This is the first of the five novels that are collectively known as The New Legend of Chu Liuxiang [楚留香新傳].... more>>

Rumor has it that a strange island called the Bat Island contains numerous treasures and luxuries. The island was actually a black-market auction place featuring exclusive items, such as martial art manual that was not supposed to be passed on to outsiders, as well as secrets, of Jianghu. From time to time, the island’s master, who was known as the ‘Bat Prince’, would send exclusive invitations to select guests to visit the island to participate in this auction. All business deals were conducted inside a pitch-black cave to maintain secrecy.

Through a series of serendipitous events, Chu Liuxiang and his friends Hu Tiehua and Zhang San make their way to Bat Island with other companions. Along the way, some of their companions were mysteriously mu*dered. On the island, they eventually uncovered a sinister plot masterminded by the ‘Bat Prince’. <<less

In Jianghu, there is a mysterious clan of unknown origin who practise a strange religion. In every generation, a girl will be chosen from within... more>> the clan to serve as their Sacred Maiden, who must then take a vow of celibacy. The mother of the girl who has been selected to be the Sacred Maiden does not want her daughter to spend the rest of her life in solitude. She notices Chu Liuxiang and thinks he might be an ideal spouse for her daughter, so she sets up an elaborate plan to lure him into taking a series of challenges to assess his suitability. <<less

A series of short stories on the theme of familiar mental issues. Composed of seven chapters. A cunning and strange counselor reveals the true nature of his clients’ mental problems through counseling. However, this may not necessarily yield satisfactory outcomes for the counselor…?... more>>

The chapters are not connected to each other, so you can start reading from any point. The protagonist is basically an armchair detective, but occasionally he goes outside. A lot of mental health miscellaneous.

Chapter 1 to 14 => A story of the protagonist’s encounter with the heroine.

Chapter 15 to 22 => A story of an elderly person troubled by noise in the neighborhood.

Chapter 23 to 31 => A story of a mother who is distressed by her son’s domestic violence.

Chapter 32 to 44 => A story of a woman who desires to learn the truth of her fiancé’s death.

Chapter 45 to 54 => A story of a high school girl who wishes to have cosmetic surgery.

Chapter 55 to 65 => A story of a man who is troubled by the vision of a black cat. <<less

By chance, the poor examinee Zhang Ping encountered Assistant Minister of Rites, Lan Jue – the two became attached since then.... more>>

Zhang Ping, who likes to solve cases, solved numerous mu*ders, with the erudite Lan Jue providing him with much help.

The prelude revolves around Zhang Ping’s flamboyant life from a poor scholar to a Prime Minister. Knowledgeable on the ways of officials, Lan Jue, who’d always only cared about saving his own skin, found his manner and life gradually changing soundlessly… <<less

【Handsome straight cop/Mixed-race metros*xual forensic pathologist】... more>>

They are working together to solve a series of strange cases!

Every serious case tells a story of life and death, laughter and tears,

all awaiting your investigation… <<less

This is the third and the last part of the story arc collectively known as The Legend of Chu Liuxiang [楚留香傳奇]. Although not absolutely necessary, reading the first two books is recommended, since there are references to these books.... more>>

Returning from the Great Desert (see Book 2), Chu Liuxiang and Hu Tiehua have a series of encounters with Li Yuhan and his wife, Liu Wumei, a former apprentice of the Stone Avalokiteśvara (Shi Guanyin). Eventually, these encounters led Chu Liuxiang to the final showdown against the Shuimu Yinji, the mistress of the Holy Water Palace, and solved the mystery of the ‘Trush’.

The chapter started from chapter 63 as the continuation from The Great Desert which ended at chapter 62. <<less

Mamoru Asano, a homicide detective, investigates a case with Yuto Honma, a backup from the Community Safety Division. The two become attracted to each other... more>> as they spend time together. However, Asano still has the ring he was supposed to give his girlfriend five years after their breakup. Honma finds out about it. The two meet, and their love ends up with twists and turns... <<less

Yorozuya is a company specialized in tasks related to the supernatural.... more>>

Tamaoku Mutsu, Yuno Sousuke and Yashiro Hiroto who work for Yorozuya, took on a series of tasks from Toushirou and Nishihara, but Mutsu refused to leave the office.

It’s not really a large job, but everyone was surprised when Mutsu revealed she’s troubled with the loss of her powers. Just as everyone come to terms with it and their daily lives returned to normal, a tochigami, or a guardian kami of a specific area, appears at the company.

Maybe it’s because they spent a lot of time together due to work, but Mutsu and Nishihara’s relationship also had a subtle change as uncertain feelings flourished between them.

And with an oni often appearing at their work, Nishihara to protect Mutsu, unexpectedly…

The things you obtain in exchange for what you’ve lost… <<less

In an alternate 2023, the Your Forma, a miraculous "smart thread" technology initially developed to treat a massive outbreak of viral encephalitis, has become an... more>> integral part of daily life. But these convenient devices come with an invasive drawback—they record every sight, sound, and even emotion their users experience. For electronic investigator Echika Hieda, diving into peoples' memories via the Your Forma and hunting for evidence to solve the toughest crimes is all part of a day's work. The problem is, she's so good at what she does that her assistants literally fry their brains trying to keep up with her. After putting one too many aides in the hospital, the top brass finally furnish Echika with a partner on her level, a brilliant yet cheeky android named Harold Lucraft. Does this unlikely duo have what it takes to resolve their mutual suspicions and avert a deadly technological infection from sweeping across the globe before it's too late? <<less

15 years ago, a dimensional gate that no one has seen before, appeared over the Pacific ocean.... more>>

Beyond bundle of a cloud-like gate that always changes its form, lies a strange world. A world where fairies and monsters exist. The “Leto-Semani”.

[City of San Teresa, Caliaena island]

A city located on a giant island that suddenly appeared together with the gate. Built in the northern part of the island, it became the front gate of both worlds.

[Tilarna Exedilica], a knight squire from another world.

[Kei Matoba], a detective of special force police department.

They have to chase after the same culprit, in this city of the borderline between science and magic.

From the same author of FULLMETAL PANIC! and illustrator of LASTEXILE <<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

There are so many strange things in this world that make us wonder:... more>>

Why does the lone soul hanging in the cold classroom have a smile at the corner of its mouth? 　　 　　

Why does the half-broken corpse hidden in the cave of Ghost Valley feel unresigned? 　　 　　

How can a few puddles of flesh displayed on the lonely rocks of the beach have dreams? 　　 　　

We saw the caged beast in the villa floor forgetting that he was once a human being. 　　 　　

We see people in tattoo stores transforming into demons and ghosts and then painting themselves with human skin. 　　

We saw the couple walking down the aisle with their arms folded. 　　 　　

We can see the lonely people in the dark mine relying on each other’s warm and decadent bones……… In the end what turned an originally good people into a heartless mu*derer? 　　 　

　
Thirty cases, thirty stories, thirty times the most essential interplay between good and evil. 　　 　　

Let’s see how the reality of heaven becomes the heart of hell, how the angel of mercy becomes the cruel devil …… <<less

Set in a fictional European country in 1924, a Japanese exchange student meets a mysterious, brilliant girl who only leaves the library to sleep. Her brother, a detective, relies on her mind to solve difficult mysteries, several of which draw her away from the library. With a drop of sweet romance, you will immediately become addicted to Gosick!!!... more>>

The companion series GosickS fills in some of the gaps before and between Gosick volumes. GosickS I takes place before Gosick I, GosickS II between Gosick IV and V, GosickS III between Gosick VI and VII, and GosickS IV between Gosick VII and VIIIa.

Note: Volume 9 is actually Volume 8 Part 2. <<less

A lackluster detective and devoted mystery aficionado has met his demise. Yet, he finds himself reborn in a classic fantasy realm of swords, magic, monsters, and dungeons, all while retaining his previous life’s memories. He now goes by the name Van, a commoner with an extraordinary talent for magic and a wealth of knowledge from his past life. Despite his lowly status, Van manages to climb the ranks and make a name for himself.... more>>

However, his journey takes a dark turn when an inexplicable mu*der occurs right in front of him. The victim is none other than a Dragon Eater, an immortal transcendent being. Making matters more perplexing, there exists a Prophecy Machine capable of predicting everything, yet this particular mu*der was never foreseen. The baffling question now stands: How was the transcendent being mu*dered in an event that escaped the prophecy? <<less

In Fukuoka, crime reaches new heights in the seedy underworld. In the Hakata ward of the city, there are various individuals with special talent that... more>> consists of professional killers, detectives, informants, and professional revenge seekers. Among those a so-called "killer of professional killers" is becoming more than just an urban legend. Private detective Banba is on the case, but when he uncovers a dark conspiracy, it may be the one curveball he can't hit. <<less

As investigating partners, Zhu Xuan always wondered if her boss, Chu Haoran, had multiple personalities? How could he be so proud and obnoxious one minute,... more>> then caring and tender the next? One day after work, Haoran put up his long legs on her sofa table, announcing that he was living with her now. Xuan: "What about your own home?" Haoran: "There’s no point in resisting!" <<less

I fell into the world of a cyberpunk game that I casually beat the ending half a year ago.... more>>

And let me tell you, it's anything but casual! I may not be a seasoned gamer and I don't remember the game's strategies very well, but I'm about to embark on an epic adventure unlike anything I've experienced before.

The only problem? I'm unarmed and don't have any of the advanced tech that everyone else in this world seems to possess, like nanomachines, cyberware, and biometric IDs.

As a bottom-tier illegal resident in a dystopian and gloomy future city, I'm faced with a daunting challenge of finding my way in a world where I have nothing and can do nothing.

But I'm not giving up just yet! This is my chance to prove my worth and rise to the top, even if it means taking on impossible odds. Bring it on, cyberpunk world - I'm ready for the challenge! <<less

In this story, Leila Cassilia, a detective, despises Arcangelo Urseau. However, when Arcangelo is poisoned, Leila is the only one who can save him by having s*x with him. From this moment on, Leila's life becomes intertwined with Arcangelo's as she must continue to have contact with him until the antidote is developed. While Leila struggles to find a cure for Arcangelo, the chief investigator assigns her to monitor him since he is suspected of creating the poison.... more>>

As Leila spends more time with Arcangelo, she begins to see him in a different light and questions her initial hatred of him. However, Arcangelo makes it clear that he is using Leila for his own purposes, and Leila must decide whether to trust him or not. She must navigate her complicated feelings for Arcangelo while trying to solve the case of the poison and its creator. Will Leila be able to resolve the case and figure out Arcangelo's true intentions?

This story is a gripping tale of love, trust, and betrayal. It explores the complex relationship between two individuals who are forced together by circumstance but are ultimately driven apart by their differences. As Leila and Arcangelo work together to uncover the truth behind the poison, they discover that their fates are intertwined, and they must choose whether to fight against each other or work together to overcome their challenges. <<less

My lady. I have prepared delicious black tea with cakes and outstanding mysteries.... more>>

What’s Hakoniwa Detective Agency?

It is a detective agency that handles extraordinary cases. It accepts cases that are related to the supernatural, urban legends, or rumors that people do not consult with common detective agencies. It also provides delicious black tea and desserts to our clients.

Koushirou Kujou
He is the butler of Hakoniwa Detective Agency, but is also a famous detective. He is not only erudite, but also insightful with eloquence. He is overprotective of Yui, but is very invective to Akira.

Yui Mikami
She appears to be a petite girl; however, she is able to see and be possessed by spirits. She is the master of Hakoniwa Detective Agency. She is fond of desserts.

Akira Satou
He is searching for “the phantom of that day” which stays by him at the time he was once distressed. He is a high schooler finally arriving at Hakoniwa Detective Agency. He has a positive way of thinking and is resilient. <<less

A face-less female ghost wearing a mini-skirt is known to roam around at night in this city. Kalin Nanase is the ghost of a celebrity... more>> who died an unnatural death. A detective named Saki Yumihara encounters the ghost of Kalin and is saved by a girl named Kotoko Iwanaga. Kotoko was kidnapped by ghosts when she was a little girl and has ever since served as a mediator between people and ghosts. Kotoko also happened to be dating Saki’s ex-boyfriend Kurou Sakuragawa. Kotoko and Saki work together to solve Kalin’s case. <<less

"Onizuka Yamato's level increased by 1 for killing Shinichi Gotoda."... more>>

I'm just a company employee who happened to kill someone, and as a result, I choose to live my life by killing people and continue to raise my level.

If I'm going to kill, I'm going to kill bad guys! <<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

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

I seem to have killed the original male protagonist.... more>>

A man lay on the ground, bleeding profusely, while I held a dagger in my hand.

“What is this body? Where is this place, and who is this man?”

Before I could grasp the situation I was in.

“Your Excellency? Is something wrong? I’m coming in!”

I was going to be framed as a mu*derer.

A voice, mysterious in nature, echoed in my head, like it was reciting words from a book.

[There was only one way for ‘Julia Reitz’ to escape the Duke of Bolev’s residence.]

I barely fled the mu*der scene whilst following the narration, but the voice continued speaking words I could not comprehend.

[What Julia Reitz sought for could only be fulfilled by Amon Spencer.]

Amon Spencer, the knight pursuing me.

Hold onto him.

***

“Do you mean to pursue the criminal as a team?”

[Julia spoke of the real cause behind Duke Bolev’s death.]

“Yes, I have information.”

We decided to form a temporary alliance for mutual benefit.

That was obviously it…

[Behind Amon’s firm expression, there was a hidden emotion sweet enough to melt anyone down.]

[It was love.]

Their contractual relationship, which she expected to end once the real perpetrator was identified, was changing. <<less