I’m a big Dimension 20 fan, and recently watched Mice & Murder, which is probably my favorite season of the show. Got me very interested in mysteries in general, but specifically a certain kind, which I thought was a bit of a trope but now I’m having a hard time finding books about it.
I read Agatha Christie’s *Murder on the Orient Express* and *And Then There Were None* but was a bit disappointed by each. \[Mild spoilers to follow\]
For MotOE, I was thrilled with 90% of it but >!found the ending to be a bit of a slap in the face, as I didn’t get that satisfying answer solving the mystery, narrowing it down amongst the passengers.!<
For ATTWN, I didn’t care much for it >!as no one actually solves the mystery. It’s more akin to a horror-thriller than a mystery solving book.!<
With D20, I really liked how bits and pieces of the mansion were uncovered, including passageways, switches, secret spying peepholes, and more and more evidence layered throughout.
I think to narrow it down, I’m really looking for a book with the following general trends:
* Everyone’s got something to hide, but that doesn’t make everyone guilty
* Parts of the mystery are solved and pieced together throughout
* Secret passageways, compartments, and real ingenuity that our protagonist uncovers
* A Colombo-style everything coming together moment, or perhaps several with the more layered mysteries
I am aware that other Agatha Christie novels and Sherlock Holmes novels will be called out a few times, but looking for either specifics within those rather large libraries, or alternatives that are a bit more modern.
Non-book examples I think of: Either *Knives Out* movie, *Dimension 20 Mice & Murder*, *The Clue Movie*
by swillansky