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The Mill House Murders: The Classic Japanese Locked Room Mystery

by Yukito Ayatsuji

A locked-room mystery at Water Mill House

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Awards & Recognition

  • Critical praise

    Praised by The Wall Street Journal for its eerie atmosphere and mystery construction

    The Wall Street Journal praises the book’s atmosphere and its mystery construction.

AlbakiReads Editorial

A locked-room mystery at Water Mill House

At the remote, castle-like Water Mill House, an annual visit by a small group of acquaintances is interrupted by an impossible disappearance, a stolen painting and a series of murders. The house belongs to Fujinuma Kiichi, a reclusive man who has lived behind a rubber mask since a disfiguring car accident. The arrival of investigator Kiyoshi Shimada shifts the gathering toward an effort to untangle the crimes and the house’s secrets. Yukito Ayatsuji’s mystery brings together a confined setting, a masked host and several linked enigmas, placing the puzzle of what happened at the center of the story.

Good fit for readers who enjoy

  • Fans of locked-room and puzzle-focused mysteries
  • Readers interested in Japanese crime fiction
  • Those who enjoy mysteries set in isolated houses or estates

Themes

Locked-room mysteryIsolationSecrecy and identityArt and theft

Based on publisher information and book metadata.

Book overview

*Perfect for fans of Uketsu's Strange Pictures and Strange Houses*

"A psychological-mystical thriller built on Agatha Christie-type stopwatch sequences and John Dickson Carr-style locked-room conundrums... No one can accuse Mr. Ayatsuji of not sustaining the eerie mood of his strange story until its very last sentence." -- The Wall Street Journal

A hugely enjoyable, page-turning classic Japanese mystery with an ingenious conclusion from the author of The Decagon House Murders, translated into English for the first time


Don't miss this beautifully constructed, highly entertaining and atmospheric murder mystery--its propulsive plot makes for a compelling, page-turning read.

As they do every year, a small group of acquaintances pay a visit to the remote, castle-like Water Mill House, home to the reclusive Fujinuma Kiichi, son of a famous artist, who has lived his life behind a rubber mask ever since a disfiguring car accident.

This year, however, the visit is disrupted by an impossible disappearance, the theft of a painting and a series of baffling murders.

The brilliant Kiyoshi Shimada arrives to investigate. But will he get to the truth, and will you too be able to solve the mystery of the Mill House Murders?
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