The Cursed House and Three Marks

A woman dies on a dark Tokyo slope, leaving three characters scratched in the dust. Inspector Kirihara must uncover her hidden identity before he can deliver the single remark he believes will force a confession.

A forensic physician tells how he acquired the black mark on his cheek. His search for an infallible means of breaking a suspect’s silence leads from clinical observation to a terrifying spectacle in the dissecting room.

First published in 1925 and 1926, these two complete stories by physician and detective-fiction writer Kosakai Fuboku combine forensic puzzles with psychological horror. Their disturbing investigators expose the danger of pursuing certainty through cruelty.