Tytułowy krzywy dom to ekscentryczna posiadłość milionera Kozaburo Hamamoto, znajdująca się na Przylądku Sōya – najbardziej wysuniętym na północ miejscu na Hokkaido. Imagine this: complete seclusion, outside – bitter frost, and more and more notable guests invited coming to Hamamoto to celebrate Christmas – perfect circumstances for committing a crime! Of course, the murder occurs on the very first night and we, as readers, are involved in solving the mystery of not one, but three locked rooms.
Alongisde the investigators we wander the labyrinths of the crooked house, look at the arrangement of the stairs, observe every slope of the floor, every vent. All clues seem to lead to a man-sized doll, the Golem, which is said to come to life at night thanks to Kabbalistic rituals. This even gets confirmed by Kiyoshi Mitarai – the last hope of the Japanese police.
Murder in the Crooked House will certainly appeal to all fans of retro-style crime novels who love to be kept in suspense and prefer solving mysteries on their own. Soji Shimada does not disappoint: the ending, although logical, will surprise many enthusiasts of this genre.
