Still, none of the murders actually requires an elaborate setup; any of the seven could’ve done them.

The second English-language edition was published in December 2020 by Pushkin Press, and in July 2021 the manga adaptation, illustrated by Hiro Kiyohara, was announced for publication in America. I don’t know if this is because of the clever conclusion or if there was something majorly lost in translation, but I don’t quite get why this would be one of the standouts. Ayatsuji honors the traditions of mystery’s honkaku, Japan’s take on the Golden Age puzzle-plot, while putting his own spin on the form.The two share one of the most hilarious ‘bonding’ moments, where they discuss their shared love for hand cream (i believe it was hand-cream) which is just. This would have worked better for me if the author think if the author had committed to a sillier tone, as it would have resulted in a more spoof-type of narrative that doesn't elicit a lot of scrutiny. And then, the solution to the novel’s puzzle unfolds in a way so ingenious and logical it can stand shoulder to shoulder with the very best mystery novels. Even the killer in the first chapter reflects on how the best plan is one that allows for flexibility, and considering that they also reference And Then There Were None, I think that comment is a tongue-in-cheek critique of how rigid Christie’s killer was, having to adhere to the details of a children’s nursery rhyme. From this point, the split narrative between Kawaminami’s investigations on the mainland and the carnival of death on the island make the reader ponder and doubt each development.

Not one of the characters was actually clever or possessed any real common sense, many scenes were wasted on each character asking ‘was it you? Another: this one is a gem in the genre of YA crime and mystery novels, and it comes with a manga, a movie and a TV series adaptations. As the self-proclaimed whodunnit enthusiast that I am, I was looking forward to reading this, especially as it promised to be a playfully meta murder mystery.Now, as a mystery I’m actively trying to solve, it can feel very frustrating — and I mean that as a compliment. You can ask my friends whom i was facetiming with during some of the time i read this, my reaction were one of a kind. The translation sounds exactly like the Japanese, to the point where many times I could know for certain what the Japanese word or phrase had originally been. If these were names they had been using with each other for years then why would they suddenly discuss it with no other motive than to inform each other on something they should already be aware of?