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I thought that good old Kindaichi had hung up his sleuthing gear after finding the snowy killer in volume 12. But he’s back in all his figuring goodness. This time Kindaichi and Miyuki are invited to yet another mock mystery gathering. This time, it’s a contest in a reconstructed German castle. Inside there are wax statues that look more real than the humans the represent. Everything is going along swimmingly until one of the guests end up dead. Now Kindaichi has to find the killer before they strike again. On top of that, he has to find out before Inspector Akechi does, or else risk his star studded reputation.

Book 13 stays true to the Kindaichi style of mysterious storytelling. It’s not hard to solve on your own, but it’s not easy either. This is a serious mystery manga with an honest to goodness suspense thriller. While it might not make you jump six feet high at the sound of thunder, it is a rapid page turner as you wrack your brain alongside Kindaichi and Miyuki. Hints are dropped here and there, but it’s nothing to subtle, which is something I greatly admire about the Kindaichi series. The artwork is solid with a dark and ominous style to it. Character design is unique and blends with each person's ambiguous nature. The authors also throw their readers a bone and provide a map of the castle in the back of the book.

JIVE Magazine Rating: 5 Kicks to Scooby-Doos out of 5