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Kei Enomoto #3
鍵のかかった部屋
元・空き巣狙いの会田は、甥が練炭自殺をしたらしい瞬間に偶然居合わせる。ドアにはサムターン錠がかかったうえ目張りまでされ、完全な密室状態。だが防犯コンサルタント（本職は泥棒!?）の榎本と弁護士の純子は、これは計画的な殺人ではないかと疑う（「鍵のかかった部屋」）。ほか、欠陥住宅の密室、舞台本番中の密室など、驚天動地の密室トリック４連発。あなたはこの密室を解き明かせるか!? 防犯探偵・榎本シリーズ、第３弾！
332 pages, Hardcover
First published September 1, 2011
2 people are currently reading
26 people want to read
About the author
Yusuke Kishi
61 books137 followersHe graduated from Kyoto University with a degree in Economics. After working for a life insurance company for several years, Kishi started his writing career as a freelancer. He has twice won the Japan Horror Novel Award, and boasts bestselling status in Japan with multiple works adapted to the screen. The Crimson Labyrinth marks his American debut.
Awards given to his works:
Japan Horror Novel Award 1997 (Black House), Mystery Writers of Japan Award for Best Novel 2005 (Glass Hammer), Japan SF Taisho Award 2008 (From the New World), Yamada Futaro Award 2010 (Lesson of the Evil), [Kono Mystery ga Sugoi!] Best Japanese Crime Fiction of the Year 2011 (Lesson of the Evil).
Awards given to his works:
Japan Horror Novel Award 1997 (Black House), Mystery Writers of Japan Award for Best Novel 2005 (Glass Hammer), Japan SF Taisho Award 2008 (From the New World), Yamada Futaro Award 2010 (Lesson of the Evil), [Kono Mystery ga Sugoi!] Best Japanese Crime Fiction of the Year 2011 (Lesson of the Evil).
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Displaying 1 - 6 of 6 reviews
October 25, 2018
In this book Kishi presents us with four challenges to his 'locked rooms' problem-solver Enomoto, from the one where the president of a company dies in his house in the mountains, to the one where a karate-performer dies in a dressing room. In all of them we find the same pattern (even though the last story, the karate-performer one, tries to be more humorous and fails miserably at it): there seems to be an unbreakable locked room death/killing mystery where Enomoto has to, with his intelligence and ability to see through the assassin's mind, find the key to the puzzle.
It all works quite well, even though it is not particularly engaging or original. The thought that most probably will cross your mind while Enomoto finds the solution to the 'mystery' is why the killer made it to look so suspicious in a couple of the cases. The writing seems a little sub-par for Kishi's level, and there is too little in the character's development section. Enomoto and Junko are just there, the mystery is presented, and the solution is found. Not even the locked room cases are particularly original or surprising, and the solutions are a little bit a stretch of the imagination.
Not a bad book, just not particularly memorable.
The best: the way the 'closed rooms' cases are presented
The worst: the last story and its attempts at 'humor'; it is all very dry and detached; there could be more character (or any) development
Other options: Kishi works better with horror than mystery so, if you like horror, go for them; if it is mystery you want, Edogawa (with a drop of horror), Miyabe Miyuki, Akimitsu Takagi, and so many others... Go for classics like 'The Mystery of the Yellow Room', Edgar Allan Poe or Sherlock Holmes.
6.5/10
(Original Japanese Version)
It all works quite well, even though it is not particularly engaging or original. The thought that most probably will cross your mind while Enomoto finds the solution to the 'mystery' is why the killer made it to look so suspicious in a couple of the cases. The writing seems a little sub-par for Kishi's level, and there is too little in the character's development section. Enomoto and Junko are just there, the mystery is presented, and the solution is found. Not even the locked room cases are particularly original or surprising, and the solutions are a little bit a stretch of the imagination.
Not a bad book, just not particularly memorable.
The best: the way the 'closed rooms' cases are presented
The worst: the last story and its attempts at 'humor'; it is all very dry and detached; there could be more character (or any) development
Other options: Kishi works better with horror than mystery so, if you like horror, go for them; if it is mystery you want, Edogawa (with a drop of horror), Miyabe Miyuki, Akimitsu Takagi, and so many others... Go for classics like 'The Mystery of the Yellow Room', Edgar Allan Poe or Sherlock Holmes.
6.5/10
(Original Japanese Version)
November 1, 2021
This was pretty disappointing. The stories were a lot more unbelievable and often felt unnecessarily long. There was a lot of in between and -guess what happened even though I already know, because I'm so smart-. Also, while I'm pretty sure in earlier books Junko had some pretty good ideas/solved things by herself, in this book she felt more like comic relief, solely there to proof how much smarter Enamoto was, and to showcase how silly she herself was.
I think I would have possibly enjoyed it a little more if I hadn't seen the tv series, because I already knew the ending to all of it. (Though for some stories the culprit was already revealed at the beginning, with the only mystery being the how). Overall the TV series is a lot better than the books, so if it sounds interesting I'd just watch the TV series and call it a day.
I think I would have possibly enjoyed it a little more if I hadn't seen the tv series, because I already knew the ending to all of it. (Though for some stories the culprit was already revealed at the beginning, with the only mystery being the how). Overall the TV series is a lot better than the books, so if it sounds interesting I'd just watch the TV series and call it a day.
February 20, 2017
看书之前已经看过电视剧了，相比起电视剧，书中某些情节还是有点牵强比如书中最后那个舞台密室案，书中的解释就很牵强完全没交代凶手是如何那么精准地从舞台中逃脱的，让人觉得案件结束的莫名其妙。其他三个案子还是很精彩的。刚刚看了作者的作品发现有青之炎!!nino演的秀一，那个忧郁的少年简直让人忘不了。打算看这本书以及鬼火之家。好喜欢推理小说!!去年看的阿婆的小说让我欲罢不能啊
October 29, 2021
The TV adaptation actually fixed many plot holes.
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July 6, 2022写本格和写科幻恐怖的贵志祐介是两个人
December 8, 2015
Oh my god, how could short stories about locked-room murder mysteries be so mind-breakingly boring and dull? What a pity, the bookcover is kind of pretty and classy!
I'm seriously considering putting Yusuke Kishi into my blacklist.
I'm seriously considering putting Yusuke Kishi into my blacklist.
Displaying 1 - 6 of 6 reviews