古書堂事件手帖III：扉子與虛幻之夢

Biblia Koshodou no Jiken Techou #10

by En Mikami, 三上 延, 越島はぐ (Illustrator)

上千本的私人藏書，交織出奇妙的案件，
誰能看透深藏其中的真相？
某間舊書店的繼承人過世後，留下了上千冊的藏書，
這批該由身為高中生的兒子繼承的書籍，
少年的祖父卻執意要在舊書特賣會中出售。
身為舊書店老闆的祖父，為何不願讓孫子繼承兒子的珍藏？

在其他舊書店老闆們試圖說服祖父打消念頭時，
碰巧聽到委託內容的舊書店老闆女兒，
正不動聲色地朝著謎團靠近──

一本本的舊書，承載著逝者的心願，
與生者的冀望。

256 pages, ebook

Published February 23, 2024

About the author

三上 延（みかみ えん、1971年 - ）は、日本の小説家。神奈川県横浜市出身、藤沢市育ち。武蔵大学人文学部社会学科卒業。大学時代は文芸部に所属。

中古レコード店、古書店勤務を経て、『ダーク・バイオレッツ』で第8回電撃小説大賞3次選考を通過し、2002年に同作でデビュー。ホラー風の作品が多かったが2011年に発表した古書ミステリー『ビブリア古書堂の事件手帖』が人気作になる。同作は2012年に本屋大賞にノミネートされている。
2012年、「足塚不二雄『UTOPIA 最後の世界大戦』（鶴書房）」（『ビブリア古書堂の事件手帖2』に収録）で第65回（平成24年度）日本推理作家協会賞短編部門にノミネートされる。

Reviews

[Angel 一匹狼 · Rating 2 out of 5]

I was going to give this book the same rating as the other three I have read by the same author in the series, but the ending is really weak. The characters' motivations are becoming bloated and comical and Chieko is clearly a villain in an operetta whose secret plan is, or it seems to be, pretty ridiculous. Every time she appears I just hope she has grown a moustache so she can twirl it. Part of the problem is that Mikami En is writing longer plots. If in the two first books there were short stories with interesting characters and change in the scenery, here it all revolves around a little kid and the library his father left him after dying. Also Tobirako is less interesting than Shioriko, in part for being just a copy-paste of her mother. But well, even with the stories not being so well rounded, if the ending had been good... But it is pretty over-the-top and absurd and it relies also on all characters keeping things secret instead of talking clearly.

The best: books and mysteries are very alluring

The worst: Chieko is a silly character; the three stories (particularly the big ending) are meh; maybe Mikami En is not very good at finishing their stories

Alternatives: other books in the series are better than this, and they are pretty easy to read/engaging

5/10

(Japanese; original)