Born in 1958 in Osaka, Taku Ashibe graduated from the faculty of law at Dōshisha University, after which he began a career in journalism, holding various posts at the Yomiuri Shimbuns Osaka office. In 1986 he received an honourable mention at the 2nd Fantasy Literature Newcomers Award, and in 1990 he won the inaugural Ayukawa Prize for his debut novel A Thirteen-Hand Murder-Comedy. He became a full-time writer in 1994. A member of Japans Honkaku Mystery Writers Club, he is the author of over two dozen novels and many short-story collections. nBryan Karetnyk is a translator of Japanese and Russian literature. His recent translations for Pushkin Press include Seishi Yokomizos The Village of Eight Graves, Futaro Yamadas The Meiji Guillotine Murders and Ryunosuke Akutagawas Murder in the Age of Enlightenment.n