Introducing mysteries with interesting settings

When reading mystery novels, you're curious about what the setting is, right?

Gathered on a deserted island, invited to a mansion with a strange structure, trapped in a snowy mountain, forced to kill each other, and so on.
These kinds of settings have been used in many works so far, and of course, they are very interesting, but when you read similar situations over and over, you sometimes want to read something a little different.

So, in this article, I will introduce mystery novels where the situation and setting themselves are interesting I have collected only works that make your imagination run wild the moment you hear the setting, and just thinking about "what will happen in that situation" makes you excited.

I will be careful not to include any major spoilers, but if you are the type who wants to read without any prior knowledge, I recommend you go back.
Here we go!

All characters have little time left to live
"Since I'm going to die soon anyway"
Maguro Kosaka

At a social gathering held at a villa deep in the mountains, one of the participants dies suspiciously. Could the culprit be among us?
It's a common development, but what's interesting is that all the participants have been told they don't have long to live.

Thanks to this setting, it's not just a "whodunit" (who killed them), but also a "whydunit" (why go to the trouble of killing someone who doesn't have long to live anyway), and you won't be able to stop reading.

Not closed, and not even snowy
"In a Closed Snowy Mountain Villa"
Keigo Higashino

From the title, you'd think, "The villa will be closed off by a blizzard or something, and a murder will happen there," right?

But in this work,
it's not snowing, and it's not closed off.
The phone lines are working, so you could call the police if you wanted to, and you could escape immediately if you wanted to.

It's a book you'll want to read in one sitting, where you can enjoy a case that happens in a non-closed closed circle.

If someone has to be a sacrifice anyway, let it be the murderer
"The Ark"
Haruo Yuuki

While exploring the underground building "The Ark," an earthquake occurs and they are trapped, and a murder occurs there... reading just the synopsis, it sounds like a typical closed circle story, but there is one difference: "If you sacrifice one person, you can escape" is the situation.

If someone has to be sacrificed, it should be the murderer who committed the crime. So the story develops with the goal of identifying the culprit.Even though it has the same structure as other works in terms of "identifying the culprit," I am surprised at how much more interesting it becomes just by adding the spice of "deciding who to sacrifice."

Personally, I also really liked that it addressed the problem that has been overlooked in previous mystery novels: "Why go to the trouble of killing someone in a closed circle? Isn't it disadvantageous to the culprit since the possibility of an outside culprit is eliminated?" I want you to read it, highly recommended.

The same author's "Ten Commandments" is also very interesting with a spicy situation setting where "you must not try to find out who the murderer is," so please check it out.

The setting is ancient Egypt, and the detective is a mummy?!
"The Pharaoh's Locked Room"
Naofumi Shirakawa

A murder occurs, a body disappears from a locked room, etc. The events themselves are common in mystery novels. That is, if the era wasn't ancient Egypt and the detective hadn't died once and been resurrected as a mummy.

The good thing about this book is that the setting isn't just bizarre; the truth of the mystery and the tricks are only possible because of this setting. Enjoy a high-quality mystery that doesn't end with just a bizarre setting.

Sword and magic world x mystery
"Who Killed the Hero"
Daken

The setting is a medieval fantasy. A Demon King reigns, there are heroes, knights, priests, and sages. It is a mystery that unfolds in a world that is, so to speak, like Dragon Quest.

Why did the hero die, and who killed them? This is an ensemble fantasy mystery that you won't be able to stop reading as you imagine all sorts of possibilities.

I never imagined using that to create a closed-circle mystery.
"Death Among the Zombies"
Masahiro Imamura

The protagonist is a university student who belongs to a mystery research club. While on a joint training camp with the drama club, they are trapped in a mansion, where a murder occurs.
It sounds like a setting mystery fans have heard a thousand times... but the element that forces them into a closed circle is absolutely wild.

Not only is the setting wild, but the tricks and the puzzle-solving are things that mystery fans will truly enjoy; it is a highly satisfying book.

Proving miracles by stacking logic
"That Possibility Has Already Been Considered"
Migi Inoue

In a normal mystery, the detective solves the puzzle, but in this book, it is the opposite. It is a story where the detective demonstrates that the mystery cannot be solved, thereby proving that a supernatural miracle has occurred.

Regarding the incident that occurred, those around the detective explain, "It would have been possible if this trick were used," or "It could have happened if these coincidences overlapped," but the detective refutes them by saying, "That possibility has already been considered (but it is impossible)."
While reading, you get a strange feeling of wondering what the truth actually is, but you also feel a mysterious sense of exhilaration at the catchphrase, "That possibility has already been considered." It is a unique book.

Mysteries that start with the setting are not bad either

When it comes to mysteries, attention tends to focus on "what kind of trick is it" or "what kind of plot twist is there." Of course, that is a major appeal of mysteries, and I love it myself.
However, I wrote this article because I thought it would be nice to read mysteries triggered by unique settings like the ones I introduced this time.

The moment you hear about the setting, you start thinking, "How would people act in that situation?" or "Why did a murder happen in that situation?" In that way,mysteries where the story starts rolling in your head before you even begin reading have a unique kind of fun, as if you are participating in the story before you've even started.

Also, you can't easily talk to people about tricks or plot twists because they are spoilers, so the advantage is that you can introduce them just by their settings!
I hope this article serves as a reference when choosing your next book to read.
※ The book cover links in this article include affiliate links.