A haunting tale of mystery and tragedy, The Noh Mask Murders begins in the sweltering summer of 1946 when Akimitsu Takagi, our narrator, unexpectedly crosses paths with his old schoolmate, Koichi Yanagi. Koichi, well aware of Akimitsu’s passion for detective fiction and his amateur sleuthing skills, soon seeks his help with a chilling case involving the Chizui family—the very people who have given him shelter in exchange for his work in their lab. But before Akimitsu can intervene, tragedy strikes. Taijiro Chizui is found dead in his sealed bedroom, his lifeless body overshadowed by a sinister family heirloom: an eerie, cursed Noh mask said to bring doom to those who possess it.
As the investigation unfolds, catastrophe continues to grip the Chizui household. Taijiro’s death is not an isolated misfortune—ten years earlier, his brother also met an untimely end, reportedly from a heart attack. Coincidence? Or something far more sinister? Urban legends whisper of vengeful spirits, and with four more deaths following in the mansion’s shadowed halls, the line between folklore and reality begins to blur.
Despite his initial determination, Akimitsu is forced to abandon the case, leaving the authorities to untangle the web of deceit and superstition. But when public prosecutor Hiroyuki Ishikari later sends him a package—containing Koichi’s journal and a letter—the full, horrifying extent of the Chizui family's nightmare is laid bare. The confessions within those pages are staggering!
As I turned the final pages, I couldn’t shake the feeling that the Chizui family’s secrets ran deeper than anyone dared admit. With its labyrinthine twists and unreliable narrators, this novel keeps you questioning everything. 4.5 ⭐ Thank you to @NetGalley and @pushkin_press for providing a free copy in exchange for an honest review.