Introduction to Recent Mystery Works I Read
1. Locked-Room Murder of a Model Woman
Synopsis
- A headless corpse of a model woman is found in the event hall, Takakaido
- It was in a locked-room state. The key was with a deceased graduate student, Koji Terabayashi
- At the same time, a locked-room murder of a female graduate student occurs at M Industrial University
Main Characters
- Koji Terabayashi: Suspect in both cases
- Professor Nishikawa: Detective role
- Mae Inono: Female role. Tends to meddle in the case
- Kiyo: Brother of Aka. A model at the model exchange meeting
Features
- Unusual in that Professor Nishikawa shows interest in the case from the beginning
- Many action scenes
- Many related characters appear
Impressions
- Feels like rolling on the palms of geniuses
- The story develops quickly, and you can't stop reading
- The ending was genius and unpredictable
2. Incident at the Nano Craft Theme Park
Synopsis
- A body disappearance incident, called the Sidragon incident, occurs at a theme park
- When Moe Nishinosono and her friend Yo Maki visit the theme park, a new incident occurs
Main Characters
- Professor Nishikawa: Detective role. Finds a hidden message from a genius doctor
- Doctor Mashiki: The genius character in the series
Features
- Set in a theme park in Nagasaki Prefecture. Depicts three impossible crimes
- A robust mystery possible only because of its ultra-long length
Impressions
- The presence of Doctor Mashiki made the story interesting
- Very fulfilling to read, but the murder case outcome was controversial
3. Story of a Female Prisoner Who Killed Two Little Girls
Synopsis
- The protagonist, Kasumi, goes to receive the remains of a death row inmate, Kyoko Mihara
- Kyoko's last words before execution were, "I kept my promise, praise me"
- Kasumi heads to Aomori Prefecture to investigate Kyoko's hometown and the incident
Main Characters
- Kasumi: Narrator. Distant relative of Kyoko
- Kyoko Mihara: Death row inmate who killed two little girls
Features
- A sad mystery. A journey to find the meaning of Kyoko's last words
- Delves into the details of the incident and Kyoko's mysteries
- Multi-faceted depiction from the testimonies of those related to the incident
Impressions
- The weight of the story increases as the truth of the past incident is uncovered
- Although hard to read, it was satisfying to touch the truth
4. Kidnapping of a Picture Book Author’s Son
Synopsis
- Yoko, whose picture book "Blue Sky Ribbon" was a hit, has her son, Yuta, kidnapped
- A threatening letter arrives, saying, "If you don’t reveal the truth, your son’s life will be forfeit"
Main Characters
- Yoko: Picture book author and mother of the kidnapped son
- Harumi: Newspaper reporter and Yoko's best friend
- Masanori: Yoko’s husband and politician
Features
- Depicts past childhood and backgrounds of being abandoned by parents
- Tension-filled progression of the kidnapping and mystery solving
Impressions
- The actions of the characters keep the reader in suspense
- Some felt the latter part of the story was a bit packed
- The final scene was memorable
Overall Review
- The last two volumes of Hisashi Mori's "S&M Series" were particularly impressive
- Achieved a great sense of accomplishment from completing the long series
- Each work was very interesting as a mystery novel
Looking forward to the next mystery works and intends to continue reading mystery novels.