Murder in the Crooked House

Good

This was my first venture into the realm of locked room murder mysteries; now I'm hooked! This book is a great way to introduce yourself to a whole new genre of murder mysteries.

Just perfect

Beyond all the trappings of complex puzzles, despicable villains, cheer-worthy detectives.etc..a murder mystery is essentially a tragedy. Bigger the picture, greater the pain. That has been the case especially with the so-called locked room mysteries. All the hallowed members of that pantheon, from 'Murder in the Orient Express' to this particular novel— are harvests of pain and loss.In this book, amidst the trappings of a fiendishly clever plot full of gothic horrors and Carrolian designs, murder happens— again and again. But as our protagonist unravels the seemingly impossible problem into logical inevitability, we rush towards the reality.Life, even death is a journey from pain to pain— it seems.The quality of translation was extraordinary. But, I think, I have had my fill of Soji Shimada.Nevertheless, that shouldn’t stop you. Please, enjoy this book. You won't be able to forget it— believe me.Recommended.

Definitely an enjoyable read, especially if you've actually been to Soya Misaki and Wakkani in winter and know just how desolate the place is. But the locked room aspect, and the background to the plot, is really over the top, unless you enjoy this kind of thing for its own sake.