Tentei Youko

天帝妖狐

• by Otsu Ichi
• published by Shueisha

• A Masked Ball, or the Disappearance and Reappearance of the Bathroom Smoker

Essentially a standard mystery plot, but it revolves around messages left on the bathroom wall. One of the people leaving messages turns out to be insane, and one of the others tries to prevent them from killing anyone. Really inventive and fun.

• Tentei Youko

Elaborate Edogawa Rampo pastiche. Apes the style, but loses a little tension. Ultimately ponderous and self-obsessed.