2024/088: Tokyo Express — Seicho Matsumoto, translated by Jesse Kirkwood

People might laugh at the idea that just because a man and woman were found lying almost in each other’s arms they should immediately be assumed to have committed a love suicide. And yet, since time immemorial, thousands upon thousands of couples have been found in just such a state, without anybody suspecting foul play. Once their deaths are deemed a love suicide, the inquest is never as thorough as it would be for a murder. [loc. 2197]

Around 6pm one evening, a man and a woman (Sayama and Toki) are seen leaving Tokyo together on the Asakaze express train: some days later, they are found dead on the beach at Hakata, in what appears to be a lovers' suicide. The case is initially investigated by the local police, including veteran detective Jūtarō Torigai, who feels uneasy about the deaths. As new evidence reveals that the dead man, Sayama, was implicated in a bribery scandal, Torigai is visited by Kiichi Mihara of the Tokyo police. Mihara is young and dynamic and equally convinced that something doesn't add up. Was the departure of Sayama and Toki set up precisely so that it could be witnessed by businessman Yasuda and two of Toki's colleagues? And why has Yasuda gone to such lengths to demonstrate that he was nowhere near Hakata on the night of the couple's deaths?

This was an enjoyably twisty murder mystery, quite different in tone to most modern crime novels. The detectives aren't, as far as we can tell, struggling under immense psychological burdens; there are no romantic subplots; there's very little background detail (to the extent that I had no idea when it was set: 1957, apparently) and Matsumoto does not seem interested in scene-setting or vivid description.

I'm reminded of Sayers' Five Red Herrings, which also focuses on railway timetables, but in other respects is a sharp contrast to Tokyo Express. The translation seemed smooth, and I suspect several of Matsumoto's prose idiosyncrasies have been retained. I'd happily read more, though I think I would prefer a novel set in Japan (especially 'historical' Japan) to give me more atmosphere. Character and place names aside -- and ignoring the elephant in the room, the social acceptance of suicide -- this story could have taken place in any industrialised country.

Fulfils the ‘A Thriller/Mystery By A Non Caucasian Author’ rubric of the Something Bookish Reading Challenge.