The Meiji Guillotine Murders

'One of the most original works in the history of Japanese mystery writing' Haruo Yuki, author of The Ark __________ Tokyo, 1869. The Meiji era dawns, but the wounds of civil war still fester. The new regime struggles to maintain peace, while ancient grudges resurface and Western ideas flood in. A new police force vows to restore order, led by chief inspectors Kazuki and Kawaji. Together they investigate a spree of baffling murders across the capital, from seedy dives to the heart of the Imperial Palace. Can they solve these seemingly impossible crimes and save the country from slipping into chaos once more?

F?taro Yamada is the pen name of Seiya Yamada. He was born in 1922 in Hyogo Prefecture, Japan, and graduated from the faculty of medicine at Tokyo University. He made his authorial debut in 1947 with the short story 'The Incident at the Dharma Pass' and went on to write over a hundred novels and short stories. Known for his versatility, he is best loved in Japan for his series of ninja novels and historical crime novels. Many of his works have been adapted for film, television, manga and anime. He died in 2001.