The Decagon House Murders is a clear example of the Honkaku subgenre, a form of crime writing that first emerged in Japan in the 1920s. Honkaku refers to the crafting of fiendishly clever and complex puzzle scenarios - such as a murder in a locked room -that can only be solved through logical deduction. It’s all about “playing fair”, so clues and suspects are woven through the plot, giving the reader a fair chance of solving the mystery before the detective does (thank you, Google!).
I had never heard about this genre or this novel but, with clear inspiration in And then there were none, I knew I had to read it. Christie’s story is even referenced in the first few pages.
This was a twisted plot. We both follow the characters stranded on the island and those on the mainland trying to find out the meaning of some mysterious letters they’ve all received. As you might have already guessed out those on the island start dying one by one, and little clues are thrown for the reader to try to solve the murder (I didn’t).
While the plot was entertaining enough, the problem with the novel were its characters. They all felt too bland, devoid of any personality and, apart from a couple of them, the rest all felt interchangeable. We’re presented with seven characters all at once and the only info we’re given about them is the nickname (based on classic crime authors) and their studies course, so it was hard at first to tell one from another. Also, the dialogue felt a bit stilted at times. Translation issue? Who knows!
The end twist where the killer was revealed was so matter of fact at first I didn’t even realized what had just happened and had to go back and re-read some paragraphs. It was really ingenious!
The Decagon House Murders will appeal to all those classic crime lovers out there. I certainly am left with the desire to read more Honkaku stories.
Thanks to NetGalley and Pushkin Vertigo for providing an eARC in exchange for an honest review.
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