"God of Riddle" - so Симаду Содзи name in Japan. It he created a хонкаку-детектив - new genre so popular in Country of an Ascending Sun. Detective in that the reader a honest intellectual game is offered to : to expose business before, than it will do protagonist.Содзи united the European classics with the Japanese exotic things, rationalism with mysticism the first. His great detective - not simply man of sharp mind and brilliant analytical capabilities, as Шерлок Холмс, Эркюль Пуаро and Ниро Woulf, but astrologer and forecaster of fate.Roman Содзи falls into the category of "must read" for every respecting itself японофила - he is literally saturated with interesting information about history, culture and geography of Japan of предвоенного period.TRANSLATION FROM JAPANESE.Not "to my knowledge the this strangest from some time committed crime. Absolutely impossible| nothing of the kind, probably, never happened not only in Japan but also in the whole world. It was documented with all care - there are all records and protocols, near at hand, it would seem, all keys. But riddle however did not yield the most inexplicable character. Before to give an answer on her, this book gives possibility to be hitted upon to the decision to the readers, having all necessary for this purpose information". - Кадзуми Исиока, friend and comrade-in-arms Киеси Митараи - forecaster of fate, astrologer and great detective.Japan, 1936 year. An eccentric artist, living together with six daughters, stepdaughters and nieces, was found dead in a room close from within. His diaries sanctified to alchemy and astrology contained the detailed plan of murder of each of them. To put to death a few, to give life one, but perfect - to the possessor of the strongest internalss of all Astrological signs. And soon after it a plan was carried out : parts of bodies of these women find hidden on all Japan.To 1979 Tokyo murders on Zodiac agitated nation by decades, but so not were exposed. The forecaster of fate, astrologer and great detective Киеси Митараи and his friend-illustrator, must for one week unriddle the secret of this impossible crime. you have all necessary keys, but will you be able to find solution to a riddle before it will be done by them?"Great Содзи Симада literally invented the whole subgenre of "logical riddle".The Guardian"Хитроумнейше and keenly exotic things".Japan Times