> Skip to content
  • Published: 4 June 2019
  • ISBN: 9781934287026
  • Imprint: Vertical Inc
  • Format: Paperback
  • Pages: 288
  • RRP: $29.99

Pro Bono



Seicho Matsumoto is a renowned Akutagawa Prize-winning (prime Japanese literary honor) author in the American mystery community after successful publication of his Inspector Imanishi books (SOHO Press). Pro Bono is one of his more morally ambiguous works as it questions the meaning of justice.

When Kiriko Yanagida first came to Otsuka's law offices, she had only a familial conviction of her brother's innocence despite his confessing to the murder. To the high-profile (and high priced) lawyer Otsuka, this small-town girl's belief was nothing more than naive hope, so he sent her away, advising her to find a local lawyer or something. Now, Kiriko plots to avenge her brother -- entirely pro bono.

  • Published: 4 June 2019
  • ISBN: 9781934287026
  • Imprint: Vertical Inc
  • Format: Paperback
  • Pages: 288
  • RRP: $29.99

About the author

Seicho Matsumoto

Seicho Matsumoto was born in 1909 in Fukuoka, Japan. Self-educated, Matsumoto published his first book when he was forty years old and he quickly established himself as a master of crime fiction. His exploration of human psychology and Japanese post-war malaise, coupled with the creation of twisting, dark mysteries, made him one of the most acclaimed and best-selling writers in Japan. He received the prestigious Akutagawa Literary Prize in 1950 and the Kikuchi Kan Prize in 1970. He died in 1992.

Also by Seicho Matsumoto

See all

Praise for Pro Bono

"A master crime writer...Seicho Matsumoto's thrillers teach Japanese strategy!"--The New York Times Book Review "Seicho Matsumoto combines the prolific output of a Rex Stout with the literary qualities of Elmore Leonard."--San Francisco Chronicle