The problem is with the subplot set back on the mainland. The start is fantastic, and every scene on the island is very well-written. Unfortunately the pacing leaves something to be desired. It’s a well-thought-out setup for a game of “Whodunnit?” even if some of the characters detest such an outlook. Each character’s room is located within one of the building’s ten distinct facets, with a circular common area in the building’s center symbolic of the common truth that will ultimately be threaded together from all the various characters’ perspectives and findings. The architecture of the building is stark in how unnatural and against common norms it feels, and it only becomes more so as one examines the metaphor. From a visual standpoint the geometric nature of the building is simultaneously pleasing to look at and also foreboding. They are introduced in quick succession as they arrive at the island, where they’ll be staying in the titular decagon house. The club members all go by the names of various famous mystery writers.

The earliest examples of these are the characters themselves. One barely needs to crack open the spine on this book to get treated to its most delightful feature: its highly dramatic if silly theatrics. Before long the threat of more murders arises, and the mysteries just keep piling up.

The main plot follows seven members of a university Mystery Club as they travel to a deserted island that was the site of a series of murders, the truth of which remains merely speculated about. Suffice to say, there are a lot of layers here- perfect for a mystery title. The manga, in turn, is illustrated by Hiro Kiyohara. It is based off the 1987 novel of the same name by Yukito Ayatsuji, which in turn was inspired by Agatha Christie’s And Then There Were None. The Decagon House Murders has a rather unique premise for a manga, paradoxically so given (or rather, because of) its status as an adaptation.

The decagon house murder