The Tokyo Zodiac Murders by Sōji Shimada

Icebreaker and Discussion questions:

What drew you to join this book club, and what's a book or author you love to recommend.

Discussion Questions for The Tokyo Zodiac Murders:

1. The puzzle aspect - Did you try to solve the mystery yourself before the reveal? At what point did you think you had it figured out (if at all)?
2. The structure - How did you feel about the "challenge to the reader" format where Mitarai directly addresses us? Did it change how you read the book?
3. Cultural elements - What aspects of Japanese culture or the post-war Tokyo setting stood out to you? Did anything feel unfamiliar or require you to adjust your expectations?
4. The locked room mystery - Soji Shimada is known for extremely complex puzzles. Did you find the solution satisfying, or was it too convoluted?
5. Character dynamics - What did you think of the relationship between Mitarai and Ishioka? How does their detective partnership compare to other famous duos you've read?
6. The astrology/zodiac theme - How effectively did you think the author used the zodiac concept throughout the mystery?

Our first event! This month's genre is Mystery/Thriller very apropos for October. The format of the meeting will be casual but please finish the book and be prepared to discuss. Because of it being an outdoor event likely we will have several small groups instead of one large group discussion. Topics to discuss will be provided but feel free to bring your own.

Beer thirty allows outside food if you'd like to bring food or order from Carpo's or Buzzo's nextdoor. They also have non -alcoholic drinks along with usual beer options.

About the book part of the Fall Reading program at Bookshop Santa Cruz:
(252 Pages)

Astrologer, fortuneteller, and self-styled detective Kiyoshi Mitarai must in one week solve a mystery that has baffled Japan for 40 years. Who murdered the artist Umezawa, raped and killed his daughter, and then chopped up the bodies of six others to create Azoth, the supreme woman? With maps, charts, and other illustrations, this story of magic and illusion, pieced together like a great stage tragedy, challenges the reader to unravel the mystery before the final curtain. The Tokyo Zodiac Murders joins a new wave of Japanese murder mysteries being translated into English.