Pathway to Japanese Literature

Discover Japan's stories—across time, across language.

Noon MurderAuthor: Sakaguchi Ango

Original Title	正午の殺人
Author	坂口安吾
Genre	Detective & Mystery
Author Type	Male Author
Summary	In a quiet suburban town, a newspaper reporter makes his daily pilgrimage to the secluded home of a reclusive, bestselling author. The aging writer’s eccentric habits—karate practice, icy showers, and a rotating cast of enigmatic visitors—hint at a life shrouded in secrecy. Among them is a stunning young journalist whose arrival sparks tension with the author’s live-in companion, a former stripper with a possessive streak. When the writer is found dead in his bedroom, naked and shot through the temple, three suspects emerge: the jealous companion, the alluring journalist, and a handsome live-in student. Alibis unravel as conflicting testimonies surface—a blaring radio masks a gunshot, a faked phone call muddies timelines, and whispers of hidden motives swirl. The reporter, entangled in the mystery, races to clear the journalist’s name, but every clue deepens the intrigue. Was it suicide or a meticulously staged murder? In a world where truth bends to desire and deception, unraveling the crime means confronting the darkest corners of ambition and obsession.