Seishi Yokomizo's work is always worth reading. This time, our hero, Kosuke Kindaichi, must solve the murder of three beautiful sisters on an island populated by descendants of pirates and escaped convicts. The girls, the granddaughters of a fishing chief who once dominated the entirety of Gokumon island, who is frequently compared to Hideyoshi, are in danger after the preferred heir to the family business dies after returning from service in World War II. The other male heir, however, is said to be alive and his return from Burma is expected. Nonetheless, after his late friend warned him of the danger his sisters will be in, Kindaichi visits the island and tries to prevent and solve the murders. It is a fun novel with impossible crimes, suspense, and plot twists. This one in particular really shocks the reader once our detective protagonist unveils the truth.
However, one must note some minor quibbles. At times, the plot advances without any smooth transition. And things are mentioned out of nowhere in terms of Kindaichi's personal life (no spoilers). It would also have been interesting to see more use of the branch Gito family in the plot and more explanation on how one of the murders (the last one) was committed when, presumably, the killer was never alone for long. The islanders themselves, however, emerge as a strong community of quirky, rural people. Somewhat isolated, even they will be, presumably, swept up by the changes of postwar Japan. As Sanae herself indicates, the type of authority her grandfather once exerted may not survive in this future, so the reader is seeing a town in which one person, whose pursuit of wealth trickled down to benefit all, actually failed the island. Without revealing too much of the plot, the novel offers a subtle critique of a certain type of personality and social relations of wealth and power in this remote island community.
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