It was almost like reading a group of connected vignettes with the post war backdrop of Tokyo creating a stunning atmosphere. The story is short, but it packs a big punch.

The apartment's master key plays a prominent role in the way these tightly held secrets emerge from the shadowy corners of loneliness, obsession, and sorrow, and the deceptively benign activities transpiring at the K apartments for women. As the story progresses the past and present slowly merge as the truth behind the death of an infant is revealed amid shocking revelations. The story is centered around the K apartments for single ladies, which is about to be moved due to the widening of a highway. Originally published back in 1962, this ‘puzzle’ mystery has been translated into the English Language and is now available in digital format.Īlthough I consider myself somewhat well versed on mystery novels and the various sub-genres, I wasn’t quite sure what was meant by ‘puzzle mysteries’, which, of course, piqued by interest, on top of the cultural aspects and the vintage/classic angle I’m always a sucker for. She wrote more than thirty novels and was one of the most popular mystery writers in Japan, with many of her stories based on her own life experience.The Master Key by by Masako Togawa, Simon Grove (Translator) is a 2017 by Pushkin Vertigo publication. It was adapted for both TV and film, and nominated for the Naoki Prize. Her second novel, The Lady Killer, followed in 1963, becoming a bestseller. The story is set in the same apartment she grew up in with her mother. Masako Towaga began writing in 1961, backstage, between her stage appearances, and her first work The Master Key was published a year later, in 1962, for which she was awarded the prestigious Edogawa Rampo Prize. She wrote more than thirty novels and was one of the most popular mystery writers in Japan Masako Togawa (戸川昌子) was a Japanese novelist, Chanson singer-songwriter, actress, feminist, LGBTQ+ activist, former night club owner, metropolitan city planning panelist and music educator. Masako Togawa (戸川昌子) was a Japanese novelist, Chanson singer-songwriter, actress, feminist, LGBTQ+ activist, former night club owner, metropolitan city planning panelist and music educator.

La llave maestra by Masako Togawa