Home › All Books › The Decagon House Murders
The Decagon House Murders by Yukito Ayatsuji book cover
🌶️ Clean
Buy on Amazon Support Indie — Bookshop.org Listen on Audible

The Decagon House Murders

by Yukito Ayatsuji
256 pages 1987 Mystery, Japanese Literature, Classic Mystery 🌶️ Clean Standalone
Sort By Cravings is reader-supported. When you buy through links on our site, we may earn an affiliate commission at no extra cost to you.

The Vibe

Seven mystery-club students visit a remote island with a decagon-shaped house where a quadruple murder occurred a year ago. One by one, they start dying. A deliberate homage to Agatha Christie that somehow surpasses its inspiration with a twist that made it the most important Japanese mystery novel of the 20th century.

Mood Meter

Romance
1/10
Fantasy / Magic
0/10
Pacing
8/10
Darkness
6/10
Humor
2/10
Mystery
10/10
Angst
4/10

Mood Tags

CleverClassicTwistIsolated

Trope Tags

Island MysteryAnd Then There Were None HomageLocked RoomArchitecture

Spice Check

🌶️ Clean

Clean — pure puzzle mystery.

Content Heads-Up

Is This Book for You?

Skip if you dislike:

Ending: One of the greatest twists in mystery fiction
Pacing: Fast

What This Book Feels Like

Moods: Clever Classic Twist Isolated

Tropes: Island Mystery And Then There Were None Homage Locked Room Architecture

If You Loved This, Try These

And Then There Were None
Agatha Christie
Direct inspiration — island isolation mystery
The Seven Deaths of Evelyn Hardcastle
Stuart Turton
Same inventive classic mystery homage
Everyone on This Train Is a Suspect
Benjamin Stevenson
Same meta-mystery cleverness

Frequently Asked Questions

Is it really better than Christie?

The twist is widely considered one of the greatest in the genre — up there with anything Christie wrote.

Is it translated well?

The 2020 Pushkin Vertigo translation is excellent.

Is it the start of a series?

First in the House series — each book features a different architectural murder setting.

Keep Exploring

Books Like The Decagon House Murders More by Yukito Ayatsuji Clever BooksClassic BooksTwist Books Island Mystery BooksAnd Then There Were None Homage BooksLocked Room Books All Books Take the Quiz Subscribe

Never Miss a Rec

Get weekly book recs sorted by exactly what you're craving.

The Decagon House Murders Get on Amazon →