The Mill House Murders
Ratings5
Average rating3.7
“A psychological-mystical thriller built on Agatha Christie-type stopwatch sequences and John Dickson Carr-style locked-room conundrums… No one can accuse Mr. Ayatsuji of not sustaining the eerie mood of his strange story until its very last sentence.” — The Wall Street Journal A hugely enjoyable, page-turning classic Japanese mystery with an ingenious conclusion from the author of The Decagon House Murders, translated into English for the first time Don’t miss this beautifully constructed, highly entertaining and atmospheric murder mystery--its propulsive plot makes for a compelling, page-turning read. As they do every year, a small group of acquaintances pay a visit to the remote, castle-like Water Mill House, home to the reclusive Fujinuma Kiichi, son of a famous artist, who has lived his life behind a rubber mask ever since a disfiguring car accident. This year, however, the visit is disrupted by an impossible disappearance, the theft of a painting and a series of baffling murders. The brilliant Kiyoshi Shimada arrives to investigate. But will he get to the truth, and will you too be able to solve the mystery of the Mill House Murders?
Series
Featured Series
2 primary books#2 in 館シリーズ
館シリーズ is a 2-book series with 2 primary works first released in 1987 with contributions by Yukito Ayatsuji and Hong-Li Wong.
Reviews
Popular Reviews
Reviews with the most likes.
At the beginning, there were so many characters and the two timelines. This and the habit of sometimes calling them by their family name and sometimes calling them by their individual names made it difficult to follow the first part of the book. I think it would have been easier if I had a physical copy of the book, so I could flip back and forth between pages as needed. As I kept reading, I was able to better figure out who was who.
As to the mystery, I was able to figure out part of it early on. However, there were other details that were not even on my radar. So I liked that surprise. There was also a twist as to the ‘bad guy' that I didn't see coming. I thought that was very clever as well.
I was also intrigued by the way that gender played out in the book. There were moments that felt like traditional Western gender roles were being fulfilled and other times when they felt like they were being subverted. Considering this is a Japanese novel, the fact that there was a difference was not surprising. However the way that difference played out was more enjoyable than I expected.
I have heard about people talk reverently about Japanese murder mysteries and I'm glad I was finally able to pick this one up. I will definitely be looking for more like this.
