Author Yukito Ayatsuji is part of a group that advocates the use of SS Van Dine’s set of ‘rules’ when it comes to writing crime novels. They’re not followed much by English writers anymore, but Japanese readers have a taste for Golden Age-style crime. Consequently, The Decagon House Murders will most likely delight all fans of good old fashioned mysteries where any of the main characters could be a suspect and… a victim!
It almost becomes meta-fiction as each character is a mystery fan, and is even named after a great mystery writer. Much of the action takes place on an isolated island where an architect, his wife, and another couple were killed a year prior. Meanwhile on the mainland, Kawaminami and Shimada look into the murders, and find a connection between the killings and the group of avid mystery fans who think they’re involved in a gam on the island but are really in danger. The publisher? Well it’s Locked Room International, of course. You can read nagaisayonara’s full review here.
