 The Clock House Murders, by Yukito Ayatsuji.
This is a murder mystery written in Japan in the 1990s, before cell phones and internet could alter the plot. The character list and floor plan at the beginning are very helpful, as there are a lot of characters, several with the same initial. The Clock House Murders is from a series starring Kawaminami Takaaki, a young journalist, and Shimada Kiyoshi, a mystery writer turned amateur detective. Each book takes place in a peculiar and mysterious building, all by the same architect. This one is at the Clock House, which is laid out like a giant clock, contains 108 clocks, and is rumored to be haunted by the ghost of the master's daughter. Kawaminami joins a group that will be locked in for three days for a seance: two other journalists, an alleged psychic, and five members of the university's Mystery Club, some of whom had met the girl before her tragic death. As soon as the doors lock, the participants start dropping like flies, with clocks frequently used as a murder weapon. This mystery isn't really about whodunit; there aren't many suspects left alive at the end. And it's not really about why. It's about how - and the how in this case is definitely unique. Trigger warnings for murder, suicide, and the normalization of a teenage girl marrying an adult man. 52 Book Club Challenge: Includes a red herring. Booklist Queen Challenge: Locked room mystery. This Challenge Killed the Bookworm: It's a mystery. Around the Year Challenge: Set in an isolated location.
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