ペルシャ猫の謎

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 are rare / strictly literary and even my Japanese friends had never seen them, but there are still many words worth knowing. Thankfully, the book regularly employs furigana for words with atypical readings or rare characters, even sometimes when not necessary.

This is a 短編集 which only has the main detective characters in common. It's also part of a series with these characters, but it works as a standalone because of the lack of connection. Anyways, many of the stories here are apparently atypical of the author, and some don't even read as mystery to begin with, so it had a mixed reception. It might not be the best choice if you are looking for "normal" mystery.

Some stories were interesting, while others were a bit of a drag to read. I enjoyed『赤い帽子』the most, and could recommend that story. That one was genuinely entertaining! I also liked the titular story『ペルシャ猫の謎』. The descriptions of the cat were pretty cute.

Content warning for『わらう月』: descriptions of a woman's sexual(?) experiences at various very young ages. This topic doesn't come up in any other of the stories. It's also my least favorite story.

If you want to read something by 有栖川有栖, maybe try a different book. I read this because my friend recommended it to me.