The Labyrinth House Murders is a better novel than The Mill House Murders and an entertaining read for all fans of the mystery genre. With mystery writers, editors, critics, and our amateur sleuth, Shimada Kiyoshi, a series of killings takes place at a house designed by architect Nakamura Seiji. As one might expect, the building alludes to the myth of the Minotaur whilst also paying tribute to the mystery genre. In addition, the novel is structured as a story within a story with a surprise revelation at the end that I did not foresee at all. Indeed, it was something "cheap" and silly in some respects, but only if one forgets to always pay close attention to how the narrator of a murder mystery describes characters or scenes. Overall, this mystery has rekindled our interest in Shimada Kiyoshi as a 'great detective' worth paying attention. The creative use of prologues and epilogues and the meta-ness of the narrative were additionally great touches.
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