Pathway to Japanese Literature

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Umon’s Detective ChroniclesAuthor: Sasaki Mitsuzō

Original Title	右門捕物帖
Author	佐々木味津三
Genre	Historical Fiction
Author Type	Male Author
Summary	In the shadowed streets of Edo, master detective Umon and his spirited assistant Denroku confront a string of gruesome murders shrouded in eerie ritual. Samurai lie dead, their throats savagely torn, while cryptic straw dolls—marked with curses targeting a mysterious 21-year-old man—hint at dark arts. As Umon deciphers clues like phantom dog prints and covert nail-driven effigies, rival investigator Pockmarked Kei scrambles to claim glory, complicating the hunt. The victims, all retainers from unnamed domains, hide secrets tied to forbidden grudges and lethal ambition. Amid autumn rains and whispered rumors, Umon’s razor-sharp intuition unravels a web of deception, where even loyal swordsmen resort to unspeakable rites. But as stakes rise and bodies multiply, the truth threatens to slip into Edo’s underworld—unless Umon can outwit both human treachery and a killer cloaked in legend. Will ancient curses or cold logic prevail? The answer lies in a race against time—and shadows.