Seishi Yokomizo (1902-81) was one of Japan's most famous and beloved mystery writers, best known for creating the legendary detective Kosuke Kindaichi, who featured in more than 70 stories, many of which were adapted for stage and television in Japan. The Honjin Murders, The Inugami Curse, The Village of Eight Graves, Death on Gokumon Island, The Devil's Flute Murders, The Little Sparrow Murders, Murder at the Black Cat Cafe and She Walks at Night are also available or forthcoming from Pushkin Vertigo.

• THE QUEEN BEE MYSTERY 1 Chapter 1: Gekkin Island 3 The Sinister Mystic 6 Chapter 2: The Locked Room 10 An Anonymous Client 14 The Disappearing Bat 20 A Beauty Will Arrive from the South 27 A Peerless Don Juan 30 Chapter 3: The Players Assembled 34 Mirror Writing 37 The Enigma of the Paddle 42 The Bell Tolls 45 Tomoko’s Frustrations 49 Peninsular Fugitives 52 Chapter 4: The Second Body 56 The Adventures of Tom Sawyer 59 Fumihiko’s Plot 63 I Saw a Bat 66 The Kano Law Office 69 The New Daily 74 Chapter 5: An Invitation to the Kabukiza Theatre 75 A Rock Hurled in the Night 80 Tomoko’s Father 84 At the Kabukiza 88 Knitting Symbols 91 Chapter 6: The Red Chocolate 95 Interlude 97 The Blue Chocolate 102 Chapter 7: A Vignette 109 Mr Tomohito Kinugasa 111 Pity the Mother 115 Chapter 8: Horror in the Demon’s Lair 121 The Secret Dagger 124 Back to Square One 128 The Sancho Arashi Players 133 The Distant Past 137 Chapter 9: Kosuke Kindaichi Enters the Locked Room 140 Hideko’s Knitting Basket 144 The Red Ball of Yarn 148 The Truth of the Matter (I) 152 The Truth of the Matter (II) 156 Final Curtain 162

-- PRAISE FOR SEISHI YOKOMIZO