Soji Shimada books

Soji Shimada is a Japanese mystery author and a central figure in the honkaku (orthodox) detective fiction revival, known for locked-room puzzles like The Tokyo Zodiac Murders.

Pushkin Vertigo Reading Order

Title Published Buy on Amazon
I Was Jack Mortimer 1933 Buy
The Murdered Banker 1935 Buy
The Hotel of the Three Roses 1936 Buy
The Mystery of the Three Orchids 1942 Buy
She Who Was No More 1952 Buy
Vertigo 1954 Buy
The Gravediggers’ Bread 1956 Buy
The Wicked Go to Hell 1956 Buy
The Executioner Weeps 1956 Buy
Crush 1959 Buy
Bird in a Cage 1961 Buy
The Master Key 1962 Buy
The King of Fools 1962 Buy
The Lady Killer 1963 Buy
The Disappearance of Signora Giulia 1970 Buy
The Meiji Guillotine Murders 1979 Buy
The Tokyo Zodiac Murders 1981 Buy
Murder in the Crooked House 1982 Buy
The Decagon House Murders 1987 Buy
Justiz 1987 Buy
The Mill House Murders 1988 Buy
The Inspector of Strange and Unexplained Deaths 2012 Buy
Tench 2015 Buy
Resurrection Bay 2015 Buy
Death Going Down 2017 Buy
Urgent Matters 2020 Buy
All Was Lost 2021 Buy
Those Who Perish 2022 Buy
Nothing Can Hurt You Now 2023 Buy
Squeaky Clean 2023 Buy

Sōji Shimada Short Stories/Novellas

Title Published Buy on Amazon
One Love Chigusa 2020 Buy

Soji Shimada is a Japanese mystery writer whose work helped revive the honkaku tradition of fair-play detective fiction. His novels present intricate locked-room puzzles and impossible crimes, giving readers all the clues they need to solve the mystery before the answer is revealed. The Tokyo Zodiac Murders (1981) is his best-known work internationally and is considered a landmark of the genre.

Shimada’s books are part of the Pushkin Vertigo imprint, which publishes translated crime and mystery fiction from around the world. His work sits alongside other international crime writers in the imprint’s catalog, but his contributions — The Tokyo Zodiac Murders, Murder in the Crooked House, The Mill House Murders, and The Meiji Guillotine Murders — are among the most celebrated titles in the collection.

Frequently Asked Questions

How many books has Soji Shimada written?

Soji Shimada has written 31 books across two series.

What was Soji Shimada's first book?

Soji Shimada’s first book is I Was Jack Mortimer, published in 1933.

What is honkaku mystery fiction?

Honkaku is a Japanese term for orthodox or fair-play detective fiction, where all the clues needed to solve the mystery are presented to the reader before the solution is revealed. Shimada is one of the genre’s most important modern practitioners, and his locked-room puzzles helped spark a honkaku revival in Japan during the 1980s.

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