Status Updates From The Mystery of Ura Senke (C...

A non-ending ending as my final one of the book? I don't love that.

Paul Abrams draws weird-looking people, but his scenes can be pretty good. I love the feel of this one, you backed into a shadowy corner by the mob men.

As soon as the Yakuza realized you were escaping, there was no way the police were going to catch them at the safehouse.

This is a gorgeous double-page illustration, especially this half of the page, showing the star-studded night sky and the coniferous trees. I haven't thought much of Paul Abrams's work so far, but this is superb.

Drowned in Lake Biwa. I should have grabbed the motorboat, noise or no noise.

Is there any escaping the Yakuza for me? Mrs. Oda is hard-nosed, but she's bitten off more than she can chew in her plot to steal the valuable tea bowl.

It's time for the seemingly dull route, interviewing Takashi's gem dealer contact.

Admittedly, it's weird that you remarked "cheerfully" on Mrs. Oda's murder, but it's interesting that, pieced together with alternative endings in this book, we know the genuine Yukisoo will be returned in short order, none the worse for wear.

Well, that was hardly my fault! Why did that story path lead to the tea bowl getting knocked out of my hands and smashing on the curb? It feels...random, to all the effort I invested in saving the bowl.

Staking out Mrs. Oda's residence is definitely a hotter lead than talking with Takashi's friend in the gem business. I have no doubt on this decision.

Here we go, then. Off to check out Noriko Oda's story. Unless there's a major continuity disruption, she appears to be the guilty party.

I'm starting to think the real meat of this mystery could be in checking out Mrs. Oda's story. Something sinister is behind her theft of the "Yukisoo" tea bowl, or she wouldn't have been murdered over it.

Maybe we'll stay alive if this time, we treat Hata with greater caution.

"Note to self: watch out for Squidward." Yikes! I had good reason not to untie Hata after we subdued him, but I didn't expect he would strangle us to death.

This book's internal continuity is virtually perfect, but I have yet to find a very interesting storyline. Most of it is slow and low-stakes.

Can Shoji Hata help solve the mystery of the missing tea bowl, from an alternative angle?

I don't actually feel guilty for raising the question about the tea bowl. Takashi asked me to track it down, and I couldn't know he was aware the old man had it at the ceremony.

This is an enigmatic mystery story, as well as somewhat coy and slow-moving, but perhaps it's best to call it tranquil rather than slow.

I only want to speak up about what I think I see if the old man tries to remove the tea bowl from the scene. Otherwise, I'll let Takashi handle his own business.

"The New Year's flake falls into
the rice paddy and melts.
Life is like snow—
It disappears!"

Will it change our course much if you go right to Akiko's house without interviewing her friend first at the restaurant?

My first ending. Is that all there is to the mystery? I hope not. Maybe alternative endings will provide nuance and context beyond what we learn here.

Ah, something of a Who Killed Harlowe Thrombey? center-point for the mystery, branching into four suspects I can choose to question. I'll go with Mr. Sakamoto first, the candidate for Prime Minister of Japan.

For now, I'm going to respect Takashi's preference and see if I can figure out who stole the artifact without involving the legal authorities.

Cover art by Don Hedin, known earlier in Choose Your Own Adventure as Paul Granger.

I've heard this book suggested as one of Shannon Gilligan's finest gamebooks, if not her magnum opus. It's my first read, so I'm curious what I will think of The Mystery of Ura Senke.

حس بازی اوتومه داشت😂🤦🏻‍♀️