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Murder in the Crooked House
Reader Score
70%
70% of readers
recommend this book
Critic Reviews
Great
Based on 6 reviews on
"One of those locked-room head-bangers that invite . . . the reader to decipher the clues and solve a murder along with an all-seeing detective." --New York Times Book Review
The Crooked House sits on a snowbound cliff overlooking icy seas at the remote northern tip of Japan. A curious place for the millionaire Kozaburo Hamamoto to build a house, but even more curious is the house itself--a disorienting maze of sloping floors and strangely situated staircases, full of bloodcurdling masks and uncanny, lifesize dolls. When a man is found dead in one of the mansion's rooms, murdered in seemingly impossible circumstances, the police are called. But they are unable to solve the puzzle, and powerless to protect the party of house guests as more bizarre deaths follow.
Enter Kiyoshi Mitarai, the renowned sleuth, famous for unmasking the culprit behind the notorious Umezawa family massacre. Surely if anyone can crack these cryptic murders he will. But you have all the clues too--can you solve the mystery of the murders in The Crooked House first?
Book Details
- Publisher: Pushkin Vertigo
- Publish Date: Jun 25th, 2019
- Pages: 320
- Language: English
- Edition: undefined - undefined
- Dimensions: 7.70in - 5.00in - 0.90in - 0.60lb
- EAN: 9781782274568
- Categories: • Thrillers - Suspense• Literary• Mystery & Detective - Amateur Sleuth
More books to explore
About the Author
More books by Soji Shimada
What people are saying
An ‘academic’ (per Daily Mail). ✡ @/nateo.bsky.social
Went with Soji Shimada’s Murder in the Crooked House (local shop didn’t have Tokyo Zodiac Murders in stock). I needed my locked room mystery fix after The Tattoo Murder Case, which was top-notch. Excellent misdirection, figured out the easy half of it early on, highly recommend https://t.co/sCA1WrgjPh
Critics’ reviews
Praise for this book
--Publishers Weekly, starred review
"A delightfully intricate murder puzzle with retro charm, bound to tantalize readers."
--Kirkus
"One of those locked-room head-bangers that invite--'taunt' is more like it--the reader to decipher the clues and solve a murder along with an all-seeing detective."
--Marilyn Stasio, New York Times Book Review
"Reminiscent of Agatha Christie, [Murder in the Crooked House] is a strange brew--one with a taste that certain adventurous readers may be well pleased to savor."
--The Wall Street Journal
"Famed detective Kiyoshi Mitarai investigates a murder that transpired in impossible circumstances, and the mind-bending puzzle reveals a trail of horror that is both satisfying and entertaining... It's a clever and engaging mystery whose clues are revealed at a satisfying pace. The novel is translated with clarity and humor."
--Foreword Reviews
"A superb Japanese locked room mystery . . . Hugely entertaining... a brilliant and satisfying conclusion."
--Sunday Times (A Crime Book of the Month Selection; 100 Best Summer Reads)
"This ingenious locked-room mystery is our crime novel of the month."
--Times
"An inventive, page-turning comic-thriller . . . not only intellectually rewarding but also a hell of a lot of fun."
--The Japan Times
PRAISE FOR THE TOKYO ZODIAC MURDERS
"The great Soji Shimada virtually invented the 'logic problem' sub-genre."
--Guardian, Top 10 Locked Room Mysteries (No. 2)
"Ignites the mind."
--Huffington Post
"If you like your crime stories to be bloody and bizarre, then this may be one for you . . . the solution is one of the most original that I've ever read."
--Anthony Horowitz, New York Times bestselling mystery author
What people are saying
An ‘academic’ (per Daily Mail). ✡ @/nateo.bsky.social
Went with Soji Shimada’s Murder in the Crooked House (local shop didn’t have Tokyo Zodiac Murders in stock). I needed my locked room mystery fix after The Tattoo Murder Case, which was top-notch. Excellent misdirection, figured out the easy half of it early on, highly recommend https://t.co/sCA1WrgjPh