We discuss Act 1 and the Policeman’s Confession in Soji Shimada’s The Tokyo Zodiac Murders. A series of gruesome murders all but destroys the Umezawa family in 1936, but the alleged culprit died before the crime took place. All that’s left is Heikichi Umezawa’s bizarre recipe for creating the perfect woman from the pieces of his daughters, and some indiscernible forensic evidence. 43 years in the future, Kazumi Ishioka and Kiyoshi Mitarai sit down to try unravel the case from the comfort of their own home, with new evidence that may help finally solve this cold case. Can the duo do it, or will they fail like the dozens before them? We also talk with Ann Chapman about her debut crime novel, A Kind of Catharsis, and the personal stories that helped shape it.

Check out Part Two and Part Three here!