A wickedly plotted mystery with a metafictional twist that feels far fresher than those of more
contemporary versions with the same idea -- The New York Times A bewildering locked-room murder
occurs as an amateur crime writer investigates strange events in the Chizurui mansion in this
prizewinning classic Japanese mystery The 1st book in English from Akimitsu Takagi since his
Clever kinky and highly entertaining The Tattoo Murder Case (Washington Post) This
ingeniously constructed masterpiece written by one of Japan's most celebrated crime writers
and translated into English for the first time is perfect for locked-room mystery fans who
can't resist a breathtaking conclusion. In the Chizurui family mansion a haunting presence
casts a shadow over its residents. By night an eerie figure clad in a sinister Hannya mask is
seen roaming around the house. An amateur murder mystery writer Akimitsu Takagi is sent to
investigate -- but his investigation takes a harrowing turn as tragedy strikes the Chizurui
family. Within the confines of a locked study the head of the family is found dead with only
an ominous Hannya mask lying on the floor by his side and the lingering scent of jasmine in the
air as clues to his mysterious murder. As Takagi delves deeper into the perplexing case he
discovers a tangled web of secrets and grudges. Can he discover the link between the family and
the curse of the Hannya mask? Who was the person who called the undertaker and asked for three
coffins on the night of the murder? And do those three coffins mean the curse of the Hannya
mask is about to strike again? The Noh Mask Murder's legendary ending offers locked-room
mystery fans the perfect coda to an ingenously constructed mystery.
