Knock on the Door of the Locked Room 2

Name: Knock on the Door of the Locked Room 2
ISBN: 9787513345125

青崎有吾 / 赵婧怡New Star Press · ChinaJul 2021

3.9

Word count: 109K words
Chapters: 43
ISBN: 9787513345125

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Summary

A locked-room murder case—yet a large hole is opened in the wall. What was the killer's aim?

A young woman is killed in a park. Why has her "infallible" watch stopped at such an odd time?

A high school girl enters an underground passage and never comes out the other side—she simply vanishes...

Six baffling cases, solved through flawless teamwork and mutual understanding by two young detectives: Katana Hime, who specializes in motive analysis, and Gotemba Tōri, who focuses on method.

Editor's review

Seigo Aoyagi's The Locked Room Door 2 continues the style of the series' short-story mystery collections, focusing on the two young detectives of the "Locked Room Door" detective agency: Katana Hime, who excels at motive analysis, and Gotemba Tōri, who specializes in unraveling methods. The seven stories collected here each center on a specific "impossible" puzzle—such as "perfect crime" and "death of the sommelier"—showcasing the author's ingenious plotting within the classic honkaku framework. As a leading figure of Japan's new generation of honkaku mystery writers, Aoyagi is known for clear logic, fair clues, and brisk pacing. This book does not rely on heavy social critique or complex character relationships; instead, it returns to the pleasure of puzzle-solving itself. Each story is like a finely designed logic puzzle, allowing readers to think alongside the detectives and enjoy the pure thrill of deduction. For traditional honkaku fans who enjoy the "challenge to the reader" mode, the reading experience is solid and enjoyable. However, readers expecting profound human portrayals or grand narrative may find it somewhat thin. Overall, this is a highly accomplished collection of honkaku short stories, demonstrating the author's skill in inheriting the spirit of the Golden Age while incorporating a modern setting.

Who it's for

A good fit for

Readers devoted to classic honkaku puzzle-solving who enjoy pure logical deduction
Fans of short-form mystery fiction who prefer self-contained stories and brisk pacing
Fans of Seigo Aoyagi, or readers curious about the style of Japan's new generation of mystery writers
Beginner mystery readers—the book's clear structure and typical puzzles make it a friendly introduction to honkaku

Not a good fit for

Literary readers seeking profound social meaning and complex character arcs
Readers who strongly dislike the "armchair detective" mode and prefer high-intensity action or adventure plots

Reading tips

Reading in order is recommended, but each short story stands alone, so you can also skip according to interest
Try putting yourself in the detective's role as you read, paying attention to scattered details and dialogue, and challenge yourself to solve the puzzle before the detectives do
After each story, pause briefly to savor the logic chain of the solution and the cleverness of the foreshadowing payoff

About the publisher

New Star Press China · Founded in 1989

New Star Press focuses on classic works, mystery and detective fiction, science fiction, history, foreign literature and art, and its 602 titles in the library show a balance between popular reading and humanistic depth. Representative books include The Complete Works of Shakespeare: Illustrated Collector's Edition, And Then There Were None, Murder on the Orient Express, The Player of Games, Local Government in Qing China, A Good Man Is Hard to Find and A Collection of Fine Ukiyo-e Prints, spanning classic literature, detective fiction, science fiction, local history and visual art. Its authors and contributors include William Shakespeare, Agatha Christie and Iain M. Banks, as well as translators such as Zhu Shenghao and Su Fuzhong and illustrators such as John Gilbert and George Cruikshank. Known for the detective series Midnight Library and for social-science and humanities titles, the press emphasizes edition design and reading experience; public information is limited, so this profile highlights the publishing features reflected in the library's books.

版权信息
开了洞的密室
1
2
3
4
5
关于手表的几个谎言
1
2
3
4
穿地警部补，有案子
1
2
3
4
5
消失的少女追寻的少女
1
2
3
4
5
最愚蠢的溺死者
1
2
3
4
5
6
密室之门打开时
1
2
3
4
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6
7
8
9
10
11

FAQ

Will not having read the first volume in the series affect my understanding of the second?

Basically no. The main character relationships are briefly introduced at the beginning, and each case is independent. But reading in order will better capture the fun of the characters' interactions.

Is this book's mystery style more social-school or honkaku?

It is a typical modern honkaku (new honkaku) work. The core lies in unraveling impossible criminal methods, with emphasis on logical deduction and fairness; social background and character psychology serve the puzzle itself.

How difficult are the cases in the book?

The difficulty is moderate, and the puzzles are clear and interesting. The author lays out clues fairly, giving experienced readers a chance to deduce the key before the reveal. The solutions emphasize logic and rarely rely on sudden flashes of inspiration.

Comments

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About the author

青崎有吾 Author

Qingqi Youwu is a Japanese mystery writer, best known among Chinese readers for the Sera Tenma series and the Knock on the Locked Door series. Ten of the author's works are included here, spanning novels and short-story collections, with representative titles such as The Gymnasium Mystery, The Library Mystery, The Aquarium Mystery, The Windmill Hill Fifty-Yen Coin Mystery, and the two volumes of Knock on the Locked Door. The writing is grounded in orthodox detective fiction, often combining closed spaces and everyday settings with logical deduction; clues are laid out carefully, the solution prizes fairness, and the pace stays brisk without losing the pleasure of puzzle-solving. On this Chinese book site the works are usually shelved under suspense and mystery and foreign literature. Public information about the author's nationality, date of birth, education, and awards is limited, so no speculation is offered here.

赵婧怡 Author

Zhao Jingyi: public information is limited, and her creative direction can currently be understood only from her works and their common categories. The library holds four of her works, including Knock on the Door of the Secret Room (2 volumes), Knock on the Door of the Secret Room 2, The Red Lotus Mansion Murder Case, and Deep in the Bones. These works are classified under foreign literature and mystery and suspense. Judging from the titles and categories, Zhao Jingyi's writing focuses on familiar conventions of orthodox mystery fiction such as locked rooms and mansion settings, and she is good at building suspense through enclosed spaces and puzzle structures, advancing the deductive narrative layer by layer around each case. Her output is not yet large, but her subject matter is concentrated, and her style leans toward the plotting and puzzle-solving pleasures of traditional mystery and suspense, making her work suitable for readers who enjoy locked-room mysteries and a Japanese-style mystery atmosphere. Because the author's nationality, dates of birth and death, English name, and specific experiences are not clearly recorded, no speculation is made here; this introduction briefly addresses only the themes and writing orientation of her existing works.