The Master Key
Author: Masako Togawa
Format: Paperback
Product Description
The prize-winning debut mystery from one of Japan's best-loved crime writers.
The K Apartments for Ladies are occupied by over one hundred unmarried women, once young and lively, now grown and old—and in some cases, evil.
Their residence conceals a secret connecting the unsolved 1951 kidnapping of four-year-old George Kraft to the clandestine burial of a child's body in the basement bath-house. So, when news comes that the building must be moved to make way for a road-building project, more than one tenant waits with apprehension for the grisly revelation that will follow. Then the master key is lost, stolen and re-stolen—and suddenly no-one feels safe.
Fiendish intrigue, double identity and an ingenious plot make this a thriller worthy of comparison with the work of P.D. James.
Reviews:
"An outstanding puzzle mystery… The gradual, logical, but still surprising unfolding of the Russian nesting doll of a plot is a delight." — Publishers Weekly (starred review)
"Fans of P.D. James, Robert Barnard and other literate writers in the genre will welcome this prize-winning author's first work... Superbly crafted and riveting from start to finish." — Kirkus Reviews
"A twisted locked-room fable, made creepily seductive by masterful portrayals of the residents' eccentricities and hints of malevolent supernatural forces." — Booklist Online
"Extraordinarily atmospheric Japanese thriller ... Miss Togawa writes with economy, subtlety and an astonishing feel for time, mood, and the eccentricities of loneliness. An eerie gem." — Marcel Berlins, The Times
"As fascinating a weird yarn of mystery as you'll find... One word sums it up - superb!" — LA Times
"If you seek a wickedly original, clever crime novel, a brilliant exploration of the weaknesses of the human mind, I strongly recommend you lose yourself in Togawa’s acutely portrayed sketch." — Thrillers Books Journal
"Masako Togawa’s works have been recently reissued by Pushkin Press, and we can’t thank them enough!" — Crime Reads
"Starts out on a high note of tension and stays that way up until the very end." — Crime Segments
"A clever story... If you like creepy this will definitely be right up your street." — Crime Review
"A clever, creepy story." — Mail on Sunday
"The PD James of Japan." — Times Literary Supplement
"A bizarre yarn of guilty secrets among the sad, mad and surprisingly bad occupants of Tokyo’s K Apartments for ladies only." — Sunday Times Crime Club
"Slickly-readable… jaw-dropping moments… Sharply crafted plotting ... Is Masako Togawa Japan’s answer to P.D. James? James should be so lucky." — South China Morning Post