2025 Reading Challenge 01 The Honjin Murders
I’m reading a book a week in 2025, there are no rules apart from finishing it and it also has to be a physical book.
This is mainly a TTRPG blog, so I’ll review and assess the books for RPG potential!
Book One is The Honjin Murders by Seishi Yokomizo translated by Louise Heal Kawai.
It is a classic locked room murder, seemingly impossible to solve, but what sets it apart, for a Western audience, is the setting, 1930s rural Japan.
There is a big cast, and if you’re not familiar with Japanese culture, you'll also need a glossary.
The story itself is compelling, told by the author as a second-hand series of notes collected from a friend. It darts back and forwards between scenes and conversations, which is confusing to begin with but gradually, thanks to some excellent writing and translation, starts to coalesce around Kosuke Kindaichi, a brilliant but scruffy private detective.
You can play along trying to solve the mystery before Kosuke, but good luck with that! Some brilliant story elements make it memorable; the three-fingered scarred man, the spooky sounds of a Koto instrument, an extensive library to browse through and spot (or not) what is missing.
Overall, this pulled together two aspects I love - the detective novel and Japanese culture, so I couldn't help but love it.
I rated it 8.2 out of 10.
TTRPG Thoughts:
I’m also into investigative roleplaying games and this gives a lot of scope to drop your favourite mystery into this setting, there is just enough in terms of how investigations in 1930s Japan would work to support you.
Also, this is a fantastic example of red herrings and misdirection. If your players are too clever by half, there are some great ideas here to throw them off the scent!
Lastly, you can see how elements of the supernatural or a Western set of “fish out of water” PCs could be dropped into this story and additionally you have perfect character portraits of a dozen or more interesting NPCs.