Absolutely nothing is as it seems. Question everyone and everything.. I. Read this 3 months ago and I still replay it over and over in my head.

I wish I read the books previous to this one in the series. Though you can read it as a standalone, I think it would have helped me to know some details from cases before.

🔍🩸🏠Labyrinth House Murders🩸🏠🔍

This is my second book from this author and I have another one (The Mill House Murders) that I'm in the middle of reading, I am a sucker for a Japanese murder mystery and this was just what I needed.

A closed-in Murders mystery in a unique location with a cast of characters that keep you guessing on whodunnit and who might be next.

I usually get ahead of myself and guess who the culprit is and typically still enjoy the novel. Not this one. Just when I thought I knew who, they pulled the rug from under my feet and point out a lot of things I missed from the beginning! it was such a good mystery! It's part of a series of translated mysteries that I look forward to reading all of them!

A huge thank you to NetGalley and Pushkin Vertigo for allowing me to read the e-book ARC in exchange of an honest review.

I have become something of a fan of Japanese murder mysteries in the past years. I love how they require close reading, play with genre expectations, and seem to delight in providing all the information. So naturally I was intrigued by The Labyrinth House Murders, which promptly became one of my favourites. Thanks to Pushkin Vertigo and NetGalley for providing me with a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

One of my favourite aspects of The Labyrinth House Murders is the whole meta approach of it, the novel-inside-the-novel, with even the publication information being reproduced. The inside-book, also called 'The Labyrinth House Murders' also comes with its own map and I think it would be a joy to read this book physically, rather than on an e-Reader because of this. (To differentiate between the two, the actual book is in italics while the book-in-the-book is between quotation marks.) So much of Labyrinth and 'Labyrinth' expect you to pay close attention because Yukito Ayatsuji has carefully planned everything, from the smallest detail to the biggest plot points. I think it is this aspect I enjoy so much about Japanese murder mysteries in comparison to general thrillers, that you can't assume you know where it's going, that nothing is as it seems. Setting this within the industry of murder mystery publishing just adds an extra layer to that. Everyone in the novel has a deep understanding of the genre, either writing it, editing it, reviewing it, or enjoying it as a reader. Because of that, everyone is almost "levelled up" from the beginning, keeping an eye out for clues, pondering motives, and being familiar with the trappings of the locked room mystery. This makes reading Labyrinth House as an enjoyed of the genre myself very fun, because no one is being dumb.

A little note, in the novel itself, the names are listed in Japanese order, meaning family name precedes a given name. I'm retaining that here.

The Labyrinth House Murders is a delightfully twisty murder mystery. It begins with the Prologue when Shimada receives a new book, 'The Labyrinth House Murders' itself, from its author, Shishiya Kadomi. It is based on the actual murders which took place in the Labyrinth House of the famed murder mystery author Miyagaki Yōtarō. Not only was the author present, although they're hiding their identity, but it seems, so was Shimada. From there, we dive into the "novel" itself. Miyagaki Yōtarō has invited four of his protegees to his Labyrinth House for his birthday. Alongside them his editor, Utayama Hideyuki, and his wife, Keiko, and the reviewer Samejima Tomoo make up the other guests. But then an unexpected death changes the party into a more serious kind of game. The four authors must come up with a short story each over a period of a few days, all set at the Labyrinth House itself, to win an enormous prize. The game takes a murderous turn, however, and fact and fiction begin to intertwine. Utayama Hideyuki is the focal point of 'Labyrinth House' and through him we experience the game, the dramatic consequences, and the resolution. Afterwards, we return to Shimada, finishing the novel himself and we get his thoughts on how it all came together. I loved this playing with expectations and it truly is the kind of book where the last chapter's twist is an actual delight, rather than something that feels done for surprise value.

It is difficult to talk about this book and all the things I loved, because I absolutely do not want to spoil anything. Going into this book as blindly as possible is absolutely the way to go! Yukito Ayatsuji truly came up with a brilliant plot, which ties into the other books in his 館シリーズ series without being dependent on them for information. Because Labyrinth House is a book about books I really feel that Yukito played with the writing as well which, as I mentioned above, means that paying close attention and reading with intention really pay off. I also really liked the character of Utayama Keiko. I've sometimes had issues with the characterisation of female characters in Japanese murder mysteries, which is, I think, to a large extent because I lack a nuanced understanding of Japan's culture and history. Keiko was a very interesting character though, bringing knowledge and insight to the table in a way that surprised me. I also liked the Labyrinth House itself, which is delight to imagine with its various rooms and a rather impressive entrance. The Greek myth theme behind the house, centred around King Minos, the labyrinth, and the Minotaur is woven into the plot nicely as well, in that it is actually relevant rather than a gimmick. Ho-Ling Wong does a brilliant job with the translation as well, which is extremely important as some clues depend on those details that require things to line up with the Japanese. I am definitely looking out for more translations of Yukito Ayatsuji's work!

The Labyrinth House Murders is a delightful novel and gives the reader exactly what they hope for! It is genuinely one of the most delightful murder mysteries I have read in a long while. A solid recommendation for anyone who enjoys murder mysteries and meta-novels!

The Labyrinth House Murders is brilliant, exciting, and innovative! 💫💫💫💫💫

I've read this author before and love the creativity he puts into murder.

Four up and coming crime writers, one fabulous birthday party, what could possibly go wrong? Well, in the remote Labyrinth House, everything!

One murder early on sets off a competition of sorts while others continue to get killed off. In true form, Ayatsuji knows the art of murder and how to elegantly and mysterious get rid of his characters while also being very discreet with the murderer.

Thank you, Netgalley and Pushkin Press, for this jewel!

I choose this book totally hooked by the creepy title and my goal to read more Asian authors, especially Japanese ones. I had no clue this was the third book in a series when I picked it up yep, total newbie to Ayatsuji’s world, haven’t touched The Decagon House Murders or The Mill House Murders. Good news? It’s works so well as a stand alone, so I wasn’t lost, though I can definitely see how reading the previous books might enhance the experience.

The setup is straight-up bonkers. Four hotshot crime writers get invited to this creepy, maze-like place called Labyrinth House for some famous author’s birthday bash. The house is this weird, twisty masterpiece built by a nutty architect, and let’s just say things go south fast. A shocking death kicks off this messed up game where the guests are dropping like flies.

Ayatsuji is a genius at keeping you on edge. The house feels alive, like it’s out to get you, and the story’s packed with twists that had me second guessing everything.

Jumping in without reading the earlier books was fine, but I bet series fans are catching extra Easter eggs. Now I’m obsessed with Shimada and need more of Ayatsuji’s brain bending mysteries. This book totally sealed the deal for me wanting to dive deeper into Japanese crime novels.

4.25 stars.
This is the 3rd book in The Bizarre House Mysteries. I’ve read The Decagon House Murders but not The Mill House Murders. Some small references are made from the prior two books but you should be fine to read this one.

Anyway, murder mystery fans will love this book. The story does a great job of deconstructing the classic whodunnit. I should have made a list of all the characters because it did get confusing at times but I managed. The twists are fun and unexpected.

Thank you Netgalley and Pushkin Press for the early copy!

This isn't a genre I read often but when I do, I always play along with the novel and try to solve it before the end. Wow, I did NOT see that plot twist happening. I was SO confident that I knew who it was but I was WRONG.

The interweaving of Greek mythology into the core story arc was really intriguing and clever. It felt like it almost elevated the mystery as the reader attempted to solve it.

A locked door mystery set in an underground house, the Labyrinth house. A small group comprising of mystery writers, a critic, an editor and his wife are invited to a house party on April 1st, the host is announced to have killed himself just before they arrive. They are invited to stay and the writers tasked with writing a mystery, the winning mystery, as judged by the editor and the critic will win half of the hosts fortune.
However, they are soon confronted with the murder of one of them.
With the only door out locked who could the murderer be?
A complex and twisty mystery is one of the best Japanese mysteries I have read with twists and turns right to the end.
My thanks to NetGalley and the publishers for the arc.

If you love classic whodunits with a twist of architectural weirdness, The Labyrinth House Murders is definitely worth a look. Yukito Ayatsuji delivers another mystery that blends Golden Age detective fiction with a distinctly Japanese flair. The story centers around a group of people invited to a bizarre, maze-like mansion where the murders start piling up. The Labyrinth House isn’t just a backdrop. It’s practically a character, full of dead ends, secret passages, and mind-bending design choices that fuel the mystery, and the focus is on the puzzle itself. This clever construction really lets you work with the story to figure out the solution, and the satisfaction of an aha moment can't be beat.

I’m in two minds about this one. I found it slow to start and hard to get into, but then pretty page-turn-y and gripping into the middle and end.

I loved the homage to all things crime fiction and it gave me several books for the TBR.

I’m afraid I found the characterisations a bit thin, which made it hard to get on board with / care for anyone. And I hated hated the epilogue “reveal”. I’d have found it a tidy and entertaining story if it had ended with Miyagaki as the murderer, but the “menstrual blood” angle was positively ludicrous (and shows an alarming lack of understanding of how such things work), and a solution where all of the required info was missing feels a bit rough for the reader.

It would have been better with the official ending, I think.

That said, an interesting puzzler and I had a nice enough time. Not one I’ll rave from the rooftops tho.

First things first: this is either the third or fourth in the House Murders series, depending on how you count the books, but you do not have to have read the others to enjoy this one. In fact, this was my first time reading a book in the series and I had no problems picking up on everything. The other books are alluded to in this one, but there are no spoilers.

This is a book within a book, where in the first chapter, someone receives a book about what we are told are the real-life Labyrinth House murders, and then we are presented with that book in its entirety. The book presents the story of an aging famous mystery writer who invites four of his protégés to his infamous Labyrinth House for a challenge: whoever can write the best mystery in five days we receive a huge part of his inheritance. But shortly after the contest begins, things go terribly wrong.

The set up of this book immediately intrigued me, and the author definitely delivered with a story that was an homage to the classic detective story. Throughout the book, we are presented with problems and clues and characters is carefully consider each option, much like in classic Poirot novel. Add to all of this that the Labyrinth House is themed after the labyrinth of ancient Greek myth, and that adds an extra layer of suspense in meaning to the mystery. It’s a brilliant choice.

As I often say, make sure you read to the very end in this one. I won’t spoil anything, but yeah, make sure you don’t skip out on the last chapters of this one.

This was my first House Murders book, but it won’t be my last!

My Rating 4.5*

This was such a twisty, turny story and I loved how complex and well woven it was. Though I have not yet read the others in this series, I do feel this one is able to stand alone without the need to read the others. I do believe we would better understand our sleuth Shimada Kiyoshi by reading the others in this series, but he really comes across as Hercule Poirot, both of which are ingenious in their detective skills and have incredible observation and problem solving abilities.

Within the Labyrinth House, a group of individuals are brought together for the birthday of a famous writer. He has invited four young crime writers as well as a few other personal guests, however, when everyone arrives, the personal assistant to the mystery writer tells the guests that the host has passed and there is a challenge for the writers. Whoever is able to write the best story over the next few days will be the inheritor of the estate.

Though it starts a bit slow, the murder and mystery really gets rolling about a third of the way through. I thought I had things figured out and was skeptical about a few things, but the ending blew my mind. The atmosphere is fantastically creepy with the twists of the house and the Greek references. This feels like a great nod to “And Then There Were None” and you never know who is going to make it out alive.

*The Labyrinth House Murders* is a deliciously twisted treat for fans of classic whodunits with a surreal architectural spin. Imagine a sprawling mansion inspired by the Minotaur’s labyrinth—rooms named after mythological figures, corridors designed to confuse, and a birthday gathering that quickly spirals into something far more sinister. When reclusive mystery writer Miyagaki invites a select group of authors, critics, and his trusted editor for what should’ve been a celebration, they’re instead greeted with a recording announcing his suicide—and an eerie challenge. No one may leave for five days, and the guests must each write a detective story, with a generous inheritance as the prize. But fiction turns chillingly real as bodies start dropping, and suddenly the labyrinth isn't just an architectural gimmick—it’s a trap.

What makes this novel so irresistible is the way it blends the cerebral satisfaction of a locked-room mystery with the unsettling atmosphere of a gothic thriller. The labyrinth itself becomes a character—claustrophobic, deceptive, and darkly enchanting. I was especially taken by the little 1980s details: the clacking of word processors, the nostalgia of floppy disks, and the ever-fragile landlines. The mystery deepens with a story-within-a-story structure, sly misdirection, and a cascade of reveals. No, I didn’t solve it—Ayatsuji guards one clue a little too closely—but I was hooked from start to finish. I’m already counting down the days until *The Clock House Murders* arrives, and if you love puzzles layered in myth and menace, this one’s a must.

Thanks to Pushkin Vertigo for providing a copy of this book for review via NetGalley.

A twisty, atmospheric locked-room mystery set in a bizarre, myth-inspired mansion. The Labyrinth House was more engaging than The Decagon House Murders, with a creative premise: after their host’s sudden suicide, guests at the house must write mystery stories—while real murders begin to unfold. The maze-like setting, inspired by the Minotaur myth, is eerie and immersive, and the included map enhances the experience (though I wished I had a physical copy for it!). While the plot is a bit far-fetched, it’s gripping and full of surprises. My only complaint is that a key clue relies on a rather male-centric assumption. Still, I loved the book’s clever structure, retro 1980s details, and tense, unraveling mystery.

Miyagaki Yotaro, a renowned mystery author, invites eight people to his home for his sixieth birthday on April Fool's Day. Four mystery authors themselves, who he considers his proteges, an editor, his wife, a critic, and a mystery fan. When they arrive, they expect to have drinks and celebrate this great man's life, but to their surprise, he never shows up. After waiting for hours, Yotaro's secretary appears with dire news; Yotaro suffering from lung cancer has killed himself. However, the great author has arranged one last surprise the four authors, if they are willing are to participate in a writing contest, they must produce a mystery fifty pages long set in The Labyrinth House, the home the currently find themselves in with themselves as the victim. The other three will judge these short stories with the winner winning half of Yotaro's estate valued at billions of yen. Everyone reluctantly agrees, which is unfortunate for them because thats when the killing starts.

What a ride! The killer, when revealed, blew me away! Even though at one point I was like, "Huh, seems to me that maybe...", but then the case was wrapped up so quickly, and neatly I set my suspicions aside! The original conclusion certainly made sense, far more sense than my own. It seemed way out there, which in hindsight is pointed out numerous times as a classic in mysteries. Should have paid more attention.

The fact that they all just kind of blew off the idea of motive being important as well didn't help. I let the characters lead me for sure on this one, which, to be honest, I'm not even made about because the big reveal at the end was just a ton of fun.

If you're into lock roomed mysteries or enjoyed Christie's And Then There Were None, this is definitely going to be right up your alley!

As always, thanks to NetGalley and Pushkin Press for the eArc!

A twisted game that will keep readers on their toes as they try to solve a shocking murder that has taken place. A great read that will leave you guessing.

The Labyrinth House Murders was such a blast to read! It totally gave Knives Out and Clue energy, with a fun, nostalgic vibe that made it impossible to put down. I loved the wild, over-the-top design of the house — every room felt like it held another secret, and following the trail of clues through the labyrinth was half the thrill. Ayatsuji balances the classic whodunit feel with a playful, almost game-like structure that made it so much fun to guess along with the characters. The twists kept me on my toes, and watching Shimada piece everything together was incredibly satisfying. This was a high-stakes mystery that felt both retro and refreshing,

This book is a page turner but there is a section where the pace drops a little and you just want to get to the end. Despite this flaw, I enjoyed the story for its elements like references to Greek mythology characters, the maze-like labyrinth house and the twists. The way characters react to being locked in a house is a bit weird, why is no one freaking out? Because I would be so freaked out.

Thank you to Netgalley and the publishers for this advanced reader's copy and the opportunity to this early. Review has been posted on Waterstones and Goodreads.

I received an eARC of this title through NetGalley in return for an honest review.

I honestly could not finish this book. I think when I read the description, I was expecting one thing, but once reading, it turned out to be another.

The beginning was rough for me because I was confused as to what was happening. It took me until part 2 to finally understand it all.

All this to say, I just don't think this book is for me. My rating is more about how much I enjoyed it. I think the premise is interesting, and I love how we are bringing more international titles to English. This is definitely a title I know people will like.