Get your tickets ready for this foreign crime fiction tale. Tokyo Express by Seichō Matsumoto is a riveting novel laced with that crime noir feel and historical setting. It is a short yet well-plotted read that delivers red herrings and dead-ends until the very end.

In a rocky cove at Hakata Bay, the bodies of a young and beautiful couple are discovered. Standing on the cold beach, the police see nothing to investigate: The flush of the couple’s cheeks and the empty juice bottle speak clearly of cyanide, of a lovers’ suicide. But in the eyes of two men, senior detective Torigai Jutaro and Kiichi Mihara, a young gun from Tokyo, something is not quite right. Together, they begin to pick at the knot of a unique and calculated crime. Now widely available in English for the first time, Tokyo Express is celebrated around the world as Seichō Matsumoto’s masterpiece.

The plot starts with some character backstory and setting construction, much like the opening scene of a crime film or tv show episode. The introduction of key figures, the surprise revelations, and then curious fact that secrets have been kept. But then the news comes out – a double suicide has taken place. Cut to the old, seasoned detective from a small-town division going about his investigation, revealing details and discrepancies that cloud up the case. With the news reaching Tokyo given the man’s career, it doesn’t take long for another face to join the investigation, and that is where Kiichi Mihara comes in. I like how there is a soft passing of the baton in storytelling here, giving both the old and the young detective a chance to work the angles they can and get to the bottom of this perplexing case. The acknowledgement of skill and respect not only feels genuine but befitting of the times and secrecy of the case.

Given this novel is set in post-war Japan, and that the relative newness of speedy transportation is historically accurate and utilised for this novel, it really does feel like a crime noir piece. The themes, character backgrounds, difficulty of the case, and other such details make this a compelling read and a joy to follow. there are the red herrings and obstacles along the way, but they are never permanent. It gives credit to the detectives and a great sense of pacing and tension to the novel. For an older novel, it certainly hits all the points it needs to. The pieces are all there and you can follow along fairly easily if you set your mind to it.

Tokyo Express is undoubtedly a masterpiece, balancing simplicity with excellence and immersing the reader in a Japan many decades past. It is a gripping tale that will have you engaged from start to finish, and a fantastic addition to your October reading.