Tokyo Mystery Writers

Jiang Liumei's words surprised all the editors present.

I never expected Jiang Liu Meili to appreciate "The Astrological Murder Mystery" so much!

Naoki Akimoto never expected that Miri Eri would slam her fist on the table and stand on the side of Hideomi Uyama.

But now that the question has been raised, I must provide a reasonable answer.

Thinking of all this, Akimoto Naoki immediately voiced his dissatisfaction:

"Since the grandmaster Edogawa Ranpo created the first year of mystery fiction in 1923, Japanese mystery fiction has gone through a full fifty-seven years."

"Later, under the guidance of Professor Seishi Yokomizo, from 1946 to 1956, Japanese mystery fiction entered the era of orthodox mystery. This glorious period propelled Japan to become the center of world mystery fiction, even rivaling Western mystery fiction!"

"But as time went on, this kind of overly genre-specific literature, orthodox mystery, encountered a bottleneck. After all, the tricks had been basically exhausted, and it was impossible to innovate on the tricks anymore."

"They are either backward, ignorant, and isolated villages, or strange families burdened with the destiny of their ancestors."

"Or it could be a sophisticated serial murder case, or a strange alibi."

"And among them, there must be an eccentric detective and a detective assistant with a less-than-stellar mind."

Naoki Akimoto rubbed his temples vigorously, a look of annoyance on his face:

"Ms. Jiang Liu, as the former editor-in-chief of a short mystery magazine, you should know what I mean."

"Simply put, classic mystery novels have caused serious aesthetic fatigue among readers. They simply cannot accept the ridiculous and hasty motives for murder, or the bizarre logic of characters' behavior that necessitates creating locked rooms and alibis."

"This book, 'The Astrological Murders,' also suffers from the same problems as classic mystery novels."

Naoki Akimoto paused for a moment after finishing his sentence, then patted the manuscript on the table with his hand:

"Yes! I admit that the tricks in this book are very elaborate, the plot is very grand, and it has indeed achieved a level that is unprecedented and will never be repeated."

"But as a supporter of the social realism school, what I care about most is not the trickery, but the motive for the murder."

"In 'The Tokyo Zodiac Murders,' the killer Tokiko murdered seven people, five of whom were brutally dismembered, including two of her cousins!"

"He committed such a heinous crime simply because he had been bullied by his stepmother and stepsisters?"

"How can such a ridiculous and illogical motive for murder stand out in a social realism mystery that focuses on the motive for murder?"

Naoki Akimoto was, after all, the chief editor of the third publishing department of Kodansha's Literature and Art Publishing House.

He naturally has his own unique insights into mystery novels, and he pointed out the various inconsistencies in "The Tokyo Zodiac Murders" incisively!

But Jiang Liumei is no ordinary person. Although she is young, she has two years of experience as the editor-in-chief of short story magazines.

His insights into mystery novels are no less profound than those of Naoki Akimoto.

Upon hearing Akimoto Naoki's words, Jiang Liu Meili immediately took her notes, walked to the whiteboard in the conference room, and posted them on the whiteboard.

That was a completed radar chart. (Image)

Jiang Liumei wore a faint smile, the corners of her lips subtly turning upwards.

"What Editor-in-Chief Akimoto just said makes a lot of sense."

"Since Mr. Seicho Matsumoto pioneered the social mystery genre, people are no longer satisfied with mystery novels only having tricks. They also demand that mystery novels have literary value, which, in short, is a deep exploration of human nature, motivation, and society."

"Ultimately, the reason why Editor-in-Chief Akimoto didn't want 'The Tokyo Zodiac Murders' to be shortlisted is because Tokiko's motive for murder was too weak, which is why it didn't resonate strongly with readers?"

Naoki Akimoto nodded in agreement:

"That's right, the motivation behind this book is far too simplistic, it's utterly childish."

"I simply can't understand why such a shocking plot would be given such a mundane motive for murder!"

Jiang Liu Meili smiled slightly and shook her head after hearing Akimoto Naoki's words.

"Editor-in-Chief Akimoto, you're wrong this time, and you're terribly wrong."

"The reason you feel the motivation is weak is that you haven't seen the metaphors in the author's writing."

"The motives behind this book, The Astrological Murders, are actually quite brilliant, no less so than the social realism mysteries you've mentioned."

"You think the motivation is weak because true pain is unspeakable; what remains unspoken is the cruelest!"

"Editor-in-Chief Akimoto, you only saw the murderer casually state his motive, but you never considered that the murderer also had unspeakable secrets!"

"The author planted countless foreshadowing elements throughout the story, such as the murderer having modeled for the painter and the murderer subtly alluding to the father's willfulness..."

"These foreshadowing elements make the story both real and fictional, laying the groundwork for the motive behind the murder."

"Because the scars that can't be reopened are the most painful!"

Jiang Liumei's words made Akimoto Naoki, Uyama Hideomi, and the other nine editors fall into deep thought.

Thinking back to the murderer in the story, Tokiko once mentioned that she was not a virgin, and that her father and stepmother were extremely strict with her, so there was no way she would have had the opportunity to come into contact with other men.

In addition, the famous detective Kiyoshi Mitarai in the book is unwilling to reveal the reason for the murderer's suicide.

Thinking of this, Naoki Akimoto felt his hair stand on end, and a look of surprise appeared on his face:

"Miss Jiang Liu, what do you mean?"

"Was Tokiko sexually assaulted by her painter father?"

"Her stepmother and other older sisters knew all along, but they never offered Tokiko any help. Is that why Tokiko wanted to kill them all out of resentment?"

Jiang Liu Meili nodded noncommittally at Qiu Yuan Zhishu:

"Editor-in-Chief Akimoto, please consider this."

"For a woman to suffer this kind of treatment is naturally a past she doesn't want to recall."

"Although the author could have simply stated it in the book, it would have been somewhat inconsistent with the character's personality."

"Now, Editor-in-Chief Qiuyuan, can you sense the author's ambiguity regarding their motivation?"

After hearing Jiang Liumei's detailed explanation, Akimoto Naoki opened his mouth in astonishment, recalling the various subplots in the story:

Although my stepmother raised me, she gave me a painful childhood...

As for my stepmother, I even think that letting her die a quick death would be a form of leniency towards her...

Since I'm not even afraid of death anymore, I might as well use my death to bring happiness to my mother...

I know in my heart that I have sunk beyond redemption. After all, carrying such heavy sins, it is only natural that I have become like this. Nevertheless, I still feel uneasy and deeply confused...

Thinking about the murderer Tokiko's words, which were full of sadness and resentment, and then combining them with the real motive for killing that was hidden in the text.

Naoki Akimoto couldn't help but feel a strong connection to Tokiko from the story!

My opinion on "The Tokyo Zodiac Murders" has changed!

Seeing the astonished expressions on everyone's faces, Jiang Liumei continued speaking with a look of pity in her large almond-shaped eyes:

"Tokiko is indeed a heinous sinner, but she is also a pitiful person."

"She wanted to escape the past and return to a normal life with her birth mother, but in order to evade capture, she ended up leaving her mother to live alone in misery."

"She wanted to kill those people to get revenge, but in doing so, she also forfeited her right to happiness."

"She is hateful, but also pitiful."

"Compared to the astonishing plot and grand scheme, it was precisely this veiled motive for murder that struck me most!"