Physically confronting your abusive superior might be cool and satisfying when it happens in a drama, but, as Kazuo Sugishita is learning, it's less cool when you're sitting at home afterwards, terrified to learn how you'll be punished when you return to work the next day. The sentence he faces sounds surprisingly lenient - just a temporary reassignment to the company's entertainment department while things blow over. But he changes his mind when he gets the specifics: Kazuo has been assigned as manager-in-training (read "servant") to Shiro Hoshizono, the "Star Watcher": A pompous, showoff-y, completely insufferable talent with no actual talents except using his sickeningly sweet words and foreign model looks to seduce lonely middle... more>> aged women into paying for the privilege of hearing him speak.

The day after his new assignment, Kazuo and Hoshizono leave for Saitama Prefecture, where Hoshizono has been recruited to become an image character for a campground in the mountains, alongside a group of other colorful characters, including a romance novelist with the looks of Cleopatra but the personality of someone's grandpa and a UFO obsessed conspiracy theorist.

But the morning after their arrival, their host is found strangled to death in his lodge, the road back is buried in an avalanche, and... you can probably see where this is going.

Turns out, despite how he comes across normally, Hoshizono is actually a genius detective!

The novel features a unique chapter naming scheme where each chapter is titled as a three to four sentence summary of its own contents, focused upon what information about the case is discovered and what evidence appears, for ease of reference.

A nominee for the 50th annual Mystery Writers Association of Japan Award, long story category. <<less

Lu Tong went to the mountains to study medicine for seven years. When she returned home, she discovered that things had changed.... more>>

Her older sister was harmed by others and died,

Her older brother was put in jail full of injustices,

Her father went to the capital to voice his grievances, but encountered a flood along the way,

Her mother went crazy overnight and died in a fire.

Lu Tong packed up her medicine box and went to fight in Jingzhou.

Pay back your debts with coin, pay back your mu*ders with your life!

If there is no judge, I will be King Yan!

***

One after another, the noble families in the capital encountered troubles.

The commander of the Imperial Guard, Pei Yunying, secretly investigated the matter. A female doctor at Renxin Medical Center became his main suspect.

However...

Before he could find any evidence, she took action against him. <<less

The investigation of a severed limbs case was stalled. Lu Junchi, captain of the Major Crimes Unit, went to the Chinese police academy to ask for advice. Captain Lu originally thought he would get the advice of a respected old professor. Unexpectedly, he met the sick and weak beauty, Su Hui, who gave him some advice.... more>>

Before the reasoning, Lu Junchi belatedly wondered if this Beauty Su was just a pretty face. After the actual evidence, Lu Junchi belatedly thought that this Beauty Su wasn’t a pretty face, he was the one who was silly and foolish.

Lu Junchi was grateful for Su Hui’s help in this case. He appreciated Su Hui’s talent but was afraid that the weak and sick Su Hui wouldn’t be able to live a convenient life. Therefore, he became a Daddy Long Legs uncle and sent warmth to Su Hui day and night. He sent and sent…

Later, he took the big beauty home.

Captain Lu didn’t know that this crippled beauty Su Hui, who had extremely poor eyesight, was deaf in one ear and could run 200 meters in three minutes, would turn out to be a criminal psychology profiling expert who scared criminals. He didn’t know that Su Hui had multiple identities or that he was an old acquaintance…

Su Hui was proficient in criminal psychology portraits and had extremely meticulous reasoning ability. He went deep into the hearts of the criminals to reveal their secrets. He had the courage to go into extreme danger and walked through a hail of bullets with no fear. His heart was like a rock as he fought against evil, like a reed that couldn’t be defeated. He looked so weak while actually being so tough.

No one knew that his world was actually a foggy mess on the verge of collapse. The surrounding liveliness was like a silent movie to him. This was until he met the person who helped him put everything together, retrieving his lost memories and finding the truth of everything to put him back on the road of life.

Su Hui: Do you know what ‘hope’ is in my dictionary?

Lu Junchi: ?

Su Hui: It is you. <<less

Lu Hui is a genius, but he has an odd temperament. ... more>>

The director of Linhua City’s Bureau of Public Safety, Gao Zhengcheng, personally invited Lu Hui to head the serious crimes division, taking over to solve particularly tricky homicide cases.

And so opens Linhua City’s collection of cases. <<less

In the winter of three years ago, the first locked room mu*der in Japanese history was committed.... more>>

All of the evidence pointed to the defendant. It was certain they were guilty. And yet, they were found innocent and released. Why? Because the crime scene was a perfect locked room no one from the police or the prosecutor's office could solve.

"Since the room was locked, it was impossible for the defendant to have committed the mu*der. It's no different than if they had a perfect alibi." That was the argument of the defense, and that was the argument the judge sided with.

The ruling sent a ripple throughout Japanese society. No matter how suspicious you were or how much evidence you left behind, as long as you managed to create a locked room that no one could solve, you were immune from prosecution. With the common anti-mystery fiction talking point "there's no reason anyone would ever actually commit a locked room mu*der" completely overturned, the rate of locked room mu*ders in Japan skyrocketed.

When the police proved unable to deal with the surge of locked room crime, the Ministry of Justice published an official categorization of all known locked room tricks as an investigative aid. When that proved insufficient, Division Zero of the Tokyo Metropolitan Police Department, a police division dedicated solely to solving locked rooms, was created. When that still proved insufficient, locked room detectives, private investigators specializing in locked rooms, were officially licensed by the state and authorized to participate in police investigations. Calling a locked room appraiser, someone specializing in searching buildings for secret passages, is now a common first step in criminal investigations.

On the other side of the spectrum, locked room agents, assassins and crime planners specializing in locked room mu*ders, have become some of the most notorious criminals in Japanese history, and even a cult worshiping the scenes of locked rooms as a way to purify the souls of the deceased has made rapid inroads into Japan.

The protagonist, Kasumi Kuzushiro, is an introverted, somewhat cynical high school student who loves mysteries. Kasumi often finds himself dragged along on bizarre journeys by his flighty childhood friend, Yozuki Asahina. Due to their staggeringly bad luck, these trips often leave them in the wrong place at the wrong time to be caught up in locked room mysteries. Fortunately, another of Kasumi's childhood friends, Shitsuri Mitsumura, is the greatest locked room expert in the world, and can always discover the truth.

Hm? How did a high school girl become the greatest locked room expert in the world?

It's simple.

She's...

Volume 1 was the grand prize winner of the 2022 This Mystery Is Amazing! awards. <<less

Genius scientist Ruan Xian was in a coma for several years. Once he opened his eyes, his waist no longer felt pain, his legs had healed, and he could jump around. Unfortunately, the artificial intelligence outside ran out of control and ushered in the end of mankind.... more>>

Fortunately, his luck was still strong, and he successfully captured a partner with great survival skills.

Tang Yibu: Our models are old and especially easy to scrap.

Tang Yibu: Remember, the first principle of safety. Never get too close to humans.

Ruan Xian: …...What?

This is a story about a dumb AI x a cynical scientist. <<less

Ling Hua'an possessed peculiar eyes. He couldn’t see the living, but he has the ability to see ghosts. He runs a small supermarket with his profit obviously earned from the living people. But in fact, his massive income actually comes from finding out the cause of death of the wronged souls and helping them enter the cycle of reincarnation.... more>>

There is a saying that has been circulating in the Underworld:

The grocery store’s door is open. Ghosts must not come in if they have no money!

Jiang Chengyan is the captain of the criminal investigation team of Yuncheng Municipal Bureau.

He is busy everyday, and often works overtime. His dinner would mostly be instant noodles he had bought from the supermarket near the gate.

But every time he went out shopping, he would always sense the gloomy atmosphere surrounding the market. But he’s a firm atheist, so it‘s reasonable for him to go. (Actually, I think the supermarket owner is quite a good-looking fellow and has good disposition.)

By an incidental chance, Ling Hua'an suddenly received a huge order. If he could do it, he will no longer have to worry about food and clothing in his lifetime. But it’s quite difficult, thus, Ling Hua’an naturally approached Jiang Chengyan.

Afterwards, Jiang Chengyan who is a firm atheist, had his three views broken, and it was really sweet… <<less

Fifty years have passed since the demon lord’s defeat.... more>>

Working as a lawyer in a country that honors law, justice, and order, Daniel Lockhart became the court-appointed attorney for the defendant of a certain incident.

The girl who proclaims herself the descendant of the hero has been arrested for mu*der charges. <<less

Rudy, who worked as a delivery person in space, got stranded due to an accident in the warp gate. He eventually stumbled upon a planet with an Earth-like environment but couldn’t return home. As he landed on the planet and started to explore, he discovered that it was a fantasy world where magic had evolved.... more>>

It doesn’t really matter what Rudy does or finds on this planet, as the characters, the author, and the readers can all enjoy a leisurely journey. <<less

As an extraordinarily handsome young character, rookie police officer Akechi, along with middle-aged Kobayashi and other amusing companions, faces challenging cases. Will Akechi be able... more>> to solve these cases successfully? <<less

The Rainy Mansion was a house that looked damp and gloomy even on a sunny day. It was a place where the boundary between the living and the dead was ambiguous.... more>>

When a mu*der case happened at the Rainy Mansion, it seemed it could be easily solved because the heritance dispute among the residents was well known.

The detectives investigating the case were perplexed by the strange deduction made by Ayano Hayase, a beautiful woman who was freeloading at the mansion.

“The open roof is a locked-room.”

“There is a granny ghost inside the closet.”

It was said that the criminal cases at the Rainy Mansion would always end up being cold cases. And now, a serial mu*der had occurred there.

A rookie detective, Tanimoto, was working hard to solve the case while being puzzled by words and action of the poker face beauty Ayano. <<less

Many years later, facing the cover reporter of Time magazine, Yi Jiayi would recall the distant afternoon when the head of the serious crime unit took her to see the body...... more>>

At that moment, she heard the wails of the deceased, saw the face of the mu*derer, and gained the ability to mentally revisit the crime scene.

From then on, Hong Kong had one less civilian policewoman who spent her time gossiping over tea and dating after work, and gained a shining star in the police force who solved every case she encountered.

Head of Serious Crime Unit: How did you know he was the mu*derer!?

Yi Jiayi: Because it was a rainy night (omitting the reasoning process, 800 words), so there is only one truth...

The mu*derer trembled, his face turned pale, speechless, surrendered, and resigned himself to his fate.

Yi Jiayi thought: I'm sorry, all of the above was made up.

As the saying goes, explanation is just a cover-up, and a cover-up is just storytelling!

Solving a case is like solving a math problem; others derive conclusions based on known conditions.

She just knows the answer directly, and the process of solving the problem relies entirely on fabrication...

Acting, pretending to be a detective, deceiving the mu*derer... resorting to all sorts of extremes, it's really difficult!

...

Ming Pao Reporter: The police force in Hong Kong calls you "Female Zhuge", saying you are both intelligent and close to supernatural. What do you think, Officer Yi?

Yi Jiayi: Haha, I'm just an (extraordinary) ordinary person.

Reporter: It's said that your home was vandalized by two thugs, and even the Flying Tigers were mobilized.

Yi Jiayi: Haha, that's just the daily routine of righteous officers protecting ordinary citizens.

Hong Kong Daily Reporter: It's rumored that the sons of Hong Kong's wealthiest, the rising young stars, and... are all pursuing you? Which one do you prefer?

Yi Jiayi shivered at the thought of the wrath of the Jealous King, not daring to be careless. She sat up straight, facing the camera, and said firmly:

"It's all rumors! As a detective dedicated to the cause of justice, my only concern is to uncover the real culprit and ensure the safety of the citizens. I have no time for romantic affairs." <<less

Lost in the vast expanse of space, trapped in the icy confines of a metal spacecraft, I was forced to face a horrifying truth.... more>>

That I had transformed into a ruthless alien predator in a space survival game. <<less

“Just dance, like a living doll.”... more>>

On the day she contemplated giving up ballet, a passion she had dedicated her entire life to, that man, the terrifyingly beautiful Enrico Michele, approached like a whispering devil, presenting a cunning proposal.

“Then I’ll tell you about your dead parents.”

A secret he hinted at along with an ambiguous sponsorship.

“Don’t you want to know the truth?”

Even knowing that becoming a puppet for him would lead her further into darkness, she was willing to do so to unravel the mystery of her parents’ death. <<less

“Boss…I’m really sleepy….” My eyelids were starting to feel heavy. After all, it was past 3am. Most normal people would be asleep by now.... more>>

“From now on, don’t call me boss. During this 24 hours date, we are not in a boss subordinate type of relationship.” Suyang whispered in my ears. “If you’re tired, then take a nap. I’ll wake you up when the sunrise begins.”

Then, he tightened his grip and I felt so much warmer in his embrace. “Let me sing you a lullaby.” Suyang suddenly suggested.

“Lullaby? Why lullaby…?”

“Isn’t it common for couples to sing to each other? I read it online.” Suyang explained. Before I gave him consent, he began to sing, “Pig…..your nose has two holes…”

I smacked Suyang, “What type of lullaby is this?”

“Stop interrupting. I purposely chose this song for you. You’re ruining the atmosphere.”

“You’re the one ruining the atmosphere!” I couldn’t help but giggle hysterically.

I turned over and saw how serious he was. It made me laugh even harder. “Stop being so funny!”

—–

Lin Yixin has had the ability to see ghosts ever since the car accident. However, it felt more like a curse than a blessing until Yixin almost died in the hands of a masked killer one day. The killer got away, but Yixin realized she had an advantage no one else had. Since she was able to see the ghosts that were following him, it meant she could pinpoint his exact location. But how was she going to obtain the evidence to prove his guilt? <<less

When Song Caitang woke up, she found herself in a coffin home surrounded by dead bodies.... more>>

A young maid squatted next to her, crying so hard that she was hiccupping. She complained that the local undertaker, the Wu family, was shameless for kidnapping Song Caitang for the sake of their idiot son, and even used their good relationship with the coffin home to trap both Song Caitang and her maid inside. If Song Caitang didn’t agree to the marriage, she would not be allowed to leave!

Out of habit from her occupation in her previous life, Song Caitang began to inspect the dead bodies.

“What a pity.”

“Exactly! Young Mistress is still young and the doctor said you’d definitely recover, so it’s not like you can’t get married in the future to someone better. Why should you suffer for the rest of your life from marrying an idiot!”

“I’m referring to the dead bodies here.”

“…whaaaa?!” <<less

“If there existed a horrendous ghost among the hwarangs, who would it be? Of course, it’d be Seol Yeong-rang who uses necromancy to call upon ghosts!”... more>>

Hwarang Seol Yeong, who was named as the horrendous ghost who’d bring forth a great disaster one day.

There was only one way to get rid of the false accusations and return to his original position.

It was to prove he wasn’t a horrendous ghost by solving abnormal incidents.

Then, Ja Ha, the head of the previous generation’s hwarang, the man who killed a great evil spirit eight years prior and disappeared without a trace, appeared in front of Seol Yeong… <<less

Police officer, would you believe me if I say this is an Iyashikei game?
---
Translator's Summary:... more>>

Han Fei is a comedy actor who is down on luck.

Things seemed to be turning for the better when he was given an expensive gaming helmet to a virtual reality game called Perfect Life, a soothing iyashikei (slice-of-life) game that heals one's soul.

Little did he know what he thought was heaven was actually a hell filled with terrifying ghosts and vengeful spirits. <<less

Every mu*der has its own reasons behind it.... more>>

With the help of criminal investigation, we can restore the killer’s appearance, predict their psychology and unravel the truth.

Captain Song Wen of the Criminal Investigation Department has repeatedly solved strange cases using his masterful ability to simulate criminal portraits down to the last detail. With the arrival of the blooming season, the South City Bureau welcomed a new trainee police officer, Lu Siyu, a taciturn officer who is always able to uncover the truth. And behind him there are also hidden secrets….

Song Wen: Where did this rich second-generation newcomer come from?? No, no need! It hasn’t been seven days. I want to return the goods. There’s no reason.*

A week later — The report written by Lu Siyu is good. The food cooked by Lu Siyu is also good. Ah Lu Siyu, you can also solve the cases so quickly (^o^)

Six months later — Wife, whatever you say is right ヽ(^o^)丿

Even Song Wen couldn’t escape the law of true fragrance*.

Powerful Wolf Dog Chief Gong × Beautiful Yet Cruel, Cold-blooded Pe*vert

The new book “Criminal Investigation Notes” is here for collection.

The process of solving cases becomes refreshing and sweet when emotions come into the picture

Notes :
1. Taobao, which allows customers to return any product within 7 days. No reasons asked! (七天无理由退换)
2. The popular Internet term zhēn xiāng or “true fragrance” is mainly used to ridicule the contradictory behavior of a person who is dead against doing something, but later on falls in love with the same thing and turns back to slap their own face. <<less

The stunning Chief of the Da Li Temple, Su Moyi, has always been the Sheng City women’s spring dream. Yet such a celestial beauty became a demon in the Sheng City officialdom, the No. 1 ruthless official. Every day in the trial, Su Moyi mostly heard was that ‘Lord, spare my life.’ But he never thought that one day, when it was deep at night without anyone, someone could bring this sound ‘Lord, spare my life’ to make his bones soften. ... more>>

*After twelve years of disguise and ten years of tedious study, Lin Wanqing finally became a government officer, bent on overturning the wrongful death of the Xiao family. But she met a very tricky man. One night during a thunderstorm, the drugged Lord Su, with the last shred of clarity, locked himself in the room of the Da Li Temple. However, that night, Lin Wanqing, who was searching for clues to the wrongful death of the Xiao family, happened to be there as well. <<less

Duke Adler, who is called the best man in the Asgard Empire, is as handsome as a statue… no– is a serial killer and hidden villain in this novel. And Princess Charlotte, whom he married out of convenience, is mu*dered on the first night of the wedding.... more>>

…the thing is, I am the princess who was fated to be killed by the hidden villain on the first night.

“It’s an arranged marriage anyway, and we don’t even want to see each other’s faces, so we’ll only meet on the day of the wedding.”

It is clear that the hidden villain is reluctant to marry me. So my choice is…

“I fell in love at first sight. So go out with me!”

Only six months left until the wedding. I decided to do an undercover investigation under the pretext of dating. People don’t believe me, so I’ll have to find the evidence myself.

While I was by his side trying to lay bare the fact that he is a serial killer…

***

“You said you fell in love with me at first sight, what were you doing with another man?” a cold voice flowed into my ears.

“What, what do you mean? It was just a dance to get the banquet going…”

The nape of my neck heated up from his hot breath that touched my earlobes. The cold voice and the contrasting sensation made me even dizzier.

“In his arms, you affectionately called him by his first name.”

“Eub.”

I held my breath because I couldn’t keep my mind from the intense musk scent that wrapped around my body. My whole body was tingling from the strange sensation that ran along the back of my neck.

He tilted his head and said, “If there is another bastard’s scent on your body… I will kill him.” <<less

Xiao Yu traveled to another world, activating a system at the start. But the system didn't go online, which was quite nice. However, when he was ready to become the most dazzling flower and embark on a life of glory in front of others.... more>>

Then…

Mom: Go on a blind date, will you?

Xiao Yu: Can I not go?

Mom: Son, have you ever heard of a big nose bag?

Xiao Yu with tears in his eyes walked to the wrong blind date table where a beautiful older sister sat before him.

When Xiao Yu took his new girlfriend home to meet his mom.

Mom: Who is this girl? Where is your blind date?

Xiao Yu: Isn't she the one you introduced?

Mom: ???

The scene was so awkward it was suffocating. But three days later after their blind date, walking out of the Civil Affairs Bureau with a marriage certificate, Xiao Yu began to question his life.

Wasn't the start supposed to be nice, walking hand in hand to show off? How did it end up in marriage?

Yet, Xiao Yu found that his wife smiled like a female pomegranate! <<less

1. Are you the pursuer?
2. Are you the pursued?
"Of course the pursued!"
The moment I made that choice, I realized, "Ah, I'm screwed."

‘Anyhow … I think I transmigrated into a romance fantasy novel.’... more>>

The problem is—I opened my eyes in a wake room. Within a coffin. At the funeral of this body’s owner. To make matters worse, I had read so many novels that I couldn’t remember which one I was in.

‘Ta-da~ you thought I was dead, right? I was not!’

On the other hand, I think I’m a villainess. My family is cold-hearted, and the servants shrink and shun me, often crying while looking at the air next to me. But it doesn’t matter! I’ll exploit my master in romance fantasy to get rid of my villainess tag!

But then, I found a strange pattern.

“What exactly is this?”

[How to summon •••]
‘Is it summoning formation to summon something like spirits or dragons? That’s good. A villainess needs at least one ability to protect herself.’

“Meow~”

‘But why was I chosen by a three-eyed leopard-patterned cheese cat, rather than spirits or dragons? Well, it doesn’t matter because it’s cute!’

A monster lives in Count Rohanson’s household. A creature lurking beneath the skin of the late Lady Evangeline.

“I’m Gabriel, commander of Paralos Knights. I’d like to know more about young lady Rohanson.”

‘Knight Commander, pitch black hair, azure eyes … Gabriel must be the male lead!’

“How foolish. You don’t even know your place. I’m not interested in you.”

“It doesn’t matter. I’m just curious about you.”

‘How come? Aren’t I the villainess? Go find your partner, the female lead!’

My aim is to use my summoning circle to protect myself! I’ll also look after Pudding the cat and Jelly the werewolf.

“By the way … why does everyone keep trembling whenever they see me?”

A story about a heroine who thinks she’s in a romance fantasy novel and the unsettling events that happen to those around her. <<less

It was 1068, Year 1 of the Xining era. Emperor Zhao Xu had recently ascended the throne of the Song dynasty. The widely respected old-guard of civil officials, Ouyang Xiu, Han Qi, and Fu Bi, were in their twilight years. The unorthodox reformer Wang Anshi was full of vigor, wishing to reverse the tide of decline sweeping over the empire. The stubborn Sima Guang would rather leave imperial government than give up on proper orthodoxy. The literary Su Shi watched from the sidelines, unable to pick a side. ... more>>

With such a talented crop of civil officials, the Song dynasty should have shone brightly. Instead, these geniuses embarked on a mutually destructive course, leaving the Song empire with a gaping, irreparable wound, and leaving future students of history with regret and controversy.

But the sudden arrival of a junior lawyer opens a new path for the Song dynasty. Reformers and conservatives, civil and military officials, domestic and foreign affairs, all shall come under the Law. <<less