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The Halo Murder CaseAuthor: Oguri Mushitarō
| Original Title | 後光殺人事件 |
|---|---|
| Author | 小栗 虫太郎 |
| Genre | Detective & Mystery |
| Author Type | Male Author |
| Summary | In the shadowed grounds of Kyōraku Temple, former investigator Housui Rintarou confronts a death steeped in enigma. Renowned painter-priest Kōsu Taeryuu lies lifeless in Genpaku Hall—a decaying sanctuary veiled by cedar groves and moss-laden silence. His corpse, rigid in prayer, bears a single wound: a perfect circle drilled into his skull, yet no blood mars his robes. The scene defies logic—no struggle, no weapon, only eerie precision. As Housui dissects clues with forensic obsession, darker threads emerge: a statue’s phantom halo, vanished footprints erased by diverted pondwater, and a clockwork alibi involving spider-silk threads and a phonograph’s timed chimes. The temple’s residents—a poetess wife, an eccentric art student, and monks shrouded in devotion—harbor secrets warped by obsession and revenge. Between psychological manipulation and sacrilegious spectacle, Taeryuu’s demise blurs divine judgment and human cunning. Housui navigates this labyrinth of illusions, where every symbol—a lotus trapping leeches, a sparkler’s false miracle—hints at a killer who weaponized belief itself. Yet the truth, when unveiled, burns brighter and deadlier than any sacred flame. |
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