#locked room murder mystery

[mzminola]

So I do see a strong resemblance in Gideon the Ninth to the Asteroid Murder Arc of Homestuck. However, I don't consider pointing that out to be a dismissal of the book. As a sci-fi and fantasy fan it's really obvious that much of the genre is in dialogue with earlier works.

Caveat: I can only specifically compare Gideon the Ninth, not The Locked Tomb series overall, because while I adored Gideon herself, the first book upset/pissed me off too much to pick up any of the others. That's due to ableist tropes common in horror genres, insufficient relationship building, growing sense of hopelessness, and the narrative consistently punishing or mocking Gideon for her kindness and compassion.

For all I knew most of those objections could have been eased or flipped in the later books, but the first one did not incline me to try.

Anyway! On to the Homestuckness!

First of all, Gideon the Ninth is structured as a puzzle videogame where you are collecting keys to unlock information. Homestuck is structured as a puzzle videogame with more variety in tasks.

Our Locked Tomb characters & Homestuck Trolls are all members of a Space Empire with a singular leader/figurehead, in which extreme violence is part of daily life for the empire's common citizens.

Our focal character (Gideon, Karkat) grew up bottom tier of the empire, determined to prove themself in war, turn out to be related to a famous/important person (Gideon: spoilers for later books, Karkat: historical religious leader), and have Very Special Blood/Lifeforce.

Our main story takes place on an Isolated Facility (out in the middle of the ocean on an abandoned planet vs asteroid hurtling between universes). Most of the characters are Representatives of a Set (one each of the Zodiac, two each of the Nine Planets). While at the Isolated Facility, someone begins murdering the others. Our protagonist needs to figure out who’s doing it and stop them without getting murdered themselves.

Note: Gideon & Karkat have wildly different personalities, and I'm not interested in seeing if the other Necromancer-Cavalier pairs map to other Homestuck characters. An argument could be made that it's a role swap fic where Dave Strider (wears specific sunglasses style, fights with sword, tries to be cool badass but is at heart a giant goober) is in Karkat's role & genderbent, but by then we're really getting into Stock Characters and it wouldn't be obvious without the rest of the context.

Now, I would not be surprised if there are other stories that look similar (probably a lot of sci-fi sans the videogame aspect, or actual survival horror videogames) but knowing the author was a fellow Homestuck makes the similarities to the Asteroid Murders Arc REALLY pop.

Do the later books resemble other Homestuck arcs? ¯\_(ツ)_/¯ You'd need to ask someone else.

Okay, since there are multiple Locked Tomb fans hanging around OTNF´s blog:

How do you lot feel about the eternal "it´s just homestuck fanfic"?

Because I´ve never read Homestuck and while I know TazMuir used to be a homestuck-person who wrote some pretty influential fics, I do tend to believe that TLT is its own thing. (With some obvious nods.)

(But since I´ve neither read Homestuck nor her fics...)

To me it feels kinda dismissive, in the it´s not literature, it´s just fanfic thus it can´t possibly be good style.

Which: 1) I think we can all agree that there´s some high-fucking-quality fanfic out there 2) Doesn´t mean that someone who has written fanfic can never write anything original ever (or that they have to hide their background in fanfic to be taken seriously)

So I´d like some input/discussion, i guess ¯\_ (ツ)_/¯ because it does kind of rub me the wrong way.

Thank you and best wishes to OTNF for letting us hang out in her inbox :)

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As someone who writes original stuff heavily influenced by the fandoms I've been in... yeah, I tend to assume authors picked up some of their tricks and tastes in fandom but not that a major original work is literally just fic with the names changed. A lot of things do start as fic plotbunnies (no clue about Locked Tomb), but they get reworked at the outline stage. It's a very different situation from people filing the serial numbers off of existing fic or even writing a bunch of blatant expies.

[solsketchbook]

LINK TO THE GAME

Locked Room on Rails, my short murder mystery visual novel, is now playable in 1080p! Whether you downloaded the older 720p version, or haven't gotten around to downloading it yet, I highly reccomend grabbing this update to experience the larger, crisper visuals!

[food4dogs]

Wishing you a happy and wonderful Christmas - with fiendish murder plots in Japan! 😁

.. on my YouTube channel.

[elliepassmore]

A Drop of Corruption review

5/5 stars Recommended if you like: murder mystery, locked room mystery, greenpunk, fantasy

Tainted Cup review

Big thanks to Del Rey, Netgalley, and the author for an ARC in exchange for an honest review!

This book picks up about a year after the events of Tainted Cup. This was a bit confusing for me at first because I thought it was happening soon after but Din kept referencing stuff that had happened that I didn't remember, which led to me realizing there was a decent time jump between the two books. On the one hand, I appreciate this because it meant Din and Ana were more familiar with one another and we get to see them as an established investigative duo. On the other hand, Din in particular seems to have changed a good amount and it was jarring to have had that happen off-page.

Din, I thought, seemed settled in his role as an investigator alongside Ana by the end of Tainted Cup. However, this book opens with him wanting to transfer to a Legions division and to help defend against the leviathans that walk from the sea and wreak havoc every wet season. I was definitely thrown off by this and was kind of turned off by it for a bit as well (why would you want to fight leviathans when you could solve bizarre mysteries?!), but luckily it's not really a big plot point. Overall I felt we got to know more of Din in this one than in the first one. He thinks more about his family, as well as his and Ana's previous mysteries, so we get more insight into who he is as a person.

We also get more insight into Ana, both in terms of who she is as well as what her modifications are. I definitely figured some stuff about Ana out waaaay before Din did, but I also have the advantage of reading what's happening and being able to see the big picture, whereas Din is living it and has so much going on. As before, I liked Ana and thought she brought some nice humor to the book. Her investigative methods are definitely a little odd, but damn if she isn't good at figuring things out. She's a fun character to read, and I liked that she was in this one more than she was in Tainted Cup (or at least it felt like she was in this one more).

The mystery in this book is a locked room murder. A Treasury official disappeared from his hotel room when both the windows and doors were locked, leaving behind only a large bloodstain. From there things only become more complicated as the investigation reveals bigger and more complex mysteries the more it tries to find answers.

The setting was interesting in this one and quite different from what we saw in Tainted Cup. Ana and Din are in a city balancing very carefully between local rule and imperial rule. There are people on both sides who want imperial rule to prevail and also people on both sides who would prefer the empire leave the city well enough alone, despite the empire's reliance on the city's exports. Outside of the city is a dense, deadly jungle rife with smugglers who take aim at both local and imperial goods. The political situation is definitely more tricky than in book 1, but I enjoyed getting a bigger picture of the world and found it interesting to learn about the way augments are processed and created.

I think I figured out the mystery around the 65-75% mark. I did guess the answer in Tainted Cup as well, but there were still parts of it that I didn't know in that book. In this one I had pretty much the entire thing figured out and so was less impressed by the investigative acumen of Din and Ana. I would've preferred it being a little more difficult to figure out so that there would still be some surprises left when things were revealed.

Overall I enjoyed this book and think it's a good addition to the world. Despite solving the mystery with much of the book still left, I still enjoyed following Ana and Din as they tried to tie everything together. I know there's at least a third book, and I'm hoping this gets turned into a longer series with lots of different Ana-Din adventures!

[smile-files]

friday night i randomly thought up an entire short story about tragic lesbian college dorm murder and i don't know what to do about it

[taletuner]

The Mysterious Affair at Styles by Agatha Christie

Agatha Christie's debut novel, The Mysterious Affair at Styles, published in 1920, is a masterpiece that introduced readers to the world of Hercule Poirot, one of the most iconic detectives in literature. Set in an English country house during World War I, the novel offers all the elements that would later become hallmarks of Christie's style: a closed circle of suspects, a baffling murder, and an ingenious resolution.

The story revolves around the murder of Emily Inglethorp, the wealthy matriarch of Styles Court. She is found poisoned in her bedroom, and the circumstances are as puzzling as they are sinister. With a house full of potential suspects—each with their own motives and secrets—Poirot, a retired Belgian detective and refugee, is called upon to solve the case. The story is narrated by Arthur Hastings, a character who often accompanies Poirot in later adventures, and his perspective adds a layer of accessibility to Poirot’s more esoteric methods.

One of the novel’s strengths lies in its intricate plotting. Christie meticulously lays out clues and red herrings, inviting readers to piece together the mystery alongside Poirot. The use of the classic "locked-room" trope is handled with precision, creating a sense of claustrophobia and tension that propels the narrative forward. Every detail, from the timing of events to the seemingly inconsequential actions of the characters, plays a crucial role in the unraveling of the mystery.

Poirot himself is a compelling figure, with his meticulous attention to detail, logical reasoning, and somewhat eccentric personality. His methodical approach contrasts sharply with the chaos of the crime, and his ultimate revelation of the murderer is as satisfying as it is surprising. Christie expertly uses Poirot's foreignness—both as a Belgian and as an outsider to the English upper class—to highlight different cultural perspectives, which adds depth to his character and the story.

The novel also offers a fascinating glimpse into post-war England, capturing the social dynamics and tensions of the time. The characters are well-drawn, each with their own distinct personalities and hidden depths, which makes the unraveling of their secrets all the more engaging. The setting of Styles Court, with its grandeur and decay, serves as the perfect backdrop for a murder mystery.

If there is a critique to be made, it might be that the novel's pacing can feel slow at times, particularly in the detailed exposition of the suspects' alibis and motives. However, this deliberate pacing also allows Christie to build suspense and carefully layer the complexity of the plot.

In conclusion, The Mysterious Affair at Styles is a brilliant debut that not only introduces one of literature's greatest detectives but also establishes Agatha Christie as a master of the mystery genre. The novel's clever plotting, memorable characters, and satisfying conclusion make it a must-read for any fan of detective fiction.

Click here for full story

[longroadstonowhere]

okay, i finished shiver - rode a little closer to the thriller half of the thriller-mystery spectrum, but a better read than i feared when reading the Painfully Straight earlier portions of the story

really hoping the next story on the list actually has a real locked room mystery, though, like please

[ninked420]

I may have a problem. These are so good.

[pochapal]

one ambiguity in the story here is whether or not any military infrastructure was built on rokkenjima before kinzo seized it as his domain and built his mansion there

[joelletwo]

rubbing hearts into my desk with my finger cutely but at enough speed to make friction sparks. cooooouuuuuulllllddddd i do anything w hotarubi and gintama.

[jackheathwriter]

Out TODAY! 🎉 Thanks to all the incredible people at Allen & Unwin, Audible, and Curtis Brown Australia. In a world where ChatGPT exists, human writers need to focus on quality over quantity, take creative risks, and write from their own experience rather than regurgitating things which have been done before. But I would never have had the guts to write something so deeply personal if I wasn't dead certain that these three fantastic teams would have my back every step of the way, turning this story into the most enthralling version of itself. Thanks also to all the wonderful authors who provided quotes, and most of all to my wife for encouraging me (egging me on, in fact). Find at your favourite bookshop in Australia/New Zealand, in the Audible app, or online at jackheathwriter.com/books . And if you're in Melbourne, Sydney or Canberra, grab a slice of wedding cake at one of the launches: jackheathwriter.com/events . If you have thoughts about the book, I'd love to hear them--tag me in your posts!

[solsketchbook]

After finishing his vacation, homicide detective Santiago Moore boards the luxurious express train, The Jacob's Ladder Express, to head back home. However, he's awoken by a sudden murder, and must figure out what happened in this Locked Room on Rails.

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My newest short game, Locked Room on Rails, is available to play for free ON ITCH.IO! If you're a fan of murder mysteries then go check it out!

[bargainsleuthbooks]

#AgathaChristie: A Very Elusive Woman by #LucyWorsley #BookReview #AudiobookReview #QueenofCrime #Biography #Writer

" A new, fascinating account of the life of Agatha Christie from celebrated literary and cultural historian Lucy Worsley." #AgathaChristie #LucyWorsley #Biography #Bookreview #AudiobookReview #MysteryWriter #HerculePoirot #MissMarple #2022Books

A new, fascinating account of the life of Agatha Christie from celebrated literary and cultural historian Lucy Worsley. “Nobody in the world was more inadequate to act the heroine than I was.” Why did Agatha Christie spend her career pretending that she was “just” an ordinary housewife, when clearly she wasn’t?  Her life is fascinating for its mysteries and its passions and, as Lucy Worsley…

[recommendmeanime]

Not even dear Detective Conan is solving murders all the time, but these mystery anime series are all about catching killers.

[jenmedsbookreviews]

The Chamber by Will Dean

Happy publication day Will Dean. The Chamber is out right now and it's one heck of a suspenseful and tense read. @willrdean @hodderbooks @mandie163.mg #books #bookreview #thechamber #publicationday #bookstagram #booksofinstagram

Today I am delighted to be sharing my thoughts on the brand new thriller from Will Dean, The Chamber which just happens to be out today. Happy publication day Mr Dean. And because it’s a special day, Mandie is joining in too with her review. Our thanks to publisher Hodder & Stoughton for the advance copy via Netgalley. Here’s what it’s about: Source: NetgalleyRelease Date: 06 June 2024Publisher:…

[justfinishedreading]

The Honjin Murders by Seishi Yokomizo

The novel sets up an interesting “locked room” style murder, one in which a murder has occurred in a closed room with no clear indication of how the perpetrator came in or out. Visually this novel has a lot of cinematic elements; a traditional Japanese estate out in the countryside in the 1930s, a Katana stuck in the snow and the eerie music of a Koto instrument. Unfortunately I wasn’t a fan of the novel’s amateur detective, the scruffy and almost flippant Kosuke Kindaichi, or the story structure, opening with narration from a writer who has learnt of the Honjin Murders and decides to retell it with dialogue and reactions that clearly had to made up since there was no record of certain interactions. But what I disliked most was the irony: The Honjin Murders is essentially a book about misogyny, clear in it’s themes, with a good message, but written by an author who barely allows his female characters to speak, with most given so little personality they are nothing more than “the wife”, “the cook”, “the maid”. Sure this is a product of its time and of a certain culture, maybe it even does this intentionally, but I can never fall in love with a book that uses this as a character’s sole description: “As for his wife, Akiko, there was nothing particularly distinctive about her; she was just an ordinary woman, obedient to her husband.”

Review by Book Hamster