Spider-Man

«Have you ever heard of Spider-Man? Perhaps some old-timers remember the carnival freaks that terrified the public with their appearance in the cheerful quarters of Asakusa: a tiny body, skinny arms and legs, exceedingly long — in short, a dreadful sight. However, this story is not about a carnival monstrosity. The hero of our story is no less grotesque than the carnival «spider,» but in a completely different sense.»

Art dealer Heizo Inagaki places an advertisement seeking a personal assistant. Intrigued by the ad, Satomi Yoshie visits his office, but thereafter there is no news of her. Soon, parts of the murdered girl's body are found, wrapped in plaster. A few days later, the police discover the body of Yoshie's murdered sister, Kinue. Forensic expert Kuroyanagi and Inspector Namikoshi participate in the investigation of these horrific crimes, encountering a criminal who calls himself Bluebeard. And finally, Kogoro Akechi corners the killer. What is his plan?

We present to the reader the grotesque novel «Spider-Man» from the series about the popular detective Kogoro Akechi. The collection also includes the story «The Real Detective».