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On a stormy summer day the Aosawas, owners of a prominent local hospital, host a large birthday party. The occasion turns into tragedy when 17 people die from cyanide in their drinks. The only surviving links to what might have happened are a cryptic verse that could be the killer's, and the physician's bewitching blind daughter, Hisako, the only person spared injury. But the youth who emerges as the prime suspect commits suicide that October, effectively sealing his guilt while consigning his motives to mystery. The police are convinced that Hisako had a role in the crime, as are many in the town, including the author of a bestselling book about the murders written a decade after the incident, who was herself a childhood friend of Hisako' and witness to the discovery of the murders. The truth is revealed through a skilful juggling of testimony by different voices: family members, witnesses and neighbours, police investigators and of course the mesmerizing Hisako herself.
Is there anything new to be read about Jack the Ripper, whose identity has been sought by countless "Ripperologists" for more than 120 years? This book answers an emphatic "Yes!" Drawing on recently discovered sources, the author argues that the Ripper's identity was no mystery to the police in 1891. Police chief Sir Melville Macnaghten claimed to know the truth from "private information," but his source has remained unknown for more than a century. Here, the identity of Sir Melville's informer is revealed, explaining why the Ripper was disguised as an insane surgeon for public consumption. A number of photos are included, some never before seen.
A selection of outstanding works of fantasy and science fiction from Japan, published here in English for the first time to reveal new and very different slices of the Japanese imagination. Following the success of the first Speculative Japan book, Volume 2 explores the visions of best-selling authors across a range of genres, from the heart-warming fantasy of Awa Naoko to the cold, lonely outer spaces of Tani Koshu. Explore the Japanese view of speculative fiction, and discover the similarities and differences that make cross-cultural literature so satisfying.
The third book of our well-received Speculative Japan series, this volume brings more outstanding authors from the Japanese archipelago to English, with a selection of never-before published stories covering a broad range of speculative fiction... from gritty SF to dark fantasy, enjoy a whole new dimension of the imagination!
It is 1939. Eva Delectorskaya is a beautiful 28-year-old Russian émigrée living in Paris. As war breaks out she is recruited for the British Secret Service by Lucas Romer, a mysterious Englishman, and under his tutelage she learns to become the perfect spy, to mask her emotions and trust no one, including those she loves most. Since the war, Eva has carefully rebuilt her life as a typically English wife and mother. But once a spy, always a spy. Now she must complete one final assignment, and this time Eva can't do it alone: she needs her daughter's help.
Selected by NYT as one of MOST NOTABLE BOOKS of 2020. On a stormy summer day the Aosawas, owners of a prominent local hospital, host a large birthday party. The occasion turns into tragedy when 17 people die from cyanide in their drinks. The only surviving links to what might have happened are a cryptic verse that could be the killer's, and the physician's bewitching blind daughter, Hisako, the only person spared injury. But the youth who emerges as the prime suspect commits suicide that October, effectively sealing his guilt while consigning his motives to mystery. The police are convinced that Hisako had a role in the crime, as are many in the town, including the author of a bestselling book about the murders written a decade after the incident, who was herself a childhood friend of Hisako’ and witness to the discovery of the murders. The truth is revealed through a skilful juggling of testimony by different voices: family members, witnesses and neighbours, police investigators and of course the mesmerizing Hisako herself.
THE MILLION-COPY AWARD-WINNING JAPANESE BESTSELLER In a small coastal town just a stone's throw from Tokyo, a prestigious piano competiton is underway. Over the course of two feverish weeks, three students will experience some of the most joyous - and painful - moments of their lives. Though they don't know it yet, each will profoundly and unpredictably change the others, for ever. Aya is a piano genius, well, she was, until she ran away from the stage and vanished; will Makun, tall and talented in every way, bring her back? Or will it be child of nature, Jin, a pianist without a piano, who carries the sound of his father's bees wherever he goes? Each of them will break the rules, awe their ...
The Night Circus meets Lonely Castle in the Mirror in this multi-award-winning Japanese bestseller, available finally in an English translation by Philip Gabriel, a translator of Murakami - AN FT BEST SUMMER READ 2023 - OVER A MILLION COPIES SOLD IN JAPAN - WINNER OF THE NAOKI PRIZE AND THE JAPAN BOOKSELLERS' AWARD - A MAJOR MOVIE RELEASE IN JAPAN 'A thrilling and often nail-biting depiction of music, friendship, and personal demons' OBSERVER 'Propulsive and poetic' KIRKUS ______________________ Welcome to a magical world of music, friendship and rivalry ... In a small coastal town just a stone's throw from Tokyo, a prestigious piano competition is underway. Over the course of two feverish w...
'You'll love every single heart-breaking word' ***** 'Hands down one of the best books I've read in years' ***** Finn and Kaz are about to meet for the first time. Ten-year-old Finn, a quirky, sensitive boy who talks a lot and only eats at cafes with a 5-star hygiene rating, is having a tough time at school and home. Outspoken Kaz, 59, who has an acerbic sense of humour and a heart of gold, is working at the café when Finn and his mum come in. They don't know it yet, but the second time they meet will be a moment which changes both of their lives forever . . . ~*~ What readers are saying about Linda Green's books: ~*~ 'A heartbreaking story about loss and love' 'Fast-paced with in-depth characters and spooky surroundings, it ticked all my boxes' 'I sobbed my heart out. I'll definitely be looking out for more from this author' 'Dark, intriguing and heart-breaking. First book I've read by this author but certainly won't be the last' 'I LOVED LOVED LOVED this book' 'Beautifully written, deeply moving and highly recommended!' 'A heart-breaking story of secrets, loss and regret' 'A great tense read! Full of gripping moments and twists and turns'
For three hundred years, a stolen relic passes from one fortune-seeker to the next, indelibly altering the lives of those who possess it. In modern-day Tokyo, Robin Swann’s life has sputtered to a stop. She’s stuck in a dead-end job testing antiquities for an auction house, but her true love is poetry, not pottery. Her stalled dissertation sits on her laptop, unopened in months, and she has no one to confide in but her goldfish. On the other side of town, Nori Okuda sells rice bowls and tea cups to Tokyo restaurants, as her family has done for generations. But with her grandmother in the hospital, the family business is foundering. Nori knows if her luck doesn’t change soon, she’ll lose what little she has left. With nothing in common, Nori and Robin suddenly find their futures inextricably linked to an ancient, elusive tea bowl. Glimpses of the past set the stage as they hunt for the lost masterpiece, uncovering long-buried secrets in their wake. As they get closer to the truth—and the tea bowl—the women must choose between seizing their dreams or righting the terrible wrong that has poisoned its legacy for centuries.