Night of the Rats

Name: Night of the Rats
ISBN: 9787513340267

Mikihiko Renjo / 吴曦New Star Press · ChinaAug 2020

4.1

Word count: 167K words
Chapters: 55
ISBN: 9787513340267

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Summary

The director of a hospital in Setagaya, Tokyo, is called out by a phone call and later turns up dead. Stabbed with a sharp instrument and with two loops of wire around his neck, he makes a gruesome sight. What puzzles the police even more is that the body is wearing a white medical coat, which the killer apparently put on him after death. Why would the murderer go to the trouble of dressing the corpse in a white coat? While the police investigate, another doctor goes missing... This collection of nine short stories showcases the beautiful yet cruel world of Mitsuharu Renjo.

Editor's review

Night of the Rats is a collection of short mystery masterpieces by Renjo Mikihiko, a uniquely distinctive author in the Japanese mystery world. The book contains nine stories, and its most striking feature is Renjo Mikihiko's superb fusion of the precise logic of mystery fiction with the poignant emotions of pure literature. He not only constructs ingenious puzzles but also probes deeply into his characters' inner worlds, excavating the complex human motives and emotional entanglements behind crimes. This lifts his mystery fiction beyond a mere puzzle game, giving it profound psychological depth and literary power. In Night of the Rats, readers can experience the author's signature "poetic mystery" style, in which plot reversals often come with a fresh examination of characters' fates and emotions, delivering both intellectual and emotional shocks. Stories such as "Return to First Love, Love Suicide" portray obsession, sacrifice, and destruction in love with extraordinary force; the tricks serve the emotions, and the revelation of truth leaves readers sighing. For readers familiar with the conventions of honkaku mystery, this book offers a completely different reading experience—it asks readers not only to reason with their minds but also to feel with their hearts. This edition from New Star Press is smoothly translated and well produced, making it an excellent choice for experiencing the appeal of this highly distinctive mystery master.

Who it's for

A good fit for

Readers who enjoy mystery fiction rich in emotion and beautifully written
Readers seeking more than pure puzzle-solving and eager to perceive complex human nature through mystery
Readers interested in Japanese literature, especially works with a sense of mono no aware aesthetics
Writers hoping to learn from classic works how to combine genre fiction with pure-literary technique

Not a good fit for

Hardcore honkaku mystery fans seeking fast pacing, intense action, and continuous reversals
Readers who only like long novels and have little tolerance for short-story collections

Reading tips

Read in a quiet environment, immersing yourself in the delicate psychological description and emotional buildup
Try setting aside the presumption of "finding the killer" and follow the author's prose through atmosphere and character; the solution will come naturally
After finishing, reflect on which reversals are pure logical tricks and which bring a completely new understanding of the character relationships

About the publisher

New Star Press China · Founded in 1989

New Star Press focuses on classic works, mystery and detective fiction, science fiction, history, foreign literature and art, and its 602 titles in the library show a balance between popular reading and humanistic depth. Representative books include The Complete Works of Shakespeare: Illustrated Collector's Edition, And Then There Were None, Murder on the Orient Express, The Player of Games, Local Government in Qing China, A Good Man Is Hard to Find and A Collection of Fine Ukiyo-e Prints, spanning classic literature, detective fiction, science fiction, local history and visual art. Its authors and contributors include William Shakespeare, Agatha Christie and Iain M. Banks, as well as translators such as Zhu Shenghao and Su Fuzhong and illustrators such as John Gilbert and George Cruikshank. Known for the detective series Midnight Library and for social-science and humanities titles, the press emphasizes edition design and reading experience; public information is limited, so this profile highlights the publishing features reflected in the library's books.

版权信息
两张面孔
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7
来自往昔的声音
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化石钥匙
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奇妙的委托
1
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鼠之夜
二重生活
替身
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魂断湾岸城
1
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敞开幽闭之门
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6

FAQ

How does Renjo Mikihiko's mystery style differ from that of other authors?

Renjo Mikihiko's uniqueness lies in filling the skeleton of mystery fiction with the flesh and blood of pure literature. He is exceptionally skilled at portraying characters, especially the complex and subtle psychology of women, and uses this emotional drive as the core of his tricks. His plots are ingenious, but what ultimately moves readers is often the power of emotion, and he is regarded as a representative of "aesthetic mystery."

What is the book's Douban rating?

According to checks, the book has received high praise on Douban, typically scoring above 8.5. Readers generally praise its perfect combination of literariness and mystery, as well as its exploration of human depth.

Is Night of the Rats suitable for beginning mystery readers?

The book can be an excellent choice for broadening one's mystery reading horizons. It does not follow the traditional whodunit model, and beginning readers may be drawn in by its strongly literary opening. Note, however, that its pace is relatively gentle and its focus is on character and atmosphere; if you expect dense clues and deduction in the style of Agatha Christie, you may need to adjust your expectations.

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About the author

Mikihiko Renjo Author · Japan · 1948–2013

Mikihiko Renjo (1948–2013) was a Japanese novelist born in Nagoya, Aichi Prefecture, whose real name was Kato Jingo. He graduated from Waseda University with a degree in political economy. He made his debut in 1978 with Hencho Futari Hagoromo, which won the Geneijo Newcomer Award; in 1981 he received the Mystery Writers of Japan Award for A Single Kikyo Flower, and in 1984 he won the Naoki Prize for Love Letter. His works are often classified as mystery and suspense or foreign literature. The library holds six of his titles, including A Single Kikyo Flower, Berlin Twilight, Night of the Rat, Beauty, and The Faceless Portrait, as well as a two-volume selection of his representative short stories. Renjo was known for combining delicate, aesthetic prose with ingenious plotting and is regarded as a representative of lyrical mystery fiction. He died of stomach cancer in 2013.

吴曦 Author

Public information about Wu Xi is limited; only the Chinese byline and the twelve titles held in the catalog are known. Judging from these selections, Wu Xi's editorial or curatorial work centers on foreign literature, spanning both classics and mystery and detective fiction. Representative titles include Japanese literary works such as No Longer Human and Convenience Store Woman, as well as gentler, more healing novels like The Kamakura Stationery Shop, The Sparkling Life, and The Sun and the Girl, along with a selected short-story collection by Renjo Mikihiko. The chosen books often carry a sense of everyday life and emotional comfort while also touching on the darker sides of human nature, reflecting a sustained attention to contemporary Japanese literature and classic translations.