Kosuke Kindaichi, the scruffy investigating detective, bears more than a passing resemblance to Columbo who made his TV debut in 1971 – which, coincidentally, is when this amusing novel was first published in Japan.
–The Sunday Times Crime Club (UK) This taut mystery provides an original variation on
The Hound of the Baskervilles... Kosuke Kindaichi, Yokomizo's Columbo-like sleuth, arrives to sort through the tangled puzzle and provide a satisfying solution. Fans of gothic-tinged fair play will be enthralled
– Publishers Weekly (starred review)