Review: 'The Labyrinth House Murders' (迷路館の殺人) by Yukito Ayatsuji ( 綾辻 行人)), trans. by Ho-Ling Wong
Pub. Date: 13/05/2025
Publisher: Pushkin Press; Pushkin Vertigo
A twisty and ingenious stand-alone classic Japanese murder mystery from the author of The Decagon House Murders
Can the brilliant Kiyoshi Shimada solve the mystery of this bizarre house before all those trapped in its labyrinth are dead? Can you guess the solution before he does?
Miyagaki Yōtarō is one of Japan's most famed mystery writers, but several years ago he put down his pen and left the Tokyo literary world for a life of seclusion in the remote Labyrinth House, built by the notorious architect Nakamura Seiji. When four of the country's most exciting up-and-coming crime writers are invited to the house for Yōtarō's birthday party, they are honoured to accept. But no sooner have they arrived than they are confronted with a shocking death, then lured into a bizarre, deadly competition with each other...
As the competition proceeds, and murder follows murder, the brilliant Kiyoshi Shimada investigates. Can he solve the mystery of the house before all those trapped in its labyrinth are dead? And can you guess the solution before he does?
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!
I give this novel...
5 Universes!
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!
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