Japanese Murder Mystery Book Recommendation: The Mill House Murders

Hi Readers! January has been super exhausting. I read only two books in the first week and then literally nothing. So, for the Republic Day long weekend, my only plan was to read. So, I read two more books! The first was The Glass Palace, for which I will need some time to write a review. And here’s the second one! This is my second book by Yukita Ayatsuji, and I really enjoyed it!

~~GOODREADS DESCRIPTION~~

Ever since a horrific car accident, Fujinuma Kiichi has lived a reclusive existence in the remote Mill House, his scarred face hidden behind a rubber mask. Then one stormy night the tranquility of his retreat is shattered by gruesome murder, a baffling disappearance and the theft of a priceless painting,

The brilliant Shimada Kiyoshi arrives on the scene, but as he investigates the seemingly impossible events of that evening, death strikes again, and again…

Can Shimada get to the truth before the killer gets to him? And can you solve the mystery of the Mill House Murders before he does?

~~THOUGHS~~

Right at the beginning of the book, we read about the premise of the book. A woman who falls off a high tower. A painting that has disappeared. A man who vanishes from a locked room. Another man who was found cut up in the incinerator. Makes the recipe for the perfect murder mystery, isn’t it? The plot in itself was amazing, and what made it an even elevated reading experience was how the entire book is written.

We have two story lines, set one year apart at the Mill House. Fujinuma Kiichi who lives at the Mill House brings over four guests every year on the same date to showcase his father’s paintings. So, in the first story line in 1985, we see how everything transpires. And then, in 1986, we have the same set of people, aside from those who died, and of course, we have our eccentric detective Shimada Kiyoshi who solves the mysteries of 1985 as well as 1986. Now, the way it is written is linear. We go back and forth along the same time of the day, so the entire mystery is never revealed at once. It comes in batches which is something that always keeps you at the edge of the seat.

Another amazing factor is how it is related to the first book The Decagon House Murders. Both Decagon House and Mill House are built by the same architect Nakamura Seiji. This architect is known to create some secret rooms or passageways in the house that he builds. So, there is always that unknown aspect of what and where this would be and what we will find there.

Lastly, the book is unpredictable, for the most part. But, because there are a lot of murders, some of it is easy to guess, especially when you read Shimada’s report towards the end of it. I think only these Japanese murder mysteries have a shocking feature these days. Most of the other mysteries are so watered down and predictable that it has become a bit of a snooze fest. So, this is definitely a book recommendation if you enjoy reading crime and mystery novels. I have rated The Mill House Murders by Yukito Ayatsuji, translated by Ho-Ling Wong at 4/5 stars!

Until next time,