Pathway to Japanese Literature
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Murder in a DreamAuthor: Hamao Shirō
| Original Title | 夢の殺人 |
|---|---|
| Author | 浜尾 四郎 |
| Genre | Detective & Mystery |
| Author Type | Male Author |
| Summary | In the dimly lit world of Restaurant N-tei, a brooding cook named Tōjirō harbors ambitions far beyond his station—dreaming of legal prowess while simmering with quiet intensity. His orderly life fractures when Miyoko, a bold waitress, reciprocates his affections, only to shift her gaze to Yōnosuke, a disarmingly handsome newcomer whose arrival casts a shadow over Tōjirō’s fragile hopes. Consumed by jealousy, Tōjirō’s meticulous mind fixates on Yōnosuke’s peculiar affliction: violent sleepwalking episodes that blur the line between unconscious act and calculated malice. \nAs autumn leaves drift over Asakusa Park, Tōjirō’s obsession crystallizes into a dangerous scheme. He studies legal loopholes, purchases a dagger, and lures Yōnosuke into a cinematic world of bloodshed, intent on staging a fatal "self-defense" under the cloak of sleepwalking. Yet fate twists when midnight horrors unfold not as planned, leaving Tōjirō’s throat slit and Yōnosuke pleading innocence—a sleepwalker accused of murder. Authorities grapple with eerie contradictions: merchants’ testimonies, hypnotic film scenes, and a motive as elusive as smoke. \nWas this tragedy a lover’s desperate gambit gone awry? A sleepwalker’s unconscious rampage? Or something far more sinister? The truth lingers in shadows, inviting readers to untangle a web of desire, law, and the darkness within even the most earnest souls. |
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