The Black Swan Mystery by Tetsuya Ayukawa

adventurous mysterious fast-paced
Plot- or character-driven? Plot
Strong character development? No
Loveable characters? No
Diverse cast of characters? Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus? No
3.75

A cut away scene mystery
What I loved:
💕Japanese cultural lense on mystery
💕Love the inclusion of train schedules, maps

Not my Cuppa ☕️:
☕️The cut away structure
☕️ list of detective questions at the end of the chapter

Ideal reader:
🌟Reader looking for a fast paced mystery adventure
🌟 Reader looking for a mystery with a unique structure
Content warning - minor: Murder

A fantastic murder mystery / police procedural from 1950’s Japan, “The Black Swan Mystery” by Tetsuya Ayukawa pays homage to the golden age mysteries while giving readers a slice of post-war Japan moving towards the modern era. This is the start of the series featuring Inspector Onitsura, although he doesn’t show up until halfway through the novel.

We start with a bit of background, two ladies talking about the company where Fumie’s husband and Atsuko’s father both are directors. The company is dealing with a workers strike, and it isn’t going very well, with fears that it might become violent. Although Fumie is trying to set Atsuko up with a marriage proposal with another company employee, Atsuko has a secret, she is in love with the vice president of the union, very Romeo and Juliet-like. As they leave their luncheon, Atsuko is confronted by a blackmailer, eager for a payday with his knowledge of the affair. And so begins the drama.

Fumie’s husband, the company director, is found dead next to railroad tracks. This could have been an accident or suicide, but the bullet hole in him makes it murder. Detectives Sudo and Seki are assigned to the case, and start pursuing the various leads, which include the union leaders, the religious cult the director belonged to (and encouraged the company employees to join), the ex-intelligence agent working for the cult who has now disappeared, and the various ladies who might have been involved with this womanizing old man. The case takes on a new sense of urgency when an unemployed drifter is found dressed identically to the director, poisoned on a train, creating questions about the director’s last movements and whom witnesses actually saw.

As the case sputters to a halt, Inspector Onitsura and his assistant Tanna take over, following up on leads and traveling around the country pursuing ancient history and unresolved clues as the murderer strikes again. Can they solve the who, and more importantly the how, before the killer strikes again?

Red herrings, false starts, secret identities, suspects being killed… the twists and turns will leave you guessing until the author expertly starts pulling all of the strings into a satisfying conclusion. Mr. Ayukawa does a fabulous job slowly drawing you to the obvious culprit and working alongside Onitsura as he solves puzzle after puzzle.

I requested and received a free advanced electronic copy from Pushkin Press, Pushkin Vertigo via NetGalley. Thank you!

I've been getting more and more into Japanese mystery novels as of late (in no small part thanks to NetGalley, actually!) and I thought this was an exemplary title. I'm one of those people for whom the primary appeal of mystery is the deductive process rather than the human drama, so while others may find this book a little dry in that regard, I found it quite fascinating. Hoping to see other books by Ayukawa translated into English soon!

This was not my favorite but it was still incredibly suspenseful and interesting to read through and follow

For being originally written in the 1960s, this book still holds its own in the genre. A classic murder mystery on a train, with iron clad alibis and red herrings, The Black Swan Mystery was a great read for anyone who loves classic mysteries set in a post WWII Japan,

This book is very plot driven and a bit slow at times but the payoff is worth it. Readers will enjoy trying to put the puzzle pieces together while going on a journey across Japan, meeting a wide array of unusual suspects.

I think some things may have been a bit lost in translation, making parts of the book to feel a bit clunky but over this was a very enjoyable read.

A body was found on railroad tracks and Detective Inspector Sudo and Constable Seki were investigating. It turns out that it was the Director of the Towa Textiles Factory which was in the midst of a trade union strike. The detectives started to think that it might be one of the union leaders who murdered him, but another suspect, the right hand man of a Shaman leader, was also a viable culprit. When another murder occurs and when all the avenues of the investigation seemed to slow down, a fresh set of eyes are called in, Inspector Onitsura and his assistant, Tanna. They reviewed all the evidence and found other avenues to explore because it all seemed to center around the railways and their timetables.
An interesting police procedural that told by different characters. The Kindle edition had flaws. The charts and maps were not displaying and many words throughout were missing letters. This slowed reading and the flow of the story.
Thank you NetGalley and Puskin Press for the opportunity to read this e-galley of "The Black Swan Mystery".

It’s an okay procedural murder mystery, but it never quite captured my interest.

Nishinohata, the greedy director of a company whose employees are currently striking for better work conditions, is murdered, and because of his unsavory reputation, there’s a lot of suspects. But once the investigator, Onitsura, finds the person with a compelling motive, he has to figure out how they created their airtight alibi.

I feel like the appeal here is the numerous train timetables that readers can use to figure out the alibi, so it really is like a technical puzzle. Now the timetables on my eARC were formatted badly so I couldn’t take part (plus other issues, like ff, fi, fl all missing for some reason), so that did take away from my reading experience but that’s probably just a me issue. But other than that, I feel like the mystery turned out to be pretty complicated in a way that made it pretty hard for the reader to figure out anything on their own, and it also seemed to try to focus on the boring parts of police work where they walk and talk to people for hours with very little return. It probably wasn’t the type of mystery that I’m a fan of.

The main protagonist seemed to be a detective who didn’t show up until halfway so there wasn’t time to really feel compelled by them. And I’m kinda used to how female characters might be written by old Japanese men, but even then the way some of them were written here was pretty sexist. Of course some of the men were gross too, but it felt like the women were only allowed so many brain cells. Idk, things happened to characters but it felt so hand-waved away or never discussed again that it made me wonder what the point was, so none of the characters interested me.

I guess if you like old Japanese detective stories you might try it out, but I feel like there must be better ones.

Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for the eARC.

*The Black Swan Mystery* by Tetsuya Ayukawa is a Japanese murder mystery first published in 1960 and recently translated into English. It is the first book in the *Inspector Onitsura* series. The novel follows Chief Inspector Onitsura and his assistant, Tanna, as they investigate the murder of a local mill owner whose body is discovered near railway tracks in Saitama Prefecture. The case initially points toward labor disputes and a rising religious sect, but as the investigation unfolds, more murders occur, leading the detectives across Japan in pursuit of the killer

The novel is a classic detective story, heavily focused on the investigative process rather than character drama. It places great emphasis on logical deduction and intricate details, particularly train timetables, making it appealing to readers who enjoy technical mysteries in the style of *Tokyo Express* or Golden Age detective fiction. It also offers insights into postwar Japanese society, touching on themes such as labor unrest, class inequalities, and shifting cultural norms.

If you enjoy methodical police procedurals with a strong sense of place, this could be an interesting read.

In the Black Swan Mystery, Tetsuya Ayukawa demonstrates the plotting skills that earned him a well-deserved reputation as a master of alibi deconstruction mysteries. This is a relatively slow-paced mystery as the author takes the time to introduce the reader to a full cast of potential suspects with convincing motives. In the process they also lay down several false trails and red herrings. It is only in the second half of the book that the main detective Chief Inspector Onitsura and his assistant Tanna start to unravel the convoluted threads that lead to the solution.
Despite the slow pace, I really enjoyed the book for the vivid description of life in Japan in the 1960s as it slowly starts to repair the social and political upheaval of WW2. I also appreciate the realistic depiction of the painstaking, exhausting and often mind-numbingly boring nature of police investigations. Onitsura and his team rely on thorough and meticulous checking and re-checking of events and timelines than intellectual brilliance to crack the case. My only issue with the story was that the denouement, though realistic, fell flat, which took away some of the satisfaction.

I really think this story could be exceptional.

I'll keep trying but the entire experience jars with the missing copy, etc o may equal off. Is renman fireman or a Japanese terms? Its not policer officer its "oicer" ??? Any chance it can be re-released so we can read it how it's supposed to be read?

NB: There's an irony here...every time I try to write what's in the book, the autocorrect tries hard to make it into an English word *sigh*

The Black Swan Mystery is a 1950s murder mystery talks about a story full of secrets, lies, and surprises. The plot focuses on trains and railway schedules, and it paints a vivid picture of post-war Japan.

I really enjoyed how the author mixes a complicated mystery with a focus on social issues, showing the challenges of life in Japan after the war. The story tackles hot topics like inequality, the rise of consumerism, and the struggles of the working class. It also looks at the way wealthy people live double lives. However, the investigation in the book isa bit weird because many different detectives (and in some cases civilians) work together. The first part of the book feels a bit disjointed, possibly because it was serialized, but it becomes smoother as it goes on.

Inspector Onitsura, the main detective, doesn’t appear until halfway through the book, but he’s a well-developed and interesting character. Overall, the book combines complex details with humor and deep character insights, making it a very enjoyable read.

Classic murder mystery on a train. Highly recommend if you are a fan of Agatha Christie or any fictional crime book.

3.5
I love a good mystery novel - it's my favourite genre - and this one hit all the spots. Unbreakable alibi? Check. Suspicious characters? Check. Smart Investigator? Check. Civilians deciding to take solving a mystery into their hands? And check, again. It was fast paced enough to keep me turning the page without it becoming breakneck, which would have probably made me miss a few very important details - I still did, I was as baffled as Tanna about a certain little thing! The writing was very flowing and engaging, the plot was well constructed (took me quite a bit to suspect the real culprit, like, it had to be rubbed on my face!) and the entire atmosphere was spot on, taking me on a mental and imaginary trip to Japan.
I'm giving it a lower rate because of the typos, though, they were countless, and frankly, very very jarring, breaking my concentration and engagement with the book to the point I almost DNF'ed. I won't mind the occasional typo, but when it's several in the same sentence, and in every single sentence, sometimes even entire words missing, I'm sorry but I will not rate the book high, even if the story was really good. I understand it seems to be common practice for publishing houses to deliver ARCs that are very rough around the edges, but honestly? I find this utterly disrespectful to ARC readers, hence my standards. If self-published and indie authors go to the extent of working on delivering the best possible ARCs to their advanced readers, why won't trad publishers do the same? Are we supposed to use double standards here, where self-pub authors get smashed because there was one little typo on their ARCs but trad publishers get away with it?
Like I said, if it had been only a couple of incidents, I'd not even remarked upon it, but this was way too much. And if it was done in purpose to avoid piracy, I honestly doubt it will work...

'The Black Swan Mystery' by Tetsuya Ayukawa is a painstakingly detailed police procedural that will definitely appeal to people who are ready to indulge in a serious and slow-paced 'alibi deconstruction' story populated with very colorful characters and a vivid picture of post-war Japan.

The owner of a local mill is found murdered alongside a railway track and suspicion falls on the Workers' Union which has been striking because of a labour dispute.While the police are called in to investigate, another man is found murdered and it's feared the killer has struck again and then again.

This murder mystery was originally written many years ago and is set in 1960s Japan, and but recently translated into English. It's an enjoyable murder mystery, filled with a number of devious twists that keep you guessing and turning the pages. Cleverly written, the storyline's unique setting kept me engaged and interested throughout the entire book. I enjoyed the characters and how the plot all came together, and did not guess the outcome at all. The only thing that confused me a little about the book was the insertion of maps and train timetables within the pages, which didn't necessarily add to the storyline and which I felt interrupted the flow a little.

A recommended read. Thanks to Netgalley for the opportunity to read and review this book.

Thank you Netgalley for this ARC. The Black Swan Mystery by Tetsuya Ayukawa is an intriguing and well-crafted detective story that blends mystery with suspense. Set in a unique and atmospheric setting, the novel follows the investigation of a perplexing crime that keeps readers guessing. Ayukawa’s writing is sharp and captivating, with well-paced plot twists and a strong, methodical detective at the center of the story. The characters are engaging, and the mystery unfolds in a way that will satisfy fans of classic whodunits. Overall, The Black Swan Mystery is a compelling read for those who enjoy thoughtful and puzzling mysteries.

I loved this mystery. It was such a well written book and I loved trying to find out who did it. I think the tension and character worked well together to keep the reader engaged

of course i enjoyed yet another mystery from pushkin press!! this publisher never fails to bring out good books and i’m so lucky to read and review arcs from
them!!

This could have been more...

This book has been compared to Tokyo Express, which I also find to be okay. I enjoy this type of mystery but I much prefer honkaku mysteries..

I normally don't add this in a review but the errors in the Kindle version really altered my reading experience.

There were a few publishing errors on the Kindle, which I could have pushed past: the lack of 'f' continuously was off-putting to say the least.... It was the misprint of the train timetables and map that really disconnected me from the book. I felt at a real disadvantage. I like to feel I am able to solve the murders with the detective but I didn't even have a chance with this.

This book wasn’t bad, but it didn’t blow me away either. The mystery had an interesting premise with a murder, a labor dispute, and a growing religious sect, which kept me curious throughout. The investigation itself was pretty straightforward, with Detective Onitsura and his assistant traveling around Japan to track down the killer.

The pacing was decent, and the story had its moments of suspense, but overall, it felt a little predictable. The characters were okay, but I didn’t find myself fully invested in them or the plot. It’s definitely not the most gripping or memorable mystery I’ve read, but if you’re looking for a decent, mid-tier thriller, this could fit the bill.