The third Bizarre House mystery by the Japanese great Yukito Ayatsuji to be translated into English, The Labyrinth House Murders, is a fine addition to the hugely entertaining series. Narrated as a novel within the novel, it deals with a series of gruesome murders occurring inside a labyrinthine house belonging to Miyagaki Yotaro, an eccentric, wealthy mystery writer who has recently announced his retirement. To celebrate his sixtieth birthday, Yotaro invites four promising mystery writers – all his proteges, an editor and his pregnant wife, a literary critic, and an amateur detective named Shimada Kiyoshi to the Labyrinth House. Soon after the final guests arrive, they are informed that their host has killed himself and, before his death, has decreed that each of his four pupils shall write a crime story set in the house, the best out of which would win a big part of Yotaro’s vast estate. On the first night, one of the invitees is gruesomely killed, and the only way out, along with the telephone, is cut, trapping the guests – and a killer, maybe – inside the house. More people start getting killed, and the survivors need to solve the crimes quickly if they are to escape with their lives.

This is once again a cleverly plotted mystery with multiple layers, which forces the reader to be alert for little clues that could help them solve the crimes before the book ends. As for me, I have long since abandoned such attempts, knowing that these clever Japanese authors always keep something up their sleeve, and enjoyed this one without any pressure. The Labyrinth House is more bizarre than the previous one in the series – The Mill House. Inspired by the Minotaur's labyrinth, the house is a bewildering maze with rooms named after various Greek mythological characters. And the sequences connected to each room have been plotted brilliantly to resonate with the story of the corresponding characters. There are several twists, none of which I could foresee, and the narrative moves fast towards the unexpected ending. Ho-Ling Wong's translation is superlative, and Pushkin Press's efforts in bringing this excellent piece of Japanese fiction to readers around the world are laudable!

My gratitude to Pushkin Press for the Digital Review Copy of The Labyrinth House Murders through NetGalley in exchange for my unbiased review.

A famed mystery writer Miyagaki Yotaro lives in Labyrinth House and decides that he will invite four crime writers to his house for the weekend for a deadly competition between them...

I love a locked room mystery and this was perfect. A little gruesome (which I loved) and a cast of suspicious characters along with a competition to make the whole weekend deadly. I was absolutely gripped and couldn't put the book down!

Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for a copy of the novel in exchange for an honest review.

Locked room-cum-labyrinth mystery
—
Look, it’s hard to tell you much without telling you everything. Suffice it to say that this is a locked room mystery with a labyrinth at its heart. Throw in four mystery writers, a literary race to win a fortune, and a rapidly growing pile of dead bodies, and you’ve got yourself this homage to every locked room mystery you could imagine. Of course, it’s got its own Japanese touches and quirks of plot and characterisation, but as an introduction to Japanese crime, you can’t go wrong.

Admittedly, it’s part of a series and if you’ve read the first one, The Decagon House Murders, this is a retread of that previous book so you may feel shortchanged, but come back for the fiendish logic puzzles and the final chapter which is a lot.

Three and a half stars.

My favourite Yukito Ayatsuji mystery to date. Shimada is captivating as always, and I loved the book-in-a-book format which made for quite a good twist at the very end. From reading the previous books in the series, I kept an eye out for Yukito Ayatsuji(or rather, the translator Ho-Ling Wong)'s word choices, but I still missed a good few clues. And the best part is: the book makes for an excellent re-read as well!

I had yet to read any of Ayatsuji's novels in this series but had had them on my wish list, so was excited to see if the Labyrinth House Murders would resonate with me and was pleasantly surprised to find that like other Japanese mystery novels I greatly enjoyed the plot momentum and various red herrings as well as mystery as to how the crimes were committed in the format of a book within a book with most of the murder mystery taking place through the lens perspective of the author - one of the one's present at the crime scene at the time.

I think if you're a fan of locked room mysteries or for that matter whodunnits of the western variety e.g. Christie then this novel should be a thrilling and intriguing read.

Thank you netgalley and Pushkin Press for the ARC.

I would recommend this book to others, in particular crime writers but I have to admit I read it more as a period piece / curiousity than a standalone murder mystery. Advances in technology are among the issues that means it doesn't quite work as a modern crime novel but the set up is addictive and the solutions (and there are more than one) extremely clever. A must read for crime completists

Like Nordic Noir around fifteen years ago, translated Japanese crime fiction is now having a bit of a moment, globally. The Land of the Rising Sun has a rich history of puzzling mysteries, dating back over a century (the country’s main ‘best mystery novel’ prize also predates either of its major British and American equivalents by a few years).

Thankfully, the recent translation boom has opened up Japanese tales new and old for English-speaking readers. A great example is The Labyrinth House Murders, a fascinating new-to-Anglophones locked room mystery originally published in Japan in 1988. The third of nine books in legendary mystery and horror writer Yukito Ayatsuji’s Bizarre House mystery series, it involves ingenious sleuth Shimada Kiyoshi investigating a deadly game at the house of famed author Miyagaki Yotaro. Four young crime authors are invited along with select others to celebrate Yotaro’s 60th birthday party, only to be trapped in the labyrinth as part of a deadly competition for a grand inheritance.

Ayatsuji crafts and intricate, clever mystery that leans into its Theseus and the Minotaur maze mythology, as well as serving as a near love letter to the classic mystery genre. It’s easy to see why Ayatsuji has achieved legendary status in his homeland. The Labyrinth House Murders is a pleasantly puzzling read, and hopefully we’ll see more of his stories (eg this particular series is nine books long in Japan) translated in future

[review originally written for Good Reading magazine, in Australia]

Unfortunately this book is not for me, however I have recommended it to a few of my colleagues as it is more their vibe!
Thank you for the opportunity and eARC!

The Labyrinth House Murders by Yukito Ayatsuji is a masterfully crafted mystery that combines intricate plotting with an eerily atmospheric setting. Ayatsuji’s storytelling is both methodical and gripping, leading readers through a maze of clues, red herrings, and shocking revelations. The Labyrinth House itself is a character, its design and secrets adding layers of tension to the unfolding drama. The characters are compelling, and their motives are explored with depth and precision. While the deliberate pacing may not appeal to all, the payoff is a brilliantly satisfying conclusion. A must-read for fans of classic whodunits with a modern, cerebral twist.

Loved it! This story had me hooked from the start. The suspense was masterfully built, and the twists kept me guessing throughout. The characters were well-developed, each with their own uniqueness. And that ending? Completely unexpected! It was clever, emotional, and tied everything together in a way I didn’t see coming. Few stories manage to surprise me like this one did. Overall, an exceptional read that I’d highly recommend to anyone who loves suspenseful, character-driven storytelling.

I could not put this book down! Wow wow wow🤩 I loved the fact that this book is dated (originally published in 1988) so everyone smoked indoors and use of word processors and floppy disks it was a nice change to what I usually read. I also love the references to Greek mythology too. You really got to know and understand each character and the house is a character in itself - the suspense and eerie atmosphere this book created was amazing and that alone was enough for me not to want to put the book down

I really enjoyed the previous books in the series, so I was excited to see another one had been translated into english, and I'm so thankful to the publisher for receiving an arc,

As with the two previous books, I had a lot of fun reading this one. It is the kind of over the top and intricate mystery where you definitely need to suspend your disbelief, but personally it's a type of mystery I really enjoy, and definitely reminiscent of Agatha Christie. The books in the series are always set in bizzarre houses and feature a recurring detective (not really a detective, but he acts as one) and a cast of peculiar characters, in this case all mystery writers who are invited to the birthday party of another famous writer, where things start immediately to go terribly wrong.

It was very fast paced, with not a boring moment, and I always wanted to keep reading to see what was going on. There was also an element of a story within the story which was quite well done, and the real purpose is only clear at the end, where there is also a quite nice twist. However, I must admit that the solution of the mystery, and one key twist especially, was quite ludicrous. It didn't ruin the book for me, but I would have much preferred another type fo twist.

So disappointing!

I had high hopes given the glowing reviews and recommendations but sadly it was obvious right from the beginning how this would play out.
Just not good enough for me.

3.75*

Overall this was a satisfying read. I loved the setting of Labyrinth House and the notion that this was a book within a book. Maybe it made it a little contrived on occasion but those were two key factors that drew me in to the story. I also love a locked room mystery and when you set it within an actual labyrinth you have literal twists and turns throughout. The one thing that knocked it down was the reason for 'the blood' (when you read it you'll know what situation I mean) as it felt, frankly, ridiculous - I can't say too much more without giving spoilers to major plot points.

The characters weren't particularly memorable but I often find in Japanese mysteries like this that it is often the case and for me didn't detract from my enjoyment of the book. I also enjoyed reading a slightly more modern murder mystery (it's set/was originally written in the late 1980s), however, as always, with a classic locked room mystery it doesn't matter what era it's set in - it's the layers of the story and the plot twists that keep you hooked which it did here for me.

Thank you to NetGalley and Pushkin Press | Pushkin Vertigo for a digital review copy of "The Labyrinth House Murders" in exchange for my honest and voluntary review.

thank you to netgalley for providing me with an arc in exchange for an honest review

I liked it but didn’t love it. The middle definitely lagged quite a bit, I think because it was hard to follow what was essentially 4 books within a book within a book???? I actually guessed all but one of the twists, so it came as no surprise to me when I reached the end.

This is a good example of why it’s often worth giving an author a second chance. I was disappointed with Ayatsuji’s The Decagon House Murders, finding the characters very wooden and the plot a poor imitation of And Then There Were None, so I had decided to stick with Japanese crime authors more to my taste, such as Seishi Yokomizo. Then I read lots of glowing reviews of The Mill House Murders, the second in Ayatsuji’s series to be released in a new English translation, so when I saw the third one, The Labyrinth House Murders, on NetGalley I decided to give him another try.

The Labyrinth House, we are told, is the work of the same architect who designed the Decagon House and the Mill House. As its name suggests, the house contains a labyrinth of passageways with the rooms arranged around the edges, so that to get from one room to another it’s necessary to enter the maze. The design is inspired by the Minotaur myth and all of the rooms are named after characters associated with the myth. This very unusual house is the home of the mystery writer Miyagaki Yōtarō.

Miyagaki is in poor health but, as the novel opens, he is preparing for his sixtieth birthday and has invited a group of friends and colleagues to celebrate with him at the Labyrinth House. These include four younger crime authors whom Miyagaki has mentored, a literary critic, his editor Utayama and his wife – and a friend, Shimada Kiyoshi, who is the series detective. As the guests assemble at the house, they are greeted by Miyagaki’s secretary, who gives them the shocking news that their host has committed suicide, leaving them a recorded message to listen to. The recording instructs them not to leave the house or call the police for five days and in the meantime the four authors must each use the time to write a detective story. The four stories will be judged by the other guests and the winner will inherit part of Miyagaki’s fortune.

This book was much more fun than The Decagon House Murders. Although the plot is obviously very contrived, that didn’t bother me and I found it easy enough to just suspend disbelief and accept the premise. Once the story writing competition begins, murders start to take place (in very imaginative ways) and I was completely gripped until the end. My only real criticism is that one of the clues to the solution is something that only a man would think was plausible; Ayatsuji should maybe have discussed it with a woman first before basing a key plot point around it. Sorry to be vague!

I loved the setting of the Labyrinth House and the way so many aspects of the Minotaur myth are worked into the plot. A map of the house is included to help the reader appreciate the layout of the rooms and the labyrinth (and this is where I wished I had a physical copy of the book instead of the ebook). The house has an eerie, unsettling atmosphere and I worried for the characters every time one of them went wandering off on their own! Being originally published in 1988, there are also lots of little details that set the book in that period: the way everyone smokes indoors; the word processors the authors use with floppy disks to save their work; the landline telephones that can so easily (in crime novels, anyway) become cut off from the outside world.

The characters have a bit more depth than the ones in The Decagon House, although I’m finding that characterisation doesn’t seem to be a strong point in any of the older Japanese crime novels I’ve read. Most of the book is written from Utayama’s perspective, although Shimada is the one who does the detective work – and, thankfully, explains some of his deductions to Utayama as he goes along so that the reader can follow what’s happening. And did I manage to solve the mystery? Well, no, I didn’t, but Ayatsuji conceals an important piece of information from us until the end of the book, so I don’t really consider this a fair play mystery anyway. There are also multiple plot twists and a story-within-a-story structure, just to make things even more difficult!

I’m pleased to see that the next book in the series, The Clock House Murders, is being published by Pushkin next year and also pleased that they’re sticking with Ho-Ling Wong as translator, as he’s done such a great job with this one. Meanwhile, I’ll go back and read The Mill House Murders, in the hope that for some reason it was only The Decagon House I didn’t connect with.

Thank you to the author, publisher and NetGalley for the opportunity to read and review this book.

I struggled a little with this book and think some of the magic may have been lost in translation but it was still an entertaining read with lots of layers

The third Volume of the stand alone series 'The Bizarre House Mysteries' , a book for all Japanese crime fans, but also for everyone who likes to solve Mysteries themselves. A very gripping and great read. The translation is very good too, which makes it easier to stay in the reading flow.

The famed mystery writer Miyagaki Yōtarō lives a life of seclusion in the remote Labyrinth House. When Yōtarō 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?

Rating: 3.75/5 ⭐
Review:
✨This is the third book of the series and my first novel from the author. I only read the first part of the manga of The Decagon House Murder a few years back.
✨I would say that the ones that designed and approved the design of the Labyrinth House are lunatic in some ways. I don’t even surprised that murders occurred in this house.
✨A little bit of Greek mythologies woven into those murders, but there are explanations for anybody that is not familiar with Greek mythology (for example: me).
✨This story is a book within a book, basically readers read two novels at the same time.
✨For the crimes themselves, I’m satisfied with all of them in terms of execution and how the murderer utilized the house to do their deeds.
✨In terms of writing, the writing and the plot is easy to understand but the author still managed to hide some clues here and there.
✨Writing a murder mystery novel with encouragement from the editor (fellow witnesses) based on a series of murders that both of you presented at the crime scene and you use it to call out the real murderer. I’m amazed. I hope the book sells well because you deserve the royalty after going through that nightmare.
✨However, I don’t really feel most of the characters here, especially the victims. But, I kind of understand that based on the plot of this story. Plus, I felt some of these characters are not truly in their right mind. Like people already dead but you still thought of the money? Oh dear…
✨If the deduced real murderer is truly the true murderer, I detest the crimes, but I understand their motive.
✨Thank you to Pushkin Press and NetGalley for this ARC! This review was written voluntarily by me.

rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

i loved it!! this book was such a fast paced mystery that i felt myself so invested in so quickly!!

i loved the references towards greek mythology, since all the rooms in the house were names within this, and i loved learning new little facts whilst i was reading!

plus, was i correct in thinking who the murderer was? absolutely not!! but where’s the fun is knowing??

i am intrigued on the authors other books within this collection, so i can say they are on my radar from now on!!

thank you for netgalley and the publishing team for the copy of this book!! you did not disappoint!!