose but with a darker side. I don't know if I would say this book is ready to be published just yet. There were numerous typos and spelling mistakes that could easily be fixed. I would say it's nothing to worry about but there are some words that are odd enough that made me question if I was reading it incorrectly or if I just didn't know the definition of the word. I would look it up only to find out that the word didn't exist and it was just a typo. This did make reading the book a tad difficult.

This book contains two short stories from the Detective Kosuke Kindaichi series.

Murder at the Black Cat Cafe: 4 stars
The first story begins with the discovery of the bodies of a woman and a black cat in the backyard of the Black Cat Cafe. It features the faceless killer trope. There are various twists and turns in the story and the ending was unexpected. An excellent short story to check out while waiting for the next Kindaichi novel!

Why Did The Well Wheel Creak: 3.5 stars
The second story is told through an epistolary format in a series of letters. There is no investigation of the mystery as is typically the case in the other Kindaichi novels and the detective appears very briefly in the story. While the story is enjoyable, I did not like the second story as much as the first.

This started out as a fairly decent murder mystery, well written and full of intrigue, clues were dropped into the story that kept you guessing, then came the big reveal... Sadly this felt out of line with the rest of the story, what was for me a light cozy-ish mystery descended into something far more dense, and I'm sad to say boring.

Posted on Goodreads
Truth is stranger than fiction
The world is full of the most inventive people
Thanks to Steerforth & Pumpkin àd Netgalley for the ARC
The book has two novels : the main story, murder at the black cat cafe followed by The Well Wheel Creaks
This was good to read. As an international reader, I learned a lot of new english words and personally, the fact I understood the story was enjoyable (I was quite frightened as it was my first mystery novel in English).
I didn’t resolve the case so I believe the writer actually won its gamble : this faceless corpse mystery was well written and great.
I was a bit lost between all the characters at the beginning of the book.
I understand this book was published in the late 90’s in Japan, and the story is set after WW2.
It had a fair share of plot twists, discoveries (even if the detective sold way to quickly the answer for me), and had a kind of cosy vibes actually. Perfect read for the start of autumn!

I’ll admit, if a book has a cat on the cover, in the title, or in the description, I’ll probably buy it. That habit of mine absolutely applies to Murder at the Black Cat Café—the cover is gorgeous and I'd love to also see it on my bookshelf one day.

The mystery in both stories had me hooked, I didn’t guess the outcome—but the translation was occasionally hard to read. While minor errors are understandable in translated works, this edition had many missing words and letters. That made it difficult for me to connect with the characters and see myself within the narrative. Unfortunately, I would link this disconnection to constantly having to stop and guess what something is meant to say.

That said, the epilogue of Murder at the Black Cat Café left a lasting impression on me and will likely influence how I read other mysteries. You’ll need to read it to understand what I mean.

In the words of Kindaichi, “If I could suggest one thing it would be…” to please re-edit this book. With proper editing, it could be truly amazing—a book I’d not only read again but enthusiastically recommend to others.