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Took a break from reading Daniel Deronda (for the Classics Book Club) to read a modern "vintage" mystery -- The Decagon House Murders by Yukito Ayatsuji - first published in Japan in 1987, and now translated into English. It's a retelling, and homage, to Agatha Christie's now classic And Then There Were None, with a fresh twist I did not see coming. It's a quirky book, with characters nicknamed for famous detectives (Poe, Ellery, Van Dine) congregating on an island isolated from the mainland, where yes, people start getting murdered one at a time. Christie's basic plotline has become something of a cliche by now, but Ayatsuji brilliantly manages a fresh approach that challenges the reader. I initially wanted to cry out "No fair" but, upon reflection and a probable re-read, I think he pulled it off - and followed the classic rules for fair play detective fiction. Wow!
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