Looking for crime/mystery novel recommendations

Japanese Language Reading
#14

Thank you all for the great suggestions! Keep them coming!

They both sound very interesting, I’m putting them on my list. They might not be ideal as a first book though if there’s old-fashioned language involved. There’s some old-fashioned language in Ogawa Mimei’s stories that we’re currently reading in the Beginner’s club, and even though it’s not a huge problem by any means, it is sometimes frustrating to not be able to find a word in the dictionary - and if I’m reading alone, I won’t have a club’s backup. I’m definitely keeping them in mind for later though. Same for Case Closed - I’m sure I’ll enjoy it, but I really want the big blocks of text a novel offers right now.

I’ve looked at it, and while there must be some mystery involved, it seems to be basically fantasy as you say. At least I think so.

Not a bad idea at all, but on the other hand, I’m sure there are so many Japanese writers for me to discover - and I always prefer to read untranslated if I can. Part of the fun of learning new languages :slight_smile:

I’ve already read Suspect X in English unfortunately. I might give すべてがFになる a try - computer stuff of 25 years ago is not foreign to me, but it would be in Japanese I bet. As for ifの悲劇, I did vote for it, so it was on my radar. I’d better not read it now in case it does better next time, I suppose.

Thanks both @NicoleRauch and @rodan for the book lists. I’ll be sure to go through them. It’s not easy to choose straight from lists like that, but it’s certainly a good starting point.

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#15

I did a kanji analysis on these recently, and found a total of 3,093 unique kanji used. This includes 1,321 kanji not covered by WaniKani!

(And roughly 32,000 unique words, but that number’s far less precise.)

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#16

:scream: Not unique, surely? Oh, unique, you said. :flushed:

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#17

Big question being, are there versions with furigana for the less common kanji? Also, are those unusual words, or just unusual/outdated kanji being used for common words?

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#18

Additional question: how many of them are uses in names rather than vocabulary words?

Non-WK Ranpo Kanji list

丑 乍 乎 乞 云 亘 亙 些 亢 亥 亦 什 仇 仔 伍 伽 佇 佝 佞 來 侠 侯 侶 俄 俘 俟 俤 俥 俯 倅 倆 倖 倣 倦 倭 倶 假 做 傀 傭 傳 傴 僂 僅 僥 價 儒 儘 儡 儲 兇 兎 兒 兜 兢 兩 其 冑 冤 冥 冴 冶 几 凪 凭 凱 函 凾 刄 刳 刹 剃 剔 剥 剽 劃 劈 劔 劫 勃 勺 勾 勿 匁 匆 匍 匐 匙 匡 匣 卉 卍 卜 卦 卯 卿 厘 厩 厨 厭 叉 叛 叢 只 叭 叮 叶 吃 吊 吋 吏 吝 吠 吩 吻 呀 呎 呑 呟 呵 呶 呷 呻 咀 咄 咆 咎 咐 咤 咫 咬 咳 咽 哄 哨 哩 哮 唖 唸 唾 啄 啖 啜 啣 啼 喇 喊 喘 喙 喩 喰 嗄 嗅 嗚 嗜 嗟 嗤 嗾 嘔 嘗 嘯 嘲 嘴 噛 噤 噪 噫 噸 噺 嚀 嚇 嚢 嚥 嚮 嚼 囁 囂 囃 囮 國 圍 圓 團 坐 坦 坩 垢 埃 埒 堊 堙 堝 堡 堵 塑 塒 塞 填 塵 壕 壜 壯 壺 夥 夾 套 奠 奢 奸 妓 妬 妲 妾 姐 姑 姦 娑 娩 娶 娼 婉 婪 媚 媼 媾 嫂 嫉 嫣 嬌 嬪 嬬 嬰 孰 學 宋 宏 宵 寃 寅 寇 寐 寓 實 寵 對 尖 尤 尨 屍 屏 屑 屓 屠 屡 屹 崕 嵌 嵩 嶮 嶺 巌 巖 已 巳 巴 巷 巽 帖 帛 帷 幇 幌 幔 幟 幡 庇 庖 庵 廂 廓 廣 廻 廼 弄 弋 弗 弘 弛 彎 彗 彙 彦 彬 彭 彳 彷 徊 徘 從 徨 徽 忽 忿 怙 怨 怯 恍 恢 恬 恰 悄 悉 悍 悚 悴 悶 悸 悽 惚 惟 惣 惧 惱 惶 惹 惻 愁 愈 愍 愕 愾 慄 慇 慊 慘 慙 慚 慧 慳 慾 憐 憑 憔 憚 憫 憬 憮 憺 應 懊 懣 懺 懼 戌 或 戚 戟 截 戮 戰 扁 托 扨 扮 扼 抉 抓 抛 抬 拇 拔 拗 拭 拮 拱 拵 按 挫 挺 挽 捏 捗 捧 捩 捲 捷 捺 捻 掏 掟 掠 掴 掻 揃 揄 揉 揖 揶 搏 搦 摯 摸 摺 撒 撓 撞 撥 撫 播 撰 撼 擂 擡 擯 擲 擽 擾 攀 攣 攪 攫 斃 斑 斟 斥 斧 斯 於 旁 旭 昂 昏 昧 昵 晒 晦 曽 晰 暈 暢 暹 曖 曝 曰 曳 曾 朋 朔 朦 朧 杆 李 杖 杜 杞 杣 杭 杳 柑 柘 柵 柾 栗 桁 桂 框 桐 桝 桶 梁 梃 梗 梟 梠 梢 梯 梱 梶 棊 棍 棕 棠 棲 棹 棺 椀 椰 椿 楊 楔 楕 楚 楠 楯 楼 榎 榴 槃 槌 槍 槐 槓 樋 樟 樣 樵 樸 樽 橘 橙 橢 檀 檎 檜 檻 櫂 櫃 櫓 櫚 櫛 欝 欣 歎 此 歪 歸 歿 殆 殘 殷 毀 毫 毬 毯 氈 氣 汐 汲 沐 沓 沫 泄 泛 洒 洟 洩 洲 洵 浚 浩 涅 涎 涸 淆 淋 淫 淳 淵 游 渾 湘 湛 湮 溌 溜 溢 溷 溺 滔 滲 滸 滾 滿 漕 漲 漾 漿 澱 澹 濛 濠 濤 濫 濶 瀑 瀕 瀝 瀟 灌 灘 炸 烙 焉 焔 焚 煉 煎 煤 煽 熄 熨 熾 燈 燐 燕 燗 燦 燭 燼 爛 爬 爭 爲 爵 爺 爼 爾 牌 牒 牝 牡 牢 犀 犒 狄 狗 狡 狸 狼 狽 猜 猪 猥 猩 猾 獅 獨 獰 玩 玻 珀 珞 琥 琺 瑕 瑣 瑯 瑰 瓔 瓢 瓣 瓦 甍 甕 甞 甥 甦 甫 甸 畏 畢 畦 當 畸 疵 疸 疹 疽 痒 痕 痙 痣 痺 痼 瘁 瘋 瘧 瘤 癇 癈 癩 癪 癲 癸 發 皎 皷 皺 盃 盥 盪 眩 眷 睥 睨 睫 瞑 瞞 瞠 瞥 瞰 瞼 砥 硝 硯 碇 碌 碍 碗 碧 磊 磐 磔 磯 礙 祇 祟 祠 祷 禄 禦 禰 禿 秤 稀 稍 稜 稟 稱 稽 穉 穢 穽 穿 窖 窟 窩 窪 窶 窺 竈 竝 竦 竪 竿 笥 笄 筈 筍 箆 箇 箋 箒 箔 箝 箪 箭 箴 篇 篏 篠 簑 簀 簔 簾 籃 籖 籐 籔 籠 籤 粂 粟 粥 粹 糊 糜 糞 糟 糠 糺 紐 紗 紬 紲 絃 絆 絖 絢 絣 絨 絲 絽 綜 綮 綴 綻 緘 緞 緬 緻 縅 縊 縋 縞 縡 縲 縷 縹 繃 繍 繕 繙 繞 繋 繩 繻 纂 纏 纒 罐 罠 罩 罵 罹 羞 羹 翁 翅 翠 翡 翰 翳 耀 耄 而 耶 耽 聊 聯 聰 聳 聾 肆 肋 肘 股 肢 肱 肴 胚 胛 胤 脉 胱 脛 脣 脹 腋 腎 腑 腔 腥 腦 腫 腺 腿 膀 膊 膏 膠 膩 膳 膿 臀 臂 臆 臙 臥 臼 舅 舊 舐 舳 舵 舷 艘 艫 艱 艶 芙 芥 芦 芭 芻 苑 苔 苛 苟 茄 茫 茲 茸 荊 荻 莖 莫 菩 菫 菰 菱 萃 萄 萎 萠 萩 葛 葡 董 葦 葺 蒐 蒔 蒟 蒡 蒲 蒻 蓆 蓉 蓋 蓑 蓬 蔦 蔭 蔽 蕈 蕉 蕎 蕗 蕩 薇 薔 薙 薤 薪 薫 薩 藁 藉 藝 藪 藺 蘆 蘇 蘭 虔 虞 號 虱 虻 蚓 蚕 蚤 蚯 蛆 蛔 蛙 蛛 蛤 蛭 蛾 蜃 蜑 蜘 蜥 蜴 蝉 蝋 蝎 蝕 蝙 蝠 蝦 蝸 螢 螺 蟇 蟒 蟠 蟲 蟻 蠅 蠕 蠢 蠱 衒 衷 袂 袈 袢 袱 袴 袷 裟 裡 裳 裾 褄 褐 褥 褪 褻 襖 襞 襦 襴 襷 覗 觀 觸 訃 訊 訛 訝 訣 訥 訶 註 詈 詣 詫 詮 誂 誦 誨 誼 諄 諌 諧 諳 謁 謂 謄 謔 謗 謨 謳 譚 譫 讀 讃 讎 讐 讒 讖 谺 谿 豈 豫 豬 豹 貌 貪 貰 賎 賑 賜 贋 贓 贔 贖 赧 赫 趺 跋 跏 跛 跣 跨 跪 跫 踉 踝 踞 踪 踵 蹄 蹌 蹟 蹲 躁 躄 躇 躊 躓 躙 躬 躯 躱 躾 軈 軋 輛 輯 輻 輿 轍 轟 轡 轢 辜 辟 辮 辰 辷 辻 辿 迂 迄 迚 迦 迸 逅 逐 逗 這 逞 逡 逢 遁 遏 遙 遡 遵 遽 邂 邃 邏 邯 鄙 鄭 鄲 酉 酊 酋 酣 酩 醇 醒 醗 采 釘 釜 釦 鈎 鈞 鉋 鉞 鉤 鉦 銚 銜 鋏 鋒 鋩 鋪 鋲 鋸 錆 錐 錘 錣 錫 錺 錨 鍍 鍔 鍬 鍮 鍾 鎗 鎧 鏖 鑢 鑵 鑿 閂 閃 閊 閏 閨 閻 闊 闌 闖 關 陀 附 隈 隧 隨 雀 雁 雖 雛 雜 雫 雹 霞 霰 霽 靄 靈 靨 靭 靱 鞄 鞋 鞘 鞠 鞣 鞦 鞭 韆 竟 韻 頁 頓 頬 頷 頸 頽 顆 顎 顛 顫 顱 飄 飜 餅 餉 餌 餐 餞 饅 饒 饗 馮 馳 馴 駁 駈 駕 騙 驀 驟 驢 驥 骸 骼 髏 髑 體 髭 髯 髷 鬘 鬚 鬢 鬣 鬨 鬪 鬮 魁 魄 魍 魎 魑 鮎 鮑 鮒 鮟 鮪 鮫 鯛 鯰 鰭 鰹 鰻 鱇 鱈 鱗 鳶 鴎 鴨 鵄 鵜 鵞 鶯 鷲 鷹 鹸 鹽 麓 麹 麿 黐 點 黯 黴 鼈 鼎 鼕 鼠 鼬 鼾 齋 齎 齟 齣 齬

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#19

In my experience with print versions, there’s plenty of furigana over the (numerous) unusual or complex words.
There’s also plenty of unusual/outdated kanji for common words, yes (and things that seem old-fashioned like omitting the middle okurigana in compound verbs e.g. 切抜ける instead of 切り抜ける)
It takes some getting used to, but it’s manageable.
It’s the kind of thing where you’re gonna get used to kanji for common words like 迄, 其れ, etc.
Looking at the first aozora page of 人間椅子 I see no differences from the print version in terms of furigana.

Yokomizo is even more intense though - stacks and stacks of 屏風s and 本陣 and 漁村 politics and complicated noble family trees. He’s the kind of mystery writer who begrudgingly provides you with a diagram summary of all the details he’s working through. Again though, manageable with a dictionary, just a looooot of stuff going into my anki deck…

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#20

Very nice! Big thanks! :slight_smile:

Yeah, WaniKani is just the tip of the iceberg :joy:

Usually there should be, I think. Also, for less or maybe slightly non-obvious readings. I had a quick look at 少年探偵団 (the book, not the series) and it doesn’t look too bad, but you get furigana only for some words.

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#21

I haven’t really looked over the linked-to Ranpo works (since seeing the kanji numbers scared me off for now), but checking a few random kanji:

彳 appears twice (different stories), and has furigana both times.

I see furigana for 起臥 and 仰臥 across many apperances, but only on first appearance within a story (which I imagine is typically the case).

閂 and 閃 also get furigana on their first appearances.

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#22

It’s the third part of a rather long series - maybe you would like try the first, 探偵ガリレオ if you liked suspect x. It suffers from the unfortunate affliction of being ebook less.

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#23

Oh, no ebook is a big problem for me. But if it’s a long series, maybe other books in the series do come in ebook form? I’ll have to check.

#24

Some mystery things I’ve read and enjoyed: 硝子のハンマー (start of a series of locked-room mysteries–this particular one is very long, but several of the others are short stories), 孤島の鬼 (Edogawa Ranpo, mentioned above), 十角館の殺人 (an homage to Agatha Christie’s And Then There Were None), 探偵ガリレオ (also mentioned above), and Wの悲劇. Of all of these, most tackleable for a new reader would probably be 探偵ガリレオ (straightforward prose, no outdated kanji/grammar, and it’s short stories). Also, to add a manga recommendation: ミステリと言う勿れ! I find this one thoroughly delightful, and I believe it has full furigana. It’s not an easy one to read, but not too awfully difficult, either. (Often wordy, and sometimes the mysteries involve language and/or kanji.) Lots of interesting mysteries and good characters. :+1:

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#25

Thanks for this thread. I have forgotten when I was in secondary school I read almost all of the 三毛猫ホームズシリーズ by 赤川次郎 but of course in translated version. When I Japanese becomes better, I will give the original a go.

BTW, did you mention what the book you just finished was?

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#26

三毛猫? A cat is always a good addition to any book :grin: Are these children’s books though? I hadn’t heard of them.

The book I’m about to finish is コーヒーが冷めないうちに (Before the coffee gets cold), read along with the Intermediate Book Club here. Not a mystery book by any stretch, but quite beginner-friendly in terms of language.

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#27

Not chidren’s books. Apparently the cat in the book was based on the real life cat the writer had. I like it so much that I stopped reading other Japanese crime fiction for a long time because no other writers can compared to him until I read 容疑者Xの献身 (translated version).

I see. I flipped through コーヒーが冷めないうちに (translated version) in a bookshop and it was my cup of ‘coffee’.

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#28

Thanks for this list. 探偵ガリレオ doesn’t seem to be on Bookwalker unfortunately, but I’m adding the rest to my list to go through later. The manga looks quite interesting too - I’ll keep it in mind along with Case Closed for when I’m in the mood for manga.

This sounds more and more interesting by the minute. I’ll be sure to check out a sample, thanks.

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#29

I found a couple of these used outside a bookstore a few weeks back, and I was this close to buying them. (It’s pretty rare to find cheap, used, Japanese books here), but then I remembered my backlog. Is this you recommending them? How old were you when you read them?

That indeed sounds like a recommendation!

Would you say the stories can be read independently? There were a couple volumes, but no 1st volume as far as I could judge just browsing.

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#30

Hmmm… I must have been 15-17 there were so many books by 赤川次郎 I just kept reading them. Yes I think you can read them independently.

I have a rule if I see something I like in a second hand shop I will grab it particularly books. :wink:

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#31

I looked up Jiro Akagawa (the author), and my, is he prolific! Only in this series there seem to be 38 novels (not counting short stories and such), and according to Wikipedia he’s written more than 560 novels overall! :astonished:
I read a little of the sample of the first book, and yes, it’s definitely not for children. Yet it seems rather lighthearted and humorous in tone (at least I think so, I’m still on the very first pages), and the language is straightforward enough so far.

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#32

I’m glad you like it :grinning_face_with_smiling_eyes:. What level would you say his books is? Passed N3?

#33

Um, I can’t really answer that I’m afraid, as my approach to grammar is rather random - I just read native content and look up whatever looks like unknown grammar. From what I’ve seen so far - and bear in mind, it’s only a few pages - the language is straightforward, nothing flowery or old-fashioned, no overly complicated descriptions or weird grammar constructs. There is no furigana (with few exceptions), in case that matters to you. It looks about the level of difficulty of Before the coffee gets cold, which is very approachable.

I couldn’t read a sample on Bookwalker because it’s on an all-you-can-read offer (I’m sure there must be a way that I’m missing), but there is one on Booklive if you want to give it a try.

Edit to add: For what it’s worth, it’s been classified as Level 38 (Intermediate, ~JLPT N2) by one person on Natively. By comparison, コーヒーが冷めないうちに is graded as Level 30 (Intermediate, ~JLPT N2). These are all all subjective comparative ratings by readers as far as I know.
Edit 2: I looked up all the books mentioned here on Natively. Some weren’t listed, but the other ones were all in the 30s, with only 硝子のハンマー being higher than 三毛猫ホームズシリーズ at 39. Suspect X was a 33.

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