I've only been introduced to Honkaku mysteries in the last couple of years so I would consider myself new to the genre but acquainted enough to give the review some justice. This book is good in terms of plot and the mystery. In terms of setting, there is repetition of descriptions. The one issue where this book failed to impress me is the pacing. You need to be patient for the climax and while it is rewarding, the uneven pacing and the meandering weighs it down. You'll still enjoy it if you have read honkaku mysteries in the past and know the art of remembering many names given at the beginning of the book.

I came to Murder in the House of Omari hoping for a smart, atmospheric locked-room mystery—and Taku Ashibe delivered exactly that, but with far more elegance and depth than I expected. This isn’t just a puzzle to be solved (though the puzzle is excellent); it’s a novel that invites you to linger, to observe, and to feel slightly off-balance the entire time.

Set in a sprawling, isolated mansion steeped in secrets and shadows, the story wastes no time in immersing you in its strange, claustrophobic world. The Omari house is practically a character itself—labyrinthine, theatrical, and brimming with tension. From the moment the murder is discovered, you can feel the walls closing in. And as more secrets begin to unravel, that sense of containment turns deliciously suffocating.

What I admired most is how Ashibe plays with genre conventions. This is very much a classic whodunnit in structure—think Christie or Carr—but the layers of psychological unease, cultural detail, and social commentary elevate it into something richer. Nothing feels purely decorative; every moment, every line of dialogue, is doing something subtle and deliberate.

The detective figure is equally fascinating—calm, observant, and just enigmatic enough to keep you guessing. And the resolution? Satisfying in that rare way where all the pieces click into place and you realize the answer was in front of you all along—if only you’d known how to look.

Thank you NetGalley and Pushkin Press for this eCopy to review

Murder in the House of Omari by Taku Ashibe is an intriguing historical mystery set in Osaka, 1943, during the chaos of World War II. The novel follows the Omari family, once prosperous but now financially ruined by the war, as they become the victims of a series of gruesome murders.

The book has a slow-burning, classic-style mystery feel, with a thick atmosphere of unease and shifting timelines. While the mystery itself is well-constructed, I found the pacing dragged in the middle, and certain characters tend to blur together. The historical setting is vividly depicted, but the detailed descriptions of life and commerce in early-20th-century Japan can feel repetitive at times.

The resolution of the mystery is rushed and somewhat far-fetched, though fans of Honkaku mysteries and cerebral whodunits might appreciate the layered storytelling. A thoughtful but uneven read that rewards patience. If you enjoy historical mysteries with intricate family secrets, this one might be worth a try.

This is not your average western murder mystery: the story seems to start around 20% of the way in (only much later do the earlier pieces make sense) and there are many different points of view used to tell the story, and we just flick from one to another with no signposting of this to the reader. Ultimately, this is the story of a crumbling merchant family with 4 generations and someone seems to be bumping a number of them off. By the end, it's really a case of who's left standing as to who's the murderer.

As well as the murder mystery, there's also a lot of historical description of the US firebombings in 1945 which were just as destructive as the atomic bombs but far less well known.

An interesting read but perhaps not a re-read. I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.

Big fan of this one, I think it's great to more Ashibe in English, especially as Murder in the Red Chamber was really cool.
If I had to describe this novel in one sentence, it'd be Ashibe's take on The Greene Murder Case. Not that the solutions are the same, or even similar, but the way that the holocaust of an illustrious family reminded me of Van Dine's work while I was reading.
While reading, I was also reminded of another work published by Pushkin Vertigo, The Meiji Guillotine Murders, in that both works manage to depict the historical setting of their books in a really interesting and memorable way. While some readers might find the pacing slow and difficult to get through, especially when there's greater focus on historical background, I didn't have any such problems, and this was definitely helped by Bryan Karetnyk's great translation never left me questioning at aspects of the time period that would be unfamiliar to the modern reader.
As for the mystery, the tricks are on the whole quite simple, relying on concepts that the experienced mystery reader has probably seen before, and the killer also stands out somewhat. But there is an underlying thread that runs throughout the mystery that is simply brilliant, and will always be the first thing that I will remember when I think of this book. It's a really imaginative concept, and I liked the way it was implemented here. rot13 (V jbaqre gubhtu, ubj znal bs gurfr obbxf jbhyq gur nirentr ernqre xabj? V fhfcrpg ybgf bs crbcyr jvyy or pnyyvat guvf hasnve.) I disagree.
All in all, I highly recommend this one.
With many thanks to Pushkin Vertigo and NetGalley for the ARC!

Murder in the House of Omari is a VERY slow-burning, classic-style mystery set in a crumbling mansion full of secrets. The atmosphere is thick with unease, and the plot unfolds carefully through shifting timelines and perspectives. While the mystery itself is well-constructed and offers satisfying clues for attentive readers, the pacing can drag, especially in the middle. Some characters blur together, and the narrative occasionally feels repetitive. Still, for fans of Honkaku mysteries and cerebral whodunits, this is a thoughtful, layered story that rewards patience.

*Taku Ashibe’s *Murder in the House of Omari* is a brilliantly crafted mystery that keeps you hooked from start to finish. Set in the mysterious and decaying Omari mansion, the story uncovers a murder that pulls back the curtain on a family full of hidden secrets. The house itself feels almost like another character — full of tension and things left unsaid. As one character says, “The truth is never found where it’s expected to be, only where it’s hidden most carefully.” That pretty much sums up how Ashibe weaves the narrative — every piece of the puzzle is tucked away in the most unexpected places.

One of the things I really appreciated was how Ashibe doesn’t try to trick the reader. There are no crazy twists at the last minute; everything you need to figure out the crime is laid out if you pay attention. It’s the kind of mystery where you feel like you’re right there with the detective, piecing things together bit by bit. As the detective notes, “The mind of a murderer is a labyrinth — and every turn, a truth you don’t want to face.” The satisfaction of putting all the pieces together makes the slower moments worth it.

That said, the pacing can feel a bit slow in the middle, especially when the plot focuses on character histories and timelines. While it’s important for the story, I found myself wanting to get back to the action sooner. Some of the side characters also felt a little underdeveloped emotionally, which made it harder to fully connect with them.

Despite these, *Murder in the House of Omari* is a solid, intelligent mystery. It’s perfect for anyone who enjoys a well-paced, thoughtful puzzle rather than fast-paced action. If you like mysteries that make you think and give you time to savor every clue, this one’s definitely worth picking up.

pretty good mystery! the character list was a bit expansive but it worked well, and the resolution was a lot tidier than I expected. 4 stars. tysm for the arc.

This novel was very promising and I was hoping to really enjoy it.

Unfortunately I found the pacing to be very slow and repetitive at times. The number of characters presented at the beginning was rather overwhelming and confusing once the story begins.

I hope to read more from this author in the future because the premise of this novel showed a lot of promise.

A wealthy Osaka family faces mysterious tragedies from 1906 to WWII in this historical murder mystery.

I found the story interesting and liked the historical setting, but I struggled to keep track of the characters. Some had similar or changing names which got confusing. There were moments that felt a bit repetitive, and while the mystery was engaging, the slow pace and lack of action left it feeling a bit flat overall.

I couldn't get through more than 14% if this one.
Unfortunately it was extremely slow paced and really difficult to follow.
We are given a list of characters and information about each one at the very start, but it was extensive!
I struggled to determine which view point each chapter was from and we spent a lot of time in the minute detail of certain scenes that I would forget the point of why we might be being told these things.

I would like to thank Net Galley for an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Before I get started in this review, I'm a huge fan of Honkaku mystery fiction and it was the main reason I requested this novel. I found this book incredibly difficult: I found the pacing to be slow and I found the different timepoints and different POVS difficult. They were not clearly stated so it was difficult to maintain the thread of the plot.

I guessed the murderer, which was always going to drop my rating but I just found the ending especially convoluted - like surpassing the enjoyment of Honkaku fiction.