The Master Key - Brossura

'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' -- The Times

'A clever, creepy story' -- Mail on Sunday

'The P.D. James of Japan' -- Times Literary Supplement

'A bizarre yarn of guilty secrets among the sad, mad and surprisingly bad occupents of Tokyo's K Apartments for ladies only' --Sunday Times Crime Club

'As fascinating a weird yarn of mystery as you'll find... One word sums it up - superb!' -- LA Times

'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)

'A twisted locked-room fable, made creepily seductive by masterful portrayals of the residents' eccentricities and hints of malevolent supernatural forces' -- Booklist

'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 clever story... If you like creepy this will definitely be right up your street' -- Crime Review

'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' -- Thriller Books Journal

'Starts out on a high note of tension and stays that way up until the very end' -- Crime Segments

'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

Masako Togawa (1931-2016) was born in Tokyo. Her father died when she was young, and she spent the rest of her childhood living with her mother, in an apartment building for single women, which provided the inspiration for the setting of The Master Key. After leaving school, she worked as a typist for some years, before stepping onto the stage as a cabaret performer in 1954. She soon began to write backstage during the breaks between her performances, and in 1962, her debut novel The Master Key was published, and won the Edogawa Rampo Prize. She went on to become a hugely successful crime writer, but continued to lead a colourful parallel life as a singer, actress, feminist, nightclub owner and gay icon. She died in 2016 at the age of 83.