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3.83 AVERAGE
3.83 AVERAGE
dark
mysterious
medium-paced
dark
mysterious
tense
fast-paced
dark
mysterious
slow-paced
mysterious
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
N/A
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No
I think this is a great successor to Golden Age detective fiction. It is written in the "shin honkaku," or "new orthodox" style. This basically means that the author has taken the form of fair-play and tried to see how far they can take it. There's not much I can say about the plot that isn't on the book jacket, without giving away spoilers.
I loved the puzzle in this mystery. It could be called a love letter to Agatha Christie's "And Then There Were None." It could also be said to poke fun at styles and ways of thinking of other Golden Age writers, but in the most respectful way possible. If you don't like John Dickson Carr, Ellery Queen, Dorothy L. Sayers, S. S. Van Dine or others of that age and style, then you won't like this. If you do like those, you will like this.
The prose is almost simplistic but it states in the introduction that it was done deliberately. It actually made me want to be able to join the Kyoto University Mystery Club so I could test my wits against theirs in the attempt to see who could guess the murderer first. The language keeps them focus purely on the plot and purely on the puzzle.
It's not a perfect book, and I didn't have some issues with some of the characterization. I also would have changed the ending slightly. Not the identity of the killer but how it was revealed/explained/concocted. However, I did still find it highly enjoyable, and I would strongly recommend it to detective story lovers looking to expand their horizons across the ocean. I will definitely be picking up more books in this style.
I loved the puzzle in this mystery. It could be called a love letter to Agatha Christie's "And Then There Were None." It could also be said to poke fun at styles and ways of thinking of other Golden Age writers, but in the most respectful way possible. If you don't like John Dickson Carr, Ellery Queen, Dorothy L. Sayers, S. S. Van Dine or others of that age and style, then you won't like this. If you do like those, you will like this.
The prose is almost simplistic but it states in the introduction that it was done deliberately. It actually made me want to be able to join the Kyoto University Mystery Club so I could test my wits against theirs in the attempt to see who could guess the murderer first. The language keeps them focus purely on the plot and purely on the puzzle.
It's not a perfect book, and I didn't have some issues with some of the characterization. I also would have changed the ending slightly. Not the identity of the killer but how it was revealed/explained/concocted. However, I did still find it highly enjoyable, and I would strongly recommend it to detective story lovers looking to expand their horizons across the ocean. I will definitely be picking up more books in this style.
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No
This is my first by the author and I was intrigued by the closed door mystery throughout the novel. I did have to ignore some misogyny (assuming that was from the time period) though.
3.5 stars - this was a bit of a thriller! The locked mansion trope, which is always so fun as a reader. This one was no different and I was guessing until the end.
Recommended by Book Riot
Recommended by Book Riot
adventurous
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
dark
mysterious
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No
dark
mysterious
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:
No
Enjoyed the mystery and it's solution immensely but the dry, purely puzzle-focused storytelling is not exactly to my taste. As a result of it the whydunnit felt like an afterthought. The entire book I kept wondering what could it be and it was the first, most boring thing I thought of.
Still, the puzzle at the heart of it is brilliant: fair, clever and not too outlandish. I won't forget this one anytime soon.
Still, the puzzle at the heart of it is brilliant: fair, clever and not too outlandish. I won't forget this one anytime soon.