The Mill House Murders

by Yukito Ayatsuji (translated by Ho-Ling Wong)

Publisher: Pushkin Vertigo
Ginasbookreport Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Genre: Mystery / Second in the House Murders series
Read This If You Love: Locked Room Mysteries / The Decagon House Murders

“The night was drawing to a close. A night that had toyed with them. It was only at dawn that finally, the bizarre culmination of all that had happened in the house would become apparent.”

Every year, Fujinuma Kiichi hosts a gathering in honor of his father Fujinuma Issei—the acclaimed painter. This year, however, is different. All the usual guests gather at the Mill House to view the collection of Issei’s works. Suddenly, there are multiple dead, someone missing, and a theft—all while a typhoon rages outside. They are all trapped. A year later, they once again gather and this time around a mysterious uninvited guest is there to uncover the truth. 

The Mill House Murders is a classic locked-room mystery and the second in the House Murders series by Yukito Ayatsuji. I absolutely love this series. While you do not need to have read The Decagon House Murders to enjoy this book, I highly recommend that you read them both. They are short and fast-paced novels that I read in a day. You will want to gobble them up and get to the solution! The bonus for non-Japanese readers is that you get to learn more about Japanese culture, as well.