You will be on the edge of your seat until the epilogue. Unpredictable, unique, and shocking. Ayatsuji is a genius.

Author Yukito Ayatsuji took Agatha Christie’s And Then There Were None, gave it several twists and produced the suspenseful The Decagon House Murders. However, using And Then There Were None yet again with this, the fourth book in his House Murders series, just left me cold. (Goodreads counts it as the third, as the true third has yet to be translated into English. It’s OK, but, had I known it was a near-retread, I shouldn’t have bothered. I didn’t really care about any of the characters, not even Shimada Kiyoshi, the amateur sleuth who appears in all four of the books in the series. The twist at the end was good enough to elevate the novel to three stars but not good enough to make up for the ennui leading up to the denouement.

In the interest of full disclosure, I received this book from NetGalley, Pushkin Press and Pushkin Vertigo in exchange for an honest review.

I am almost at a loss for words about this one. Rarely do I read such a well written, crafted and thoughtful suspense-story. The prose here just knocked my brain out. Every one of these sentences told me how they were written with care. You known what I mean? Some authors write with the soul and mind and the plot is so well woven into the rest of the story you get lost and don’t want to stop reading. This is my favourite crime book now. I just need more people to know about this book because I did not see that ending coming at all. I just loved this one.
Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for giving me a chance to read it.

This kept me guessing the whole way. A true "magic trick" of a story and a fun ride through the end.

It took me a bit to start this book because I did not know that it was the third book in a series. I had to go back and read the other two books before starting this one and I'm obsessed. These books are amazing. Give me more.

Amazing, I've read Yukito Ayatsuji's other book and I was so excited to get my hands on this one. A wonderfully written book and every book I read from them makes me love them more and more as a writer.

I appreciated the arc from NetGalley, but overall it wasn't my cup of tea.

I enjoyed the locked room mystery aspect of it but the book within a book within a book combined with the strange formatting that NetGalley sent over to my Kindle made for a bit of a poor reading experience. The characters could have used a more distinct voice, but the plot was great.

3/5

A classic whodunit type of story that intrigued me from the very first beginning! Every page could never stops me from reading more and trying to find and collect every hints!
I expected nothing and just a fun ride I got from it. I jumped in without knowing a thing about this series and had no idea of the writing style, and I couldn't say it was the best decision I'd made!


Thank you NetGalley and Pushkin Press for providing me this e-ARC in exchange for a honest review

Yukito Ayatsuji's The Labyrinth House Murders is a masterfully crafted addition to his renowned Bizarre House Mysteries series. Originally published in 1988 and recently translated by Ho-Ling Wong, this novel exemplifies the honkaku tradition of fair-play mysteries, inviting readers to engage in solving the intricate puzzle alongside the characters.

The narrative centers on Miyagaki Yotaro, a celebrated mystery writer who retreats to the enigmatic Labyrinth House—a subterranean mansion inspired by the Greek myth of the Minotaur's labyrinth. Designed by the eccentric architect Nakamura Seiji, the house's complex and eerie architecture plays a pivotal role in creating an atmosphere thick with suspense and foreboding. Miyagaki invites a select group of individuals, including fellow authors and critics, to celebrate his sixtieth birthday. However, the gathering takes a dark turn when Miyagaki is found dead, an apparent suicide that soon reveals deeper, more sinister underpinnings.

Ayatsuji's storytelling is both methodical and gripping, leading readers through a maze of clues, red herrings, and shocking revelations. The Labyrinth House itself becomes 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. As the narrative progresses, the line between reality and fiction blurs, culminating in a climax that is both unexpected and satisfying.

The Labyrinth House Murders stands as a testament to Ayatsuji's prowess in crafting classic locked-room mysteries with a modern twist. Fans of the genre will find themselves engrossed in this cerebral and atmospheric tale, which challenges the reader to piece together the mystery alongside its protagonists.

The Labyrinth House Murders is a gripping thriller with an unforgettable twist that completely changes the story. The eerie, maze-like house adds to the tension, making readers feel just as lost and uneasy as the characters. The suspense builds masterfully, keeping you guessing until the very end. A must-read for mystery and thriller fans!

Labyrinth House Murders is a brilliant homage to classic murder mysteries, weaving a story within a story that keeps you engaged from start to finish. Set in the intricately designed Labyrinth House—created by the legendary architect Nakamura Seiji—the novel is filled with secrets, puzzles, and deadly games.

When four novelists, editors, and a detective are invited to crime writer Miyagaki Yotaro’s 60th birthday party, what begins as a celebratory gathering quickly turns sinister. Miyagaki is found dead, an apparent suicide, and the guests must each write a story casting themselves as the victim to win his inheritance. But as real bodies begin to pile up, the game takes a far deadlier turn.

With its eerie underground maze, Greek mythology references tied to the murders, and a jaw-dropping final twist, this book is a must-read for honkaku mystery fans. The layered storytelling, intricate setting, and mind-bending surprises make it a puzzle worth solving—one that lingers long after the final page.

Thank you NetGalley for a copy of this ARC in exchange for an honest review

I think there was either a time, cultural, or genre misalignment here. The writing itself was fine, but it felt very much like a book of book characters rather than real people in a made up scenario. Unfortunately I don’t know if that’s how Japanese murder mystery novels are written, a case of not great translation, or due to it originally being from the late 80s.

Miyagaki Yotaro is a very famous and rich writer but is in poor health now, 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.The guests are 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.
The labyrinth 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 related to the myth. 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.

Once the story writing competition begins, murders start to take place (in very creative ways).

My thoughts
"Twists? INSANE. Suspense? Chef’s kiss. And the ending? Left me staring at my wall, rethinking everything. But fair warning—this book will mess with your head!"
I was completely gripped until the end.
"Love Agatha Christie? Locked-room mysteries? Brain-teasing plots? Enjoy Japanese thrillers? Want a book that makes you yell, ‘WHAT JUST HAPPENED?!’ Then grab this one!"

Wow, I never knew that one last chapter or just an epilogue could change the direction of the story in such a drastic way. This is my first book from this series and it intrigued me enough to go pick up the second book right away!

To be honest, I was very smug that I had figured out the identity of the murderer and lots of other twists very early on in the story. It seemed simple and the most plausible explanation but that last chapter just simply blew my mind away and at the same time it also seemed a little far fetched. What I though was my genius brain deducing was just the author steering me with carefully concealed crumbs leading to that conclusion.

I also liked the whole creepy atmospheric vibe with confusing labyrinth forming the corridors to the house and the Greek mythology inspired structure of the house. The other thing that I like about most Japanese mysteries is that the authors get right into the plot from the beginning and introduce the cast in a very methodical way.

A completely engaging and thoroughly enjoyable read this was!

Thanks to NetGalley and the publishers for a copy of the book.

4.25 rounded down

Thank you NetGalley and Pushkin Press for the ARC in exchange for an honest review!

After the unexpected suicide of the owner of the great Labyrinth House, four novelists are faced with a competition to win his fortune. But as everyone is locked inside the house, brutal murders start to occur.

I've loved other classic Japanese mysteries that I've read, so I was thrilled when I got access to this one. Everything about The Labyrinth House Murders was as wonderful as I expected it to be.

Locked room mysteries are becoming a new favorite for me and this book features a great one. Trapped inside the Labyrinth House, you might think the murderer would be limited in what they could do. However, each new kill proves to be more intense than the last. The brutal kills add an uncomfortable, but effective kick to the story. Each dangerous detail gets readers closer to a deeply satisfying end.

The concept for this book sounds incredible in the synopsis, but it is so much better in the actual story. The conditions the writers are given for their competition are uniquely fascinating and they play so well into the later events of the story. The setting of the Labyrinth House is so creative. The way it is utilized for the plot shows just how much care went into crafting this book. Everything works together so well to form a story you can't look away from.

The characters are interesting to follow. Kiyoshi Shimada, the detective of the story, brings everything together and keeps readers attached to the story. Following his search for answers with the help of everyone else in the house really made this book what it is. They're characters everyone can enjoy reading about, even if they don't completely fall in love with them.

Every good mystery has a smart twist at the end and this book is no different. It wasn't something I was expecting at all, but it fit the story perfectly. Every part of the plot, the characters, and the timeline was so well-thought-out. The Labyrinth House Murders is deeply clever and highly addictive.

Review on Goodreads (sophreadingbooks https://www.goodreads.com/sophreadingbooks) as of 2/21/2025
Review on Instagram (sophiesreading https://www.instagram.com/sophiesreading/) expected 5/6/2025

5 stars

This is a review of the recently updated English translation of the original Japanese murder mystery written in 1988. It is the third translation in the line of "Bizarre House Mysteries" that the original author, Yukito Ayatsuji, penned. However it is an excellent standalone story and you needn't have read the other stories to enjoy this one.

Miyagaki Yotaro was one of Japan's most acclaimed mystery writers but he had retired to the countryside a few years prior, while still mentoring several young writers. He invites four of these writers to his mysterious home, The Labyrinth House, famous for its design and construction by a well-known architectural genius. These writers, along with a handful of other close friends of Miyagaki's are invited to stay for a celebration of his birthday weekend, but once everyone arrives a challenge is set forth and things almost immediately start to go awry.

The juxtaposition of the classical Western tropes associated with the myth of Theseus and the Minotaur alongside the traditional Japanese locked-room, fair-play styled murder mystery makes for a supremely interesting read. While not being fully familiar with Japanese culture myself, I understood certain tropes/literary devices within the story that interplayed delightfully with the maze-like atmosphere of the Minotaur's Labyrinth, the clash of East/West, and the discombobulation felt by all the guests as they start getting knocked off one by one in a locked house with no apparent means of escape...

Thanks to NetGalley, author Yukito Ayatsuji, and Pushkin Press for giving me access to a free digital ARC of this book to read and review. All opinions are my own and are provided here voluntarily.

This was a fun read! I thought the idea of presenting this as a story within a story within a story was cool. As always, I love reading the characters’ deductions on who the murderer might be. And as always, I never get them right lol.

Each murder was intriguing and I was left guessing till the end. I had suspected a woman, like Keiko but alas, I was wrong. I think the author made it quite hard to guess who the murderer is. The final reveal of who the author of the manuscript was (Shimada) was also clever. I did not expect the bit about the brother.

References to Greek mythology was also a nice touch!!

Thank you Pushkin Press for the review copy!!

This was my first time reading a locked room mystery. The twists and puzzles kept me reading. When I thought I knew who the murder was, I was wrong. This is a great fun read for someone who loves a good murder mystery, I will be checking out the other books in this series.

Thank you NetGally for the eARC,

A murder mystery with twists and turns reminiscent of the classics, like Christie and Queen.

This is a book within a book, where Shimada receives and reads an early copy of a book written by Shishiya, a new mystery writer. This book is based on events from a year before at the Labyrinth House, where new writers were gathered at the house of murder mystery legend, Miyagaki, who offers a prize to the writer who can write the best story. But when an actual murder takes place, the participants find themselves locked in this labyrinthine house with a killer.

It’s a little confusing and slow at first, and the formatting is kind of wonky in the ebook version which didn’t help, but once the murders start, it’s just straight sleuthing and investigating and theorizing, which is what I like in a mystery. And when you think you’ve figured it out, the book throws another twist that makes you want to reread to find the clues you missed. Readers should remember the Holmes’ quote about eliminating the impossible and keeping the improbable.

Some of the writing was awkward and had quite a few typos and grammar issues, but considering this is a translated work, I was impressed with how it internationalized the clues so it could work for an English-speaking audience, though it probably does flow better in Japanese.

It took a bit to get into this, but as a murder mystery that you can puzzle out along with the characters, I enjoyed this very much.

Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for the eARC!

“The Labyrinth House Murders" is an intriguing mystery novel that draws readers into a web of secrets, lies, and unexpected twists. The story is set in the eerie and atmospheric Labyrinth House, where a series of murders disrupts the lives of its inhabitants and guests.

The book's strength lies in its complex characters and the intricate plot that keeps readers guessing. Each character has their own motives and secrets, making it difficult to pinpoint the true culprit until the very end. The author skillfully builds suspense, creating a sense of unease and anticipation throughout the novel.