The Labyrinth House Murders
The Labyrinth House Murders by Yukito Ayatsuji, translated by Ho-Ling Wong
i'm mad that i didn't take an idyllic photo of this book in the sand or in front of the ocean, because i read it at the beach! but ah well, there are more important things to think about on vacay than a great pic for my review blog. this was a perfect beach read for me: intriguing, compelling, and the sort of thing i could puzzle through when i had the focus for it or breeze through when niblings or other vacation distractions were tugging me away.
what i loved most about this was the layers! it's a novel about novels, within another novel; in the outermost frame, a character receives a copy of a book called The Labyrinth House Murders, a fictionalized account of a "real" series of murders, which he then discusses with its author at the end. the rest of the novel between these sections is the book this character is reading: a mystery that takes place entirely inside an underground mansion where the hallways form a complicated labyrinth, and every room is named and themed around the Greek myth of the Minotaur. the owner of this mansion is a famous Japanese mystery writer, now elderly, who has invited four younger authors he thinks of as his protégés, his editor, a critic, and a mystery fan friend to all take part in a contest determining who will inherit his fortune. this book is like an onion, with layers all the way down that i won't get into, but which really really delighted me.
i also adored the way this book is so much of its time—the English translation was just published in 2025, but the original Japanese is from 1988. and because the plot is about a writing contest, it heavily features word processors and floppy discs, presenting them as recent and somewhat novel technologies. it was so pleasant for me, especially on vacation when i'm trying to unplug a little, to be pulled back into the era before computers were ubiquitous, and authors might still write novels by hand or be just learning how to touch type. i'm just the right age to be nostalgic for that!
the mystery itself was beautifully twisty and turny. it's the sort where all the clues are there, and i perhaps could have put it all together myself if i had been paying a bit more attention, but there were definitely things i picked up on and felt really good about getting right while other things totally surprised me. a perfect combination of predictable classic murder mystery elements, along with a number of exciting reveals, all the way to the very end.
how i read it: an actual physical paperback book, because it's impossible to read a screen in bright sunlight, and just because i needed a break from e-reading.
try this if you: love a locked room mystery, dig a charismatic amateur detective, or just like getting your brain twisted all around!
some lines i really liked: shoutout to the translator, who either really captured or added a wonderful straightforward dry tone
Along with his refined writing style and deep characterization, this won the approval of even those critics who were usually only concerned with "pure" literature, although they would always add the caveat "for a mystery novel" to any words of praise they offered. What Utayama loved most about Miyagaki was the innocent, childlike conviction that led him to stick to his signature style.
"For a mystery novel? But they are mystery novels!" he'd say.
To get from one room to another, it is necessary to enter the labyrinth. This is why each room has its own toilet.
pub date: the English translation came out in May of 2025, go pick it up!
