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3.83 AVERAGE
3.83 AVERAGE
dark
mysterious
tense
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No
Continuing my exploration into Japanese crime fiction, thanks to Pushkin Vertigo taking on the project of bringing more titles into the English language.
My first impression was that this book is impressively meta: all the characters are named after famous mystery authors, the plot is an obvious twist on And Then There Were None, and the book opens with a scene where the chharacters are discussing if mystery novels should be more realistic or more entertaining puzzles for the reader. That should have given me a clue as to which type of mystery this story would lean towards, but I did not take the hint and subsequently got kind of annoyed at how contrived some of the characters' behaviors were... reader was warned, reader did not heed the signpost lol.
Overall I found the story entertaining and absolutely did not guess who the murderer was, so it was worth the read.
My first impression was that this book is impressively meta: all the characters are named after famous mystery authors, the plot is an obvious twist on And Then There Were None, and the book opens with a scene where the chharacters are discussing if mystery novels should be more realistic or more entertaining puzzles for the reader. That should have given me a clue as to which type of mystery this story would lean towards, but I did not take the hint and subsequently got kind of annoyed at how contrived some of the characters' behaviors were... reader was warned, reader did not heed the signpost lol.
Overall I found the story entertaining and absolutely did not guess who the murderer was, so it was worth the read.
challenging
dark
mysterious
tense
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
N/A
Diverse cast of characters:
N/A
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
This is an enjoyable book and it got me out of my reading slump. From start to finish, you get the urge to know what's going on and what will happen, even more once the story picks up and the "plan" (alluded in the prologue) starts.
My favorite parts in the were at the Decagon house, though the side-story from people at the Mainland was also an integral part of the book, and they give more clues and theories to ponder while the people at the house try to solve the case on their end. I tried to solve it but there were a lot of misdirections that made me form different theories and conclusions, and in the end I was wrong anyway lol.
I want to read this book again to see if there were any hints i missed now that I know how it ends, and also because I enjoyed the mystery solving in both POVs, they have a lot of character in them that feel almost realistic. People who like the 'whodunnit' or the And-There-Were-None tropes would probably like this one, but even those who don't normally read mystery would also find it enjoyable. I thought the use of the nicknames and the decagon theme were pretty clever and unique (might be my favorite instrument overall), being utilized in the book that added to the mystery and the shock factor once it reached the end. The epilogue tying-in with the prologue makes a satisfying ending for me. A great read!
My favorite parts in the were at the Decagon house, though the side-story from people at the Mainland was also an integral part of the book, and they give more clues and theories to ponder while the people at the house try to solve the case on their end. I tried to solve it but there were a lot of misdirections that made me form different theories and conclusions, and in the end I was wrong anyway lol.
I want to read this book again to see if there were any hints i missed now that I know how it ends, and also because I enjoyed the mystery solving in both POVs, they have a lot of character in them that feel almost realistic. People who like the 'whodunnit' or the And-There-Were-None tropes would probably like this one, but even those who don't normally read mystery would also find it enjoyable. I thought the use of the nicknames and the decagon theme were pretty clever and unique (might be my favorite instrument overall), being utilized in the book that added to the mystery and the shock factor once it reached the end. The epilogue tying-in with the prologue makes a satisfying ending for me. A great read!
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death, Medical content, Murder, Fire/Fire injury, Injury/Injury detail
Minor: Body horror, Blood, Medical content, Gaslighting, Toxic friendship
Finished on the couch on a day off.
Liked that it referenced and there were none in the story as it was so heavily inspired. I liked the separation of on the island and on the mainland and the multiple mysteries at once. Classic mystery novel perfect for autumn.
Liked that it referenced and there were none in the story as it was so heavily inspired. I liked the separation of on the island and on the mainland and the multiple mysteries at once. Classic mystery novel perfect for autumn.
dark
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
Read this in one sitting on a six hour drive, sans the five minutes I spent staring into space when the plot twist was revealed because I was so shocked.
Enjoyable, quick read. I actually did not expect that character to be the killer so that was great!
dark
mysterious
tense
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
Complicated
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
dark
mysterious
tense
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated
dark
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes