Pathway to Japanese Literature

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Kokushikan (Black Death Mansion) Murder CaseAuthor: Oguri Mushitarō

Original Title	黒死館殺人事件
Author	小栗虫太郎
Genre	Detective & Mystery
Author Type	Male Author
Summary	In a mist-shrouded estate steeped in centuries of whispers, Kuroshikikan looms—a labyrinthine fortress where stone walls cradle unspeakable secrets. The Furuya clan, bound by a lineage tainted with madness and medieval sorcery, faces a new nightmare: Gretä Dannenberg, a reclusive musician, lies dead in a locked chamber, her corpse bathed in unearthly light and marked by cryptic symbols. Detective Housui Rintarou, no stranger to the macabre, confronts a puzzle woven from poison, arcane relics, and a life-sized automaton modeled after a long-dead noblewoman. As spectral rumors resurface—of cursed heirlooms and a family crest tied to forgotten horrors—Housui navigates a web of motiveless murders spanning decades. Yet Kuroshikikan’s true terror lies deeper: within its vaults lurks a forbidden grimoire, its pages whispering of sins that transcend death. With each shadowed corridor and twisted revelation, Housui must unravel whether the killer walks among the living… or if the mansion itself hungers for more.