A Game of Cat and Killer (1978; 2026) by Jiro Akagawa (Trans. Haydn Trowell)

Today I am diving back into Japanese crime fiction. The premise of A Game of Cat and Killer caught my eye, as the blurb, cover, and title all indicated the presence of a reoccurring feline character with a sleuthing role of some kind. This is an early, although not the earliest example, of a cat occupying such a position in crime fiction. This kind of a role for a cat is something readers are probably more accustomed to seeing in cosy crime fiction, yet from the opening pages, this book is far from that. This is the first book in the series, and I think at least two more titles have been translated (A Copycat Killing and The Cat Mansion Murders), with publication dates set for next year.