[DeepL Translation - needs review] Volume 1 Introduction: A songwriter dies of poisoning. Potassium cyanide was found in his tea. Why was the cup poisoned? Including the title story, "The Mystery of Russian Tea," this volume contains six authentic mystery stories. This is the first collection of the "Country Name Series," following the secret of Ellery Queen. The exquisite duo of Hideo Himura, a clinical criminologist, and Arisu Arisugawa, a mystery writer, take on the challenge of a bizarre...
Not the best introduction to Japanese mystery
My second completed novel after having passed the N1.
The vocabulary is sorely punishing, almost from start to finish, but definitely more so in some stories than others. The first story『切り裂きジャックを待ちながら』might contain the most difficult vocabulary. There's definitely a lot to be learned here. There were instances of thick dialect, specialized vocabulary about theatre, baseball, etc. and even unfamiliar syntax. It often felt twice or even thrice as difficult as the last novel I read.
Some words a