I’ve read a few and am looking for more. I like closed circle whodunnits with a cast of suspicious/shady individuals over police procedure investigations as well as things with a bit of a horror or haunting vibe to them, books that take place in the past rather than something modern day. Obviously there are some exceptions. Prefer books with English text but Japanese is fine too if it's not available in English. Books I’ve already read:
Loved:
- All of Yukito Ayatsuji’s novels in English – Decagon House, Mill House, Labyrinth House, etc. Also enjoyed Doll House and Strange Mask House.
- Also most of Seishi Yokomizo’s novels in English. Haven’t read any of his JP ones.
- Horowitz and Hawthorne series by Anthony Horowitz
- Mr Darcy and Miss Tilney series by Claudia Gray
- Agatha Christie’s Poirot (tbh I read a mix of some books but mostly watched the TV series and older movies)
Liked:
- Strange Pictures by Uketsu
- The Golden Spoon by Jessa Maxwell
- The Stranger Diaries by Elly Griffith but couldn’t get into any of the other books in the series. I enjoyed this one for the haunting and gothic vibes that the rest didn’t have. I also didn’t enjoy how weirdly sexual it got at times with people trying to hook up in the middle, so prefer minimal of “spice” or whatever that’s called.
- Newcomer by Keigo Higashino
- Not the books, but I enjoyed the Ms Fischer’s Murder Mysteries TV series
- Aunty Lee series by Ovidia Yu
- It's not a novel but I enjoyed Glasglow Park and the Knives Out/Glass Onion movies too. I'm also open to other TV shows or movies.
Finished and was mostly neutral on:
- Crooked House by Soji Shimada. The mystery was OKish but all the characters were too deeply unpleasant.
- Devotion of Suspect X by Keigo Higashino
- Strange Houses by Uketsu – started off well but it kinda lost be when it got to the whole hand cutting ritual because of the whole main and branch family history drama. I might have liked that more if we were there for it rather than just reading about it as backstory for why the ritual exists now.
- Surprise House Murders by Yukiyo Ayatsuji – was different than the usual style and I hate kids so didn’t enjoy reading about them.
Couldn’t Get Into:
- 7.5 Deaths of Evelyn Hardcastle by Stuart Turton
- Tokyo Zodiac Killer by Soji Shimada
- Malice by Keigo Higashino
- Everyone in My Family Has Killed Someone by Benjamin Stevenson
- Murder Your Employer by Rupert Holmes
Hated:
- Really anything by Lucy Foley. Sorry I just don’t enjoy how horny the author is in her writing and how juvenile the characters are. It was like reading a badly written YA novel (even if her characters are adults) rather than an actual murder mystery.
- Also anything by Alexandra Benedict. I’ve tried two of them but couldn’t get into any of them.
by mokuroll
3 Comments
You might like Dorothy Sayer’s *Lord Peter Wimsey* books. I’d suggest starting with [Strong Poison](https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/246225.Strong_Poison) to see if you like the style (I think it’s stronger than most of the earlier ones and gives a better sense of where the series is going).
Historical/Cozy:
Bangalore Detective’s Club by Harini Nagrenda
Murder of Mr. Wickham by Claudia Gray
Vera Wong’s Unsolicited Advice for Murderers by Jesse Sutanto
Benevolent Society of Ill Mannered Ladies by Alison Goodman
Dark/Thriller:
Bluebird, Bluebird by Attica Locke
Razorblade Tears by SA Cosby
Shutter by Ramona Emerson
Murder on the Red River by Marcie Hendon
Unsub by Meg Gardiner
Clark and Division by Naomi Hirahara
The Marlow Murder club series gave me a similar vibe to Hawthorne and Horowitz!