The Labyrinth House Murders

The Labyrinth House Murders is one of those excellent Japanese mysteries that offer up a riddle wrapped in a mystery inside an enigma and that don't really seem to have a U.S. equivalent (though maybe I just need to read more).

The set-up is kinda-sorta straightforward: wealthy, aging writer invites four writers and three others connected to publishing/mystery in one way or another to his home for a birthday celebration. The writers are put in competition against one another: they have 5 days to write a mystery story, set in the host's house and involving the death of the person writing the story. The winner will inherit half of their host's immense estate once he dies from the cancer he's been living with. The other three are told their show more job will be judging the four stories. And, by the way, they'll be locked in until the five days are over.

The house itself is very much a character in the novel. It's underground, topped with a series of glass pyramids that let in natural light. It's also literally labyrinthine—the guests need to carry maps to find their way about.

As in most large-cast mysteries, characters are being murdered one at a time. The book is set up as a story within a story with preface and multiple postscripts.

Ayatsuji has about two dozen balls in the air, and he keeps them flying with impeccable skill.

When you need a mystery that echoes "the golden age," this book will definitely suit. Read it for fun—and to keep yourself occupied/distracted when you weary of your own quotidian, real-life problems to solve.

I received a free electronic review copy of this title from the publisher via Edelweiss; the opinions are my own. show less

Not sure what it says abut the book or about me that I spotted two things almost from the get-go that turned out out to be things the characters probably should have thought of sooner. That can make you feel clever, or it can make the characters less clever, or the writer not as clever as he needs to be. Nonetheless once the dust has settled, there's further twists I didn't see coming, so this continues the series tradition of keeping me guessing.

Rating: 3.5* of five

The Publisher Says: THE TWISTY AND INGENIOUS FOURTH INSTALLEMENT IN THE BIZARRE HOUSE MYSTERIES.

The famed mystery writer Miyagaki Yotaro lives a life of seclusion in the remote Labyrinth House. When Yotaro invites four young crime authors to his home for a birthday party, they are honoured to accept. But no sooner have they arrived than they are confronted with a shocking death, then lured into a bizarre, deadly competition…

As the twisted contest gathers pace, murder follows murder. The ingenious sleuth Shimada Kiyoshi investigates, but can he solve the mystery of the house before all those trapped in its labyrinth are dead? And can you guess the solution before he does?

I RECEIVED A DRC FROM THE PUBLISHER VIA show more EDELWEISS+. THANK YOU.

My Review: This entry in the ongoing series is billed as the third and the fourth in it (see above synopsis), and as I don't speak Japanese I can't be certain which it actually is. Since the original publication date was in 1988, it ought to be easier than this.

Truly doesn't matter to the reading pleasure of the book, so I suppose the now-normal lie that "this series can be read in any order" is, for once, true. Do take note that this is NOT a fair-play mystery, as there's at least two details crucial to resolving the plot that are not given to you, or even hinted at.

What the read does, however, is to take you through a very well-constructed labyrinth. Playing Theseus is entertaining when the stakes are 1) completing your in-progress novel and b) inheriting cash and copyrights from a very well-known mystery writer. Adjusting expectations this way presents a good day's entertainment.

Pushkin Vertigo brings this out either on 10 October 2024 or 13 May 2025. Either way it's a preorder, so check prices with your chosen retailer. show less

A famous writer invites a group of authors and others to his isolated house. The house is built like a maze and various parts are named after characters from the Greek myth of Theseus. Immediately the group are informed that their host is dead and that his will sets a competition in which the winner will receive a huge bequest. However, soon all the writers have been murdered and it is up to the remaining visitors to solve the mystery.
This is a very Japanese twist on the locked room mystery and is a rather refreshing interpretation. I can imagine the translator had to work hard to ensure that the translation did not give away too many clues. I was finding the story very odd but the final twists really made a difference to my enjoyment.

This was an interesting murder mystery but I felt it broke some of the fair-play rules of murder mysteries despite the claims otherwise by the author within the text.

Would I read another novel by this author?
Yes.

Would I recommend this book to others?
Yes.

To whom?
Anyone who is a keen reader of murder mysteries.

Did this book inspire me to do anything?
No.

The characters were introduced well and were sufficiently diverse to enable the reader to quickly come to terms with who was who. Details of each murder were laid out clearly to the reader, but certain things were withheld, albeit hinted at. Some of the hints were fairly obtuse.

Four authors and a few other notable guests, are drawn to the mysterious Labyrinth House by its owner, famed author Miyagaki Yotaro. His intent: to find a worthy successor to himself (and a substantial inheritance and writing kudos for the winner) after conducting a writing competition, to be judged at the conclusion.

However, shortly after arriving - a murder is announced ..........

Wonderful storytelling from Yukito Ayatsuji, the leads the reader into the labyrinth that is the author's own creative narrative, leaving them there, like his characters, to solve the puzzle and find their own way out.

Read more here @ Melisende's Library

Author Yukito Ayatsuji took Agatha Christie’s And Then There Were None, gave it several twists and produced the suspenseful The Decagon House Murders. However, using And Then There Were None yet again with this, the fourth book in his House Murders series, just left me cold. (Goodreads counts it as the third, as the true third has yet to be translated into English. It’s OK, but, had I known it was a near-retread, I shouldn’t have bothered. I didn’t really care about any of the characters, not even Shimada Kiyoshi, the amateur sleuth who appears in all four of the books in the series. The twist at the end was good enough to elevate the novel to three stars but not good enough to make up for the ennui leading up to the denouement. show more

In the interest of full disclosure, I received this book from NetGalley, Pushkin Press and Pushkin Vertigo in exchange for an honest review. show less