A Must-Read Mansion Mystery Novel Where Betrayal and Despair Intertwine: The Decagon House Murders / Yukito Ayatsuji
This time, I am introducing a "must-read mansion mystery novel where betrayal and despair intertwine."
It is the fifth installment in Yukito Ayatsuji's highly popular "Mansion Series," andit is a work that won the 45th Mystery Writers of Japan Award for Best Novel.
And it has been decided that "The Clock Mansion Murders" will beexclusively distributed on the video streaming service Hulu starting in February 2026!!
There is no doubt that this will be a highlight right at the beginning of 2026.
I hope both those who are about to read the book and those who have already read it will enjoy this article.
The following sections cover the "Author," "Overview," "Story Synopsis," and "Impressions," and contain no spoilers.
"The Clock Mansion Murders / Yukito Ayatsuji"
Author
| Yukito Ayatsuji
Date of Birth:December 23, 1960
Place of Birth:Kyoto City, Kyoto Prefecture
Highest Education:Graduated from the Faculty of Education, Kyoto University
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Major Awards:
45th Mystery Writers of Japan Award for Best Novel ("The Clock Mansion Murders")
9th Honkaku Mystery Award for Best Novel ("The Dark Mansion Murders")
15th Honkaku Mystery Award for Best Novel ("Another episode S")
25th Ayukawa Tetsuya Award ("Gankyu Kitan")
He is the author of "The Decagon House Murders," the mystery novel that gave me the biggest shock I have ever experienced.
It goes without saying that it is a super famous work.
Overview
Paperback Release Date: June 15, 2012 ("The Clock Mansion Murders (New Revised Edition) (Vol. 1)")
Publisher: Kodansha (Paperback)
Major Awards:45th Mystery Writers of Japan Award ("The Clock Mansion Murders")
Story Synopsis
The Clock Mansion, a mysterious building standing on the outskirts of Kamakura.
Takaaki Kawaminami, who knows of the tragedy at Tsunojima's Decagon House, visits this mansion as a member of an occult magazine's "reporting team."
On the night of a séance where they make contact with the ghost of a girl said to haunt the mansion, a beautiful psychic suddenly disappears.
And then, inside the closed mansion, the curtain rises on a terrifying murder play!
Impressions
A closed-off mansion—a series of murders occurring in a bizarre space filled with clocks—I think the setting alone creates an intense sense of tension.
You will experience a sense of pressure that makes it impossible to stop turning the pages, as a continuous feeling of suspense—'Who is doing what, and when?' or 'Who will be in danger next?'—rushes over you.
This work is not just a 'mansion-style' mystery; the cleverness of the tricks and structure that repeatedly betray the reader's thoughts and predictions stands out.
After finishing it, you will inevitably find yourself ruminating on the story, the characters, and the intricately intertwined mysteries, and you will surely find yourself thinking deeply about 'why things turned out this way' and 'what the Clock Mansion really was.'
By reading this book, I think you can once again savor the appeal of the 'mansion-style mystery' genre—the closed space, the despair, the betrayal, and the truth without salvation.
I especially recommend this book to mystery lovers.
The 'Mansion Series' Volumes 1–4
Regarding the reading order of Yukito Ayatsuji's 'Mansion Series,' I basically want you to read them in the order they were published.
The previously introduced 'The Decagon House Murders' is the first volume, and the 'The Clock Mansion Murders' I am introducing this time is the 5th volume, so I will list up to the 4th volume here for now.
If you are interested, I recommend reading the novels by February 2026.
Volume 1: 'The Decagon House Murders'
Seven members of a university mystery research club visit Tsunojima, an isolated island where a strange decagonal mansion stands. The architect who built the mansion, Seiji Nakamura, is said to have died in a fire at the Blue Mansion six months ago. Before long, a series of murders strikes the students. One of the most astonishing conclusions in mystery history awaits the reader! This masterpiece, which has continued to shock many readers since its publication in 1987, is now available in a new revised edition. (Kodansha Bunko)
Volume 2: 'The Water Mill House Murders'
The Water Mill House, a bizarre mansion where a masked head of the family and a lonely beautiful girl live. Will the inexplicable tragedy that turned a stormy night a year ago into a nightmare repeat itself this year? What is the mystery of the man who disappeared from a locked room, and what is the terrifying secret surrounding the late work 'Phantom Group' by the fantasy painter Issei Fujinuma...!? The second volume of the 'Mansion' series, which loudly proclaimed the restoration of authentic mystery, is now available in a fully revised definitive edition! (Kodansha Bunko)
Volume 3: 'The Labyrinth House Murders'
The Labyrinth House, a strange and bizarre underground mansion. Four invited writers compete for a huge 'prize money' by writing mystery novels set in this mansion, but it was also the opening of a terrifying series of murder plays! The third volume of the series, which delighted mystery fans with its careful planning and thorough playfulness, is a long-awaited new revised edition. A masterpiece that symbolizes the early 'New Orthodox' movement! (Kodansha Bunko)
Volume 4: 'The Doll House Murders'
The Kyoto mansion that his father left to Soichi Hiryu—the 'Doll House,' where faceless mannequins stand in various places inside the residence. Brutal random murders continue to occur in the city, and the shadow of a faceless stalker approaches Soichi himself. He asks his old friend Kiyoshi Shimada for help, but the countdown to catastrophe has already begun!? The fourth 'Mansion,' which stands out in the series, is here in a new revised edition. (Kodansha Bunko)
▽ 'Mansion Series' 14-Volume Omnibus Edition (Kodansha Bunko)
It seems that an omnibus edition is available on Kindle.
It might be easier and more affordable than buying books at a bookstore, so this is a good deal for those who want to read them all at once.
Seven members of a university mystery research club visit Tsunojima, an isolated island where a strange decagonal mansion stands. The architect who built the mansion, Seiji Nakamura, is said to have died in a fire at the Blue Mansion six months ago. Before long, a series of murders strikes the students. One of the most astonishing conclusions in mystery history awaits the reader! (The Decagon House Murders) Since the publication of 'The Decagon House Murders' in 1987, this masterpiece series that has continued to shock many readers is now available in an omnibus edition! [Included Works] The Decagon House Murders <New Revised Edition> The Water Mill House Murders <New Revised Edition> The Labyrinth House Murders <New Revised Edition> The Doll House Murders <New Revised Edition> The Clock Mansion Murders <New Revised Edition> (Part 1) The Clock Mansion Murders <New Revised Edition> (Part 2) The Black Cat House Murders <New Revised Edition> The Dark Mansion Murders (1) The Dark Mansion Murders (2) The Dark Mansion Murders (3) The Dark Mansion Murders (4) The Surprise House Murders The Strange Face House Murders (Part 1) The Strange Face House Murders (Part 2)
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