Welcome to the podium episode of Review Season for 2021. In one of our hardest top-3 groups yet, how did we deliberate? If you’re unfamiliar with Review Season, after each year of the show, we walk you back through the stories we’ve covered in a year, ranking them based on what we’d recommend to mystery fans, following our almighty ‘Criteria’, lest our hearts fail us. If you want to hear each review without the accoutrements, follow the links below to get them on our Podcast:

3rd Place: The Last Express by Jordan Mechner
This cult-classic adventure game might not be quite our normal affair, but its incredible presentation, groundbreaking technology and ceaseless charm.

https://player.whooshkaa.com/episode?id=941830

2nd Place: The Decagon House Murders by Yukito Ayatsuji
A foundational pillar of the now world-renowned Shin Honkaku school of mystery fiction, this novel is so unimaginably good in some areas that you’ll completely miss it’s few shortcomings.

https://player.whooshkaa.com/episode?id=941833

1st Place: Crossing the Lines by Sulari Gentill
If you’ve ever wondered how mystery fiction ticks behind the scenes, Sulari Gentill is here to get you up to speed with this viscerally sincere and bewildering metafiction.

https://player.whooshkaa.com/episode?id=941834