The Master Key

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