Description "Do not read this book on public transportation." This was the common reader review when the book was first published in Japan in 2001. This rather dramatic warning is less a joke and more a genuine caution for fellow readers who find themselves completely swept away by the seasoned author's prose. The Mystery Writer's Murder Case is a collection of black comedy that only a veteran mystery writer like Keigo Higashino could pen. The eight short stories in this collection are united by a common theme: the "mystery writer," the "editor," and the "reader." Each story features its own protagonist and case, standing as an independent work. Readers will find themselves completely absorbed simply by following the brisk, rhythmic unfolding of each case. You'll breeze through the pages, thoroughly enjoying the author's self-deprecating and razor-sharp humor. Table of Contents The Tax Countermeasure Murder Case The Science Major Murder Case The Guess-the-Culprit Novel Murder Case (Problem Edition · Solution Edition) The Aging Society Murder Case The Serialized Novel Preview Murder Case The Full-Length Novel Murder Case The Makazekan Murder Case (Final Episode · Last Five Chapters) The Reading Machine Murder Case Translator's Note Inside the Book It was a document from the Hamasaki Accounting Office. The office head, Goro Hamasaki, was my high school classmate and friend. I had been a novelist for ten years, and this year, for whatever reason, my income had been unusually high, so I'd recently gone to consult with Hamasaki in preparation for next year's tax filing. Until now, I had always handled my tax filing on my own, since my income had been modest enough to manage that way. The document contained a rough calculation of the amount of tax I would owe next spring. At first, I stared blankly at the number. Then I looked more closely, and finally, I started counting the zeros. "Ha ha ha!" I began to laugh. "Ha ha ha, ha ha ha! No way! Ha ha ha, ha ha ha..." "Honey, snap out of it." This time, my wife shook me. "This can't be happening. This is ridiculous! Such a foolish, absurd amount—why? Ha ha ha!" "It's real. You have to pay it. The government is really going to take this much money." "You're joking. Of course you're joking. No way, money I earned through blood and sweat... How could something so absurd happen?" Tears came. I began to sob loudly. "Honey, what do we do? We don't have that kind of money. What should we do?" My wife cried too. Her face became a mess of tears and tears. "Call Hamasaki." I said to my wife with grim determination. --- pp. 12–13, from "The Tax Countermeasure Murder Case" Udogawa reached into the paper bag from before once more. This time, however, he used both hands. And with both hands, he pulled out a bundle of paper about three centimeters thick. The paper size was, of course, A4. He set the bundle down firmly on the table. "The prize, to cut to the chase, is my new full-length novel. I'll present it to whoever correctly guesses the culprit first, in the most brilliant fashion." --- p. 94, from "The Guess-the-Culprit Novel Murder Case" "If you obsess over such trivial details, you'll never finish a work with real scale. If you like quiet, understated novels, have some other writer write them." "No, um, I'm terribly sorry." "I'm human too, so it's impossible for me to write something without any flaws. Covering for that is your job." "Then shall I make some adjustments myself?" "Do that. In any case, I'm extremely busy." Yabushima hung up the phone. In the end, Kotani revised it so that the housekeeper, Yoshiko, came to fetch the Takayashiki group, saying something seemed to be wrong with Mineko. Then, looking over the revised manuscript, he thought: it seems the rumor really is true. The rumor being that these days, Kiyohiko Yabushima's mind wasn't quite right. --- p. 142, from "The Aging Society Murder Case" "First, let me ask you something. You are currently serializing a novel called The Uniform of Murder, correct?" Detective Motoki asked. "Yes, that's right." "In the first installment, you depicted the murder of a nurse." "Yes." "Are you aware that an identical case occurred in Matsudo?" "Ah." Matsui opened his mouth. "I heard about it from the person in charge just a moment ago. I was shocked." "Actually..." Motoki's gaze drifted toward the corner of the room, where something was placed...