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(Slightly edited from my review of The Honjin Murders -- I initially reviewed them together)

I picked up The Inugami Curse after reading The Honjin Murders, and ended up completely addicted to this series. Featuring one of the great detectives of Japanese crime fiction, these books were so much fun to read and left me wanting more!

These books follow Kosuke Kindaichi, a brilliant detective, as he solves a series of gruesome murders. The Inugami Curse is a dark and gory mystery surrounding a murderous family after a great fortune. It has clever twists and solutions and are such satisfying mysteries, all heightened by the author's foreboding writing style.

I admit I haven't read a lot of crime fiction, but I can safely say that Kindaichi is probably my favourite fictional detective. He doesn't fit the stereotype of fictional detectives that we think of today — the heavy drinking, gloomy, fairly unpleasant but brilliant men who are constantly showing up the police. Instead he is an odd, slightly goofy, and squeamish character who's deductive powers feel more human than supernatural. He feels like a much more pleasant and realistic character than some of the great fictional detectives, past and present, and he's a joy to read about.

I am totally addicted to the Kosuke Kindaichi books and I am impatiently awaiting the publication of the third book in December!

Content warnings: attempted rape, murder, misogyny (as fitting with the time period)