REVIEWS

Gill Clark

This book is very concise which I appreciated. I have not read many Japanese books before and certainly not a police drama. I was impressed by how polite the participants were to each other. I have seen this in Japan as an outsider, but it is good to see it continue into the workplace. I deplore their attitude to suicide as a means of dealing with a problem or protecting a superior. As a Samaritan myself we would always look to avoid it where possible although never judging anyone who feels the need to do so. It was good to see how the detective persevered with the case, but I was surprised that he had no other cases to work on. Maybe that is true in Japan but certainly not in the UK. Also, I prefer to be able to follow and try to solve the case with the detective rather than have it explained afterwards. It is a good book to demonstrate the huge differences between UK and Japanese culture. We could do with more of their respect for others and more of their deference to senior managers would also be good to see provided it doesn’t stifle challenge and alternative ideas.

Chris Firth

I’m relatively new to Japanese authors and have not been disappointed by this literary masterpiece by Matsumoto. At one level a normal detective story but don’t be misled. Tokyo Express is tightly written, putting in 148 pages what a modern author might take two or three times that length. The plot is complex with two main characters; the older slightly jaded rural detective Torigai and the younger metropolitan up-and-coming Mihara who surprisingly interact throughout in resolving an apparent joint suicide. Other characters are more nuanced coming in and out of the investigation, adding value or introducing a red herring. The key thread is the railway timetable (a reflection of the context and era of the book) and it is this that develops the plot and the eventual solution. Post-war Japan is described quite negatively but with hints of the emergent industrial giant and hope throughout. Each new chapter was an added layer. The best anomaly is a French Opera Cake where every new layer adds something new, delicious and surprising. A book to be savoured slowly and certainly not a typical holiday reader. Thank you to Jesse Kirkwood for this new translation. One of the most satisfying books I have read in the last two or three years.

Jayne Dinsmore

When this book first arrived, I was unsure about whether I would enjoy it but decided to give it a try. It's not a big book, only 149 pages, but it got me intrigued after the first few. Who would think that such an unusual murder story, set in 1957, could be centred so much around train, plane and boat timetables! Very cleverly done and I found myself reading just one more chapter each time just to get that extra bit of information. Would recommend to anyone who likes travel stories as you go all across Japan of course using the timetables.

Valerie Betts

Modern Japanese literature is certainly "having its moment" right now and this book is no exception. Tokyo Express is a perfect read for fans of crime fiction. It follows a veteran Japanese detective who is determined to uncover the real reason behind the supposed suicide of two young people in his patch. He, combined with a young detective from Tokyo Police, unravel a crime involving corruption at a high government level. The combination of these two amiable characters captures the reader's attention and results in an enjoyable read. It is a perfect read for those who enjoy a railway mystery - a fascinating and intriguing combination with a puzzle that continues to the very end of the book. For added interest the location and culture of the novel adds extra interest for non-Japanese readers.

Sandi Grieve

Tokyo Express was different. No preamble, no unnecessary descriptions and from the first few words I found myself totally immersed in this book. It was well written (and translated), highly readable and clever - every word draws you in, as evidence is revealed, to trying to work out what really happened in this murder mystery and why. Through this cleverly woven plot I found I understood a great deal about post war Japan and the complexities of moving around this country of islands. The characters were well drawn but somehow were only pawns in the plot’s development and the revealing of the truth. This is not the kind of book I would ever have thought to read so thank you Viking. It has been so hard to write a review without giving away any spoilers. Any more detail would do so. At present it is being passed around our family and I think I will return to it one day, looking at the clues again. A good read.

Lesley Lester

Tokyo Express is a riveting, finely plotted detective novel which, although written in the middle of the twentieth century has a timeless relevance in the best traditions of the genre. The portrayals of the characters, major and minor, are keenly observed and the descriptions of the settings evocative of the era; all outlined without the needless extraneous particulars which so often slow the pace of more recent fiction. A masterpiece of its kind, much credit is due to the translator who has maintained the tightly-packed depictions of people and places which enhance the progress of the narrative. Extremely well researched, the machinations of the protagonists keep the reader in suspense until the final denouement.

Christopher Rowley

To my surprise I enjoyed this book immensely! I was grateful for the two maps in the book for giving me some of idea of a country which is entirely strange to me. It became fairly clear that this book was not about a suicide pact at all, but about a murder. The question was how could this be possible? The whole story hung on the timetables of the various trains in Japan. I soon found myself carried along with all the thoughts and searches of the two detectives, Torigai and Mihara. Their successes and failures became mine as well. I started off reading Tokyo Express as a chore but found it hard to put down. I was grateful for the down to earth style of the writing. I was also grateful for the short sections, usually no more than two or three pages. This made it easy to read one section, then to return later to begin the next section. Thank you for this short book which was a compelling read and left me hungry for more.

Betty Haley

Although Tokyo Express by Seicho Matsumoto is a slim volume it does however turn out to become a book which is robust and fulfilling in the telling of a drama as the reader is led between logic and reality. It is descriptive to the point you are able to visualise the plot as it unfolds and introduces you to the daily way of life in Japan in the 1950’s. The plot comes together with theories and thoughts as it progresses to seek out evidence very thoroughly until it reaches an interesting conc