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御手洗潔 #21
摩天樓的怪人
深沉的鐘響是我的腳步，高聳的樓體是我的身影， 在無人可及的摩天樓窗外，我將永遠守護著妳……我隱身於此、躲匿於此，只為了心愛的那顆明星。而那些妄想與我作對的人，只有死路一條！
一九二一年十月三日的暴風雨之夜，知名演藝公司的老闆齊格飛被人近距離槍殺於紐約摩天大樓的一樓辦公室裡！在可能的兇手中，嫌疑最大的就是與齊格飛關係密切的百老匯名伶喬蒂。然而案發之時，喬蒂卻身在摩天樓的三十四樓，僅有十五分鐘的空檔，在停電的情況下，喬蒂絕對不可能獨力完成這樁犯罪！
一九六九年，喬蒂在臨終之前，向御手洗潔坦承半世紀前的齊格飛命案確實是自己所為，並聲稱當晚有幽靈前來幫助她！只是，就連喬蒂自己也無法解釋如何在十五分鐘內來回一樓和三十四樓之謎。
御手洗潔決定深入調查，卻發現這棟被稱為「幽靈大樓」的摩天樓，曾經發生過許多不可思議的案件：大樓裡的女明星接連自殺、鐘塔上的時鐘指針切斷了戲劇製作人的頭顱、大樓設計師離奇墜樓……
難道，這棟傲踞曼哈頓的摩天大樓裡真的有幽靈存在嗎？御手洗潔又要如何解開這樁橫跨半世紀、飛越摩天樓的不可能犯罪？
一九二一年十月三日的暴風雨之夜，知名演藝公司的老闆齊格飛被人近距離槍殺於紐約摩天大樓的一樓辦公室裡！在可能的兇手中，嫌疑最大的就是與齊格飛關係密切的百老匯名伶喬蒂。然而案發之時，喬蒂卻身在摩天樓的三十四樓，僅有十五分鐘的空檔，在停電的情況下，喬蒂絕對不可能獨力完成這樁犯罪！
一九六九年，喬蒂在臨終之前，向御手洗潔坦承半世紀前的齊格飛命案確實是自己所為，並聲稱當晚有幽靈前來幫助她！只是，就連喬蒂自己也無法解釋如何在十五分鐘內來回一樓和三十四樓之謎。
御手洗潔決定深入調查，卻發現這棟被稱為「幽靈大樓」的摩天樓，曾經發生過許多不可思議的案件：大樓裡的女明星接連自殺、鐘塔上的時鐘指針切斷了戲劇製作人的頭顱、大樓設計師離奇墜樓……
難道，這棟傲踞曼哈頓的摩天大樓裡真的有幽靈存在嗎？御手洗潔又要如何解開這樁橫跨半世紀、飛越摩天樓的不可能犯罪？
- GenresMystery
516 pages, Paperback
First published January 1, 2005
12 people want to read
About the author
Sōji Shimada
180 books294 followersJapan language profile here 島田 荘司
Russian language profile here Содзи Симада
Russian language profile here Содзи Симада
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Community Reviews
Displaying 1 of 1 review
March 10, 2014
Phantom Of The Skyscraper, is one of Soji Shimada's best and most imaginative detective novels.
This novel is obviously a homage to Gaston Leroux's gothic thriller classic of all time: Phantom Of The Opera.
Phantom Of The Skyscraper shares many basic elements with its inspiration: one-sided love between an actress and her masked secret suitor, dark passion, mysteries, murders and seemingly impossible crime, with many many wicked twists and turns.
The story opens with an retired former actress making a strange confession at her dead-bed: she confessed to murder a stage-manager decades ago, with the help of the mysterious Phantom, who hidden within the skyscraper she resided. Later it's also revealed that her mysterious Phantom might also kill another actress years ago. And now it's up to our detective to solve the mysteries. Was the dying actress telling the truth? Did the mysterious Phantom really exist? Where had he been hiding all these years? How did he manage to help the actress doing away her foes, so that she could raise up to stardom?
Thankfully, all of the questions above were satisfyingly revealed in the end.
The author, Soji Shimada, masterfully re-imagined the timeless tale of Phantom Of The Opera and wrote a breathtaking murder mystery basing on the tale. Plus in the end, the mysteries are being wrapped up nicely with reasonable and logical explanations, therefore I'm sure you wouldn't be disappointed, although the novel can get a bit too long-winded in some parts.
This novel is obviously a homage to Gaston Leroux's gothic thriller classic of all time: Phantom Of The Opera.
Phantom Of The Skyscraper shares many basic elements with its inspiration: one-sided love between an actress and her masked secret suitor, dark passion, mysteries, murders and seemingly impossible crime, with many many wicked twists and turns.
The story opens with an retired former actress making a strange confession at her dead-bed: she confessed to murder a stage-manager decades ago, with the help of the mysterious Phantom, who hidden within the skyscraper she resided. Later it's also revealed that her mysterious Phantom might also kill another actress years ago. And now it's up to our detective to solve the mysteries. Was the dying actress telling the truth? Did the mysterious Phantom really exist? Where had he been hiding all these years? How did he manage to help the actress doing away her foes, so that she could raise up to stardom?
Thankfully, all of the questions above were satisfyingly revealed in the end.
The author, Soji Shimada, masterfully re-imagined the timeless tale of Phantom Of The Opera and wrote a breathtaking murder mystery basing on the tale. Plus in the end, the mysteries are being wrapped up nicely with reasonable and logical explanations, therefore I'm sure you wouldn't be disappointed, although the novel can get a bit too long-winded in some parts.
Displaying 1 of 1 review