The Master Key - (Pushkin Vertigo) by Masako Togawa (Paperback)

About the Book

The K Apartments for Ladies are occupied by over one hundred unmarried women, once young and lively, now grown and old-and in some cases, evil. Their residence conceals a secret connecting the unsolved 1951 kidnapping of four-year-old George Kraft to the clandestine burial of a child's body in the basement bath-house. So, when news comes that the building must be moved to make way for a road-building project, more than one tenant waits with apprehension for the grisly revelation that will follow. Then the master key is lost, stolen and re-stolen-and suddenly no-one feels safe.

Book Synopsis

A new edition of this prizewinning classic mystery from one of Japan's best-loved crime writers

A building full of secrets. A key that will unleash them all...

The K Apartments for Ladies in Tokyo conceals a sinister past behind each door; a woman who has buried a child; a scavenger driven mad by ill-health; a wife mysteriously guarding her late husband's manuscripts; a talented violinist tortured by her own guilt. The master key, which opens the door to all 150 rooms, links their tangled stories. But now it has been stolen, and dirty tricks are afoot.
For a deadly secret lies buried beneath the building. And when it is revealed, there will be murder.

Review Quotes

"An outstanding puzzle mystery... The gradual, logical, but still surprising unfolding of the Russian nesting doll of a plot is a delight." -- Publishers Weekly (starred review)

"Fans of P.D. James, Robert Barnard and other literate writers in the genre will welcome this prize-winning author's first work... Superbly crafted and riveting from start to finish." -- Kirkus Reviews

"A twisted locked-room fable, made creepily seductive by masterful portrayals of the residents' eccentricities and hints of malevolent supernatural forces." -- Booklist Online

"Extraordinarily atmospheric Japanese thriller ... Miss Togawa writes with economy, subtlety and an astonishing feel for time, mood, and the eccentricities of loneliness. An eerie gem." -- Marcel Berlins, The Times

"As fascinating a weird yarn of mystery as you'll find... One word sums it up - superb!" -- LA Times

"If you seek a wickedly original, clever crime novel, a brilliant exploration of the weaknesses of the human mind, I strongly recommend you lose yourself in Togawa's acutely portrayed sketch." -- Thrillers Books Journal

"Masako Togawa's works have been recently reissued by Pushkin Press, and we can't thank them enough!" -- Crime Reads

"Starts out on a high note of tension and stays that way up until the very end." -- Crime Segments

"A clever story... If you like creepy this will definitely be right up your street." -- Crime Review

"A clever, creepy story." -- Mail on Sunday

"The PD James of Japan." -- Times Literary Supplement

"A bizarre yarn of guilty secrets among the sad, mad and surprisingly bad occupants of Tokyo's K Apartments for ladies only." -- Sunday Times Crime Club

"Slickly-readable... jaw-dropping moments... Sharply crafted plotting ... Is Masako Togawa Japan's answer to P.D. James? James should be so lucky." -- South China Morning Post

About the Author

Masako Togawa (1931-2016) was one of Japan's foremost writers of crime fiction. Born in Tokyo, she worked as a cabaret performer before beginning to write crime fiction backstage, during her breaks. Her debut thriller The Master Key won Japan's prestigious Edgowa Rampo Prize, and Togawa went on to become a hugely successful author, while continuing to lead a colourful parallel life as a singer, actress, feminist, nightclub owner and gay icon.