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

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

He Chuan Zhou had the same dream again. In that dream, a youngster would stand in front of everyone's questioning and doubts and said with a high-spirited yet arrogant voice : I will become a policeman !
She felt that this freak was lame, unlike herself, who just wanted to make money.... more>>

Fifteen years have passed, and everything that was supposed to grow had grown.

When they reunited after a long time, he was sitting in the car, a glass window separating them, wearing a suit and leather shoes, holding an unlit cigarette in his mouth, as if gritting his teeth, but his eyes slightly glanced outside, speaking arrogantly and provocatively: "Hey, Captain He. "

The so-called fate tricks people probably means that even though I have not changed my original intention, I still embarked on a completely different path from my dream. <<less

Dream Shattering Sabre is the eighth story in Wen Rui’an’s The Four Great Constables wuxia series. The story follows two of the Four Great Constables,... more>> Ironhands and Coldblooded, as they investigate the strange goings-on at the Xi Family Village, in which the village head Xi Xiaofeng forces his own brother to strip naked and jump into the river! <<less

The once wealthy and powerful Ryuuzen clan has been all but destroyed. Their misfortune began in 1960, when a majority of the family was wiped out when their vacation villa was buried under a landslide. However, search and rescue teams discovered something even more shocking: A majority of the bodies they discovered showed obvious signs of having been mu*dered before the landslide.... more>>

As though it were a trigger, what came to be known as "The Curse of the Ryuuzen Clan" spread throughout the descendants of the family's only survivor. By mu*der, by su*cide, by accident... it seemed none who held the name "Ryuuzen" could live to see the age of 35, and now, the family has been reduced to a single woman, lying in a hospital bed, days away from death.

Kamo Touma was once just another of the endless parade of sleazy tabloid journalists looking to exploit a prominent family's tragedy to sell magazines, but Ryuuzen Rena's kindness melted his frozen heart, driving him to quit his old job and become an investigative journalist specializing in overturning cases of false arrest. Eventually, he and Rena were married, but now, the curse threatens to steal away their happiness.

Kamo prays for a miracle, and his prayers are answered by the Hourglass of Miracles, an artifact spoken of in rumors and urban legends, said to grant one wish to anyone who obtains it.

"Meister Hora", a guide for those who obtain the hourglass, tells Kamo there is only one way to break the curse and save Rena: He must travel back in time to the year 1960 and catch the culprit of the original Ryuuzen Family massacre.

Who was the culprit of the mu*ders that took place almost 60 years ago? Why did they steal away the lives of the Ryuuzen clan? What is the true nature of the "Curse of the Ryuuzen Clan?" And perhaps most mysteriously of all... What is Meister Hora's goal in all this?

Winner of the 29th annual Ayukawa Tetsuya Award. <<less

A landslide occurred while we were returning from the camp. Subsequently, my five classmates and our teacher decided to spend the night in a mysterious manor. But the landowner, who goes by the name of Count, initiates a cruel survival game. The rules of the game are simple: every night, we have to vote on who among us is the disguised werewolf. However, in the special case where the most voted player isn't the werewolf, they'll be eaten by the real werewolf.... more>>

And so, it begins.

We can't leave the mansion until we discover the werewolf!

It's the ultimate survival game!

In this game where our intelligence and friendships will be tested...

Will we trust on our friends? Or be betrayed by them? <<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."

I downloaded a horror game.
Then it became reality.

After a red meteor slashed through the heavens, human progress ground to a halt. ... more>>

Since that momentous day, humanity lost its ability to create rockets, nuclear weapons, airplanes, cars...

The towering pyramid of civilization, meticulously built from the achievements of modern science, crumbled into dust.

Yet, the catastrophe didn't stop there. The grey realm, following the arrival of the red meteor, like a ghostly reflection behind a mirror, dragged the civilized world bit by bit into the abyss of disorder.

In this new age, a human life was no more significant than a speck of dust, yet amidst the ruins, humanity's spirit shone as brightly as the stars.

Amid the crumbling edifice, observers could see a figure—an actor—defiantly standing on the wreckage of civilization, his red cloak as vivid as blood, his expressions flickering between laughter and tears. Behind him, the curtain of the era gently parted. With arms wide open, he whispered to all who would listen— "Let the show begin." <<less

Even if the whole world has failed her,... more>>

There is still Shen Run,

He will not fail her.

This experienced man,

Has experienced many things,

Has seen all the flourishing blossom and neon lights,

Picked one whose heart is like rock and unscrupulous.

The little girl,

Like a delicate flower,

Need careful care,

So that she will not be crushed.

She used to be kept in someone else’s vase,

When he wants to admire, he has to think hard for excuses for a visit.

Now that she has been transplanted into his garden,

Give her fertile soil, rain and dew,

Let her grow as she pleases,

All he wants is to see her from time to time. <<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

There exist in this world a set of six daggers that carry a terrible curse: the ability to inflict a death beyond time. Those under the daggers' curse shall reincarnate without end, never able to know happiness and always drawn to die once more by the dagger. This is the story of "Raine" and "Marie", two souls bound by the daggers' curse to kill one another, over and over again.... more>>

France, 1243. Lapis Lazuli Castle is the name of an insignificant relay fort nestled away in a forest east of Carcassonne. Its ruler, Count Geoffroy, and his only daughter, Marie, are both believed to be insane. The root cause of their shared madness is the mysterious disappearance of Geoffroy's wife three years ago, which caused Geoffroy to grow detached from humanity and cast Marie into a deep depression. After three years of wandering in a state halfway to nonexistence, Marie works up the nerve to ask her chief bodyguard, Sir Raine, to investigate her mother's death, confiding that on the night of her mother's disappearance, she had witnessed something impossible. However, her investigation only prompts a new tragedy.

The French-German border, 1916. As World War I rages on, Raine and Marie's latest reincarnations live the life of a sub-lieutenant in the French army and a medic with the Red Cross, respectively. The two lovers are reunited at the site of the Battle of Verdun, but no sooner have they met then Raine finds himself faced with a barrage of impossible circumstances. An enemy soldier's head suddenly vanishes, right before his eyes. One of his subordinates reports the same thing happening to an ally. Four more headless bodies vanish from a flooded bunker in the minute he looks away. These baffling events are a prelude to the return of their old tragedy.

Northern Hokkaido, 1989. Kimiyo, age eighteen, is already dying, an inoperable tumor in her hypothalamus leaving her with less than a year to live. Refusing to despair in the face of her tragic circumstances, she spends her remaining days with her friends at "The Library at the End of the World", a private library so called due to its isolated nature. One day, a man named Kito approaches her out of the blue, regaling her with a story about a set of cursed daggers, knights in the 13th century, and the two of them being cursed, fated lovers. Naturally, Kimiyo is intensely skeptical, but the events that come next don't require her to believe in them.

Arriving at the scene of these three tragedies is Snowy, an enigmatic figure of indeterminate gender who claims to be "a detective charged with managing the world's chaos". <<less

At the beginning of 1975, Yukiko, the young proprietress of the Sakuradani-kan hot spring inn, fell into a coma for unknown reasons. Her only daughter, Hinami, who was attending a boarding school for girls in Tokyo, was summoned to her birthplace, Sengatake Village, by a telegram informing her of her mother’s critical condition.... more>>

Upon returning to her hometown for the first time in two years, she is told a shocking revelation by the village doctor, Reiko.

Her mother, Yukiko, who had never regained consciousness, was pregnant with a six-month-old fetus in her belly.

[It’s impossible for Mother to be pregnant…! Who is it?]
Saemon, Yukiko’s husband and Hinami’s father, died in a fire the summer of last year. It was difficult for her to accept her mother’s pregnancy as she was in mourning. However, further confusion awaited her.

Three men appear claiming to have imp**gnated her, and begin to fight over custody of Hinami and the vast wealth of the Sakuradani family. <<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

In the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic, the gaming industry has seen an explosion in popularity. One of the most popular games ever released is Mystery Maker, a VR RPG where players can create baffling puzzles in a virtual space and challenge other players to solve them.... more>>

As a promotional stunt for the game's upcoming sequel, eight real life great detectives have been hand chosen by Kurata Chikage, executive director of MegalodonSoft, to challenge each other to a match in a demo of Mystery Maker 2. Among them are Kamo Touma, a magazine contributor well known for his investigative work overturning false convictions, and his wife's cousin Ryuuzen Yuki, a recently debuted mystery novelist.

However, on the day of the demo event, the detectives are all drugged. When they awaken, they find their smartwatches are locked to their wrists and they are shown videos of their families and loved ones being held hostage. They are contacted by a Gamemaster, who tells them that if they wish to save themselves and their families, they must play a death game called "Delicious Death for Detectives".

As scheduled, the eight of them will play Mystery Maker 2's demo, and the Detectives will challenge the mu*der puzzles created by the mu*derer. If the Detectives are not able to reveal the mu*derer and their tricks before the time limit, all players will be killed. However, if the mu*derer is exposed, both they and their hostages will be killed. And if a Detective makes an accusation but gets even the tiniest detail wrong, they will be mu*dered by the Gamemaster's secret accomplice, the Executioner.

Now the only way for the eight detectives to survive is to expose the mu*derer and Executioner lurking among them, even if they must risk their lives and those of their compatriots to do so.

Which is an especially big problem for Kamo, because he's the one who's been chosen as the mu*derer! <<less

A former detective chases after his missing daughter, but what he uncovers in the darkness is…... more>>

Third “Konomys” (このミステリーがすごい!) Grand Prize recipient

A story of descent into lunacy over a single girl.

The 17-year old Kanako has disappeared, leaving behind a trace of drug use in her room. Akihiro Fujishima, a former detective and her father, is in pursuit of her whereabouts. Three years earlier, Naoto, who was tormented by his classmates, fell in love with Kanako, who saved him…

The story of the present and the past intersect, and the outline of Kanako gradually emerges from the blurry darkness. Yet the more one delves into her disappearance, the more unintelligible she becomes. What manner of shocking ending awaits at the end of the tunnel? The recipient of the grand prize of the 3rd “This Mystery is Amazing!”, this work overwhelmed every member of the selection committee. A lurid work of dark emotion that will enrapture the hearts of all who read it. <<less

In 19th century London, incidents caused by monsters were causing a stir in the population. The so-called Snark are a group of people who transplant the organs of criminals, gaining special powers that way.... more>>

A newly recruited detective, whose enthusiasm for his job makes him stand out, is ordered to pair up with one of those Snarks. “Am I supposed to be working with a monster?” In front of the protesting Ash appeared an older gentleman with a cold personality, the complete opposite of Ash himself.

The man didn’t reveal his special powers, nor did he cooperate with the investigation.

“An insincere monster!” “A spoiled young master.”

Will the two of them, unable to stomach each other, keep on butting heads? <<less

Meril Klein, born to the renowned demon exorcist known as the 'Holy Saint,' was always hailed as the "Holy Saint's successor" and the "strongest of the next generation" since her childhood.... more>>

Growing up in this prestigious environment, Meril developed an arrogant and self-conceited personality. However, her first mission, facing a man-eating demon, shattered her illusions of power. She questioned herself, "Do I possess any strength at all?"

In the dire situation of facing off against the demon, Meril found a glimmer of hope in the demon's words: "I haven't killed anyone."

"If that's true, then I will prove your innocence!"

The realization that the demon hadn't committed a sin changed the course of their encounter. Initially just a ploy to delay the inevitable confrontation, this desperate declaration significantly altered Meril's destiny. <<less

During a dinner party at a secluded mountain villa, while the invited guests are engaged in a strange game over an ultra-luxury clock, the owner of the villa, a female writer named Mori Reiko, is met with an unnatural death in her study.... more>>

With this, the curtain rises on a deadly game of deduction!　

Embroiled in the game are Enomoto, a crime prevention consultant (whose main profession is a thief!?), and the lawyer Junko, who tries to solve the mystery of a perfectly locked room protected by the wall of time…

Note: "Wall of time" here means alibi. <<less

In Meng Zhao's eyes, the former Lu Shichen was like a skin wrapped in paper. He looked calm from a distance, but looked disgusting up close. Back, everyone was after Lu Shichen, but Meng Zhao felt that he was so fake that he aroused his disgust.... more>>

Meng Zhao didn't expect that one day he would see Lu Shichen once again. What was more expected was that Lu Shichen had got himself involved in a mu*der case and become the primary suspect in the case. . . And the person responsible for solving the case happened to be Detective Meng Zhao.

Author: You two, please describe your views on each other.

Meng Zhao: A mad dog who is extremely good at pretending.

Lu Shichen: A wild dog that can’t be beaten to death.

Lu Shichen x Meng Zhao: The mortal enemies finally get married.

(The one with the bad temper is Shou)

Suspense, solving the case, the plot line and the emotional line <<less

Seven years ago, Hua Chong, a member of Special Force from the Luocheng City Bureau, was deployed to the Beixi border to support anti-terrorism. Two years later, the mission was accomplished, and Hua Chong was transferred back to Luocheng. However, instead of going back to the Special Force Detachment, he voluntarily transferred to the Criminal Investigation Detachment. Several years later, Hua Chong became the head of the Criminal Investigation Detachment’s Serious Crime Unit. Soon after, a young and talented elite from the Information Warfare Team of the Ministry of Public Security was suddenly transferred into the Serious Crime Unit. The seemingly ‘successful’ mission on the Beixi border five years ago had already changed the... more>> destinies of two individuals.

Protagonists: Hua Chong and Liu Zhiqin. <<less

A figure strolled along a trail, taking in the beauty of the flowers. Wherever she went, mu*ders seemed to follow in her wake.... more>>

She sought out a secluded spot under a crooked peach tree, closing her eyes to rest.

Out of the blue, a bundle came flying over a towering wall, and landed squarely into her arms.

She unwrapped the bundle revealing a freshly severed human head.

“Amituofo.”

Standing on her tiptoes, she steadily placed the head on the branches of the peach tree. Then she flapped her clothes, and airily departed from the scene. <<less

He who fights with monsters should be careful, lest he thereby become a monster. And if thou gaze long into an abyss, the abyss will... more>> also gaze into thee. —Friedrich Nietzsche <<less

God is creating a legend!!!! We need a little faith to give people a backbone, and then add some man-eating demons to get everyone excited! Add some love... and a dash of hatred... rebellion and impulsiveness. Finally, throw in a familiar protagonist with a slightly dark personality, otherwise, it won't be interesting. Oops... went a bit overboard!... more>>

So, in a small alley on the streets of London, Sherlock slowly emerges from the shadows, holding a head in his hand. Blood drips from his spine, tick-tock, tick-tock. Excellent, the killer has been dealt with. The next challenge is to prove that the killer is indeed the killer. <<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