While on a business trip to Kobe, Tsuneo Asai receives the news that his wife Eiko has died of a heart attack. Eiko had a heart condition so the news of her death wasn't totally unexpected. But the circumstances of her demise left Tsuneo, a softly-spoken government bureaucrat, perplexed. How did it come about that his wife-who was shy and withdrawn, and only left their house twice a week to go to haiku meetings-ended up dead in a small shop in a shady Tokyo neighborhood? When Tsuneo goes to apologize to the boutique owner for the trouble caused by his wife's death he discovers that she led a double life. He eventually confronts her lover, and, in a moment of panic, kills him. The police are stymied, however Tsuneo, the brilliant bureaucrat who usually leaves nothing to chance but is now hunted as a common murderer, feels the pressure and starts making mistakes.

About the Author
Seicho Matsumoto was Japan's most successful thriller writer. His first detective novel, Points and Lines, sold over a million copies in Japan. Vessel of Sand, published in English as Inspector Imanishi Investigates in 1989, sold over four million copies and became a movie box-office hit.

Reviews
Praise for Seicho Matsumoto: Pushed the art of the detective story in Japan to new dimensions, introducing the 'social detective story' describing police procedurals and depicting Japanese society with unprecedented realism.' Independent "A master crime writer...Seicho Matsumoto's thrillers dissect Japanese society."--The New York Times Book Review "Seicho Matsumoto combines the prolific output of a Rex Stout with the literary qualities of Elmore Leonard."--San Francisco Chronicle



Book Information
ISBN 9781908524638
Author Seicho Matsumoto
Format Paperback
Page Count 228
Imprint Bitter Lemon Press
Publisher Bitter Lemon Press
Weight(grams) 249g
Dimensions(mm) 198mm * 128mm * 20mm