Rating: 
Summary: A Japanese Crime Story, not a Mystery at All
Review: Do not expect too much when you read this story. It says in the back cover that this story belongs in the shelf with Christie's and Simenon's writings. I would be inclined to say it is not. It is more like the writing of Grisham. That does not mean it is bad (I gave it 4 stars); it means, on the other hand, that it is not a typical mystery.When I started reading it, I thought it was a collection of short stories, and I wanted to read it concurrently with the last part of the "Lord of the Rings," because it really bored me to death. Having started reading it, however, I realized that it was a novel, and a large one with 313 pages. I could not stop at the first chapter to go to the ring bearer, so I decided to read it to the end. It is a nice introduction to the Japanese lifestyle. And other than that I would have given it 3 stars for the plot. It is a bit slow. Inspector Imanishi, is not your Sherlock Holmes, Poirot, Miagret, Arsen Lupin, nor Ellery Queen; no, he is a simple guy, like me and you (more like me, because you might be a genius after all). He gets clues by mere chance, in an article in the news papers, in the talk of neighbours, in movies, ... etc. He is in his fifties, so he is more in the Poirot's and Miagret's criterion. He is slow-minded, and needs time to get things together. He writes Haiko poetry, and likes to pour tea over his rice bowel (a thing I would never do in a million years). He likes plants, and has got a passive wife, who speaks with her husband in formal terms. The murder occurred somewhere unknown in the beginning of the story, and the body was left on the railroad of some train. Nothing is discovered in the first chapter. Inspector Imanishi had to make a number of trips to many parts in Japan (two on the expense of the police, and the rest are on his expense, which means that he is a determined cop after all). He discovered some facts about dialects in Japan. And here I must tell you that you should be comfortable with some Japanese terms, like san means Mr., and sensie means teacher, and so on. I read the story in 4 days, and that means that I did not find it boring, because I have spend about 3 months reading the "Lord of the Rings," and did not finish it yet. I am sure you are not going to be bored reading this story.
Rating: 
Summary: Inspector Imanashi entertains
Review: I just read Inspector Imanishi Investigates and quite enjoyed it. It's a procedural whodunnit set in Japan in the fifties. I'm intrigued by the style and dialogue, but I'm most struck by how much I want to go to Japan and see the locations described. There were a number of twists and dead ends throughout the book, but I especially liked the final twist.
Rating: 
Summary: A mystery novel set in 1960s Japan.
Review: Inspector Imanishi is trying to solve a murder with only one clue, the name Kameda. This story is a police procedural story that does a good job of showing us Japan in the 60s, where youth worships the new idols, such as young actors and musicians, and ancient heritage fights with political upheaval. The old and the new meet in post-war Japan, yet it is not thrust down our throats.
Seicho Matsumoto is writing about Japan for Japanese readers. He does not need to explain every single detail of culture and society. He does a great job because, frankly, it was published in 1961!
What you get is a fast flowing, showing-us-not-telling-us, novel of Japan and one character who has to swim through it to solve a crime. Once you pick it up you won't be able to put it down till you finish.
Rating:
Summary: A mystery novel set in 1960s Japan.
Review: Inspector Imanishi is trying to solve a murder with only one clue, the name Kameda. This story is a police procedural story that does a good job of showing us Japan in the 60s, where youth worships the new idols, such as young actors and musicians, and ancient heritage fights with political upheaval. The old and the new meet in post-war Japan, yet it is not thrust down our throats.
Seicho Matsumoto is writing about Japan for Japanese readers. He does not need to explain every single detail of culture and society. He does a great job because, frankly, it was published in 1961!
What you get is a fast flowing, showing-us-not-telling-us, novel of Japan and one character who has to swim through it to solve a crime. Once you pick it up you won't be able to put it down till you finish.
Rating:
Summary: Japan as it used to be
Review: One must remember that this book was written in 1961.It is a wonderful history of times gone by. The crime is solved by footwork and a lot of thought. There are no faxes or email, there is no DND, there are not even fingerprints. And, of course, there is no MacDonalds or punks on motorcycles slurping coke. It is a Japan one likes to think about, especially if one sees the modern version. It is unspoiled and gentle. And the mystery itself is not bad, either.
Rating: 
Summary: Too Reliant on Coincidence and Contrivance
Review: Originally published in 1961, this rather weak mystery shows its age poorly. The inspector of the title is interesting in how dated he now appears; consistently polite and apologetic in his work, and lord of the manor at home. He is embroiled in what seems like a fairly straightforward murder which turns out to be devilishly confusing--but, alas not that interesting for the reader. Matsumoto switches back and forth between the investigation and a group of young, new intellectuals who are darlings of Tokyo's media. Obviously the twain shall meet, but it's not very satisfying when they do. Matsumoto relies altogether too much on coincidences and unlikely convenient relationships to bring things to a solution. Not a book that will make me seek out others by the author.
Rating:
Summary: Superb Mystery Novel
Review: This book had a long shelf life after my disappointment with Matsumoto's "points and lines", yet after reading it I think it belongs in the same category as Takagi's classic "tattoo murder case". Whereas "points and lines" gave an endless regurgitation of one plot line with a whole greater than the one in our ozone layer, this book shows the author highly inspired. Here he adds layer upon layer of clues, dead ends, new venues and a surprising twist at the end. In addition we get an excellent dose of Japanese culture and politics and sublime pacing and drive. In all this is a great mystery novel that does not feel outdated at all and shows equal rewards to mystery lovers and Japanophiles. Keep the pages turning!
Rating:
Summary: If you liked "The Bad Sleep Well"...
Review: This book is wonderful. If you enjoy Kurosawa's industrial crime thriller movies, Matsumoto gives us a literary version.
Rating:
Summary: Persistence Pays Off
Review: This is a terrific mystery that requires a bit of patience on the reader's part. Inspector Imanishi is the quintessential salaryman for whom the traditional values of hard work and self sacrifice pay off. Mr. Matsumoto expects no less from his readers. This is a real puzzler and a terrific Japanese slice of life. It's not an easy read, but if you can let yourself be drawn in to the story, it is most rewarding.
Rating:
Summary: Persistence Pays Off
Review: This is a terrific mystery that requires a bit of patience on the reader's part. Inspector Imanishi is the quintessential salaryman for whom the traditional values of hard work and self sacrifice pay off. Mr. Matsumoto expects no less from his readers. This is a real puzzler and a terrific Japanese slice of life. It's not an easy read, but if you can let yourself be drawn in to the story, it is most rewarding.
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