The Mystery of the Yellow Room - Gaston Leroux - A Short Summary & Review

The Mystery of the Yellow Room - Gaston Leroux - A Short Summary & Review

By: a.d. elliott | Take the Back Roads - Art and Other Odd Adventures

A Rite of Fancy Book Recommendation and Review

But, I didn't kill her! She fell!

A short summary:

The Mystery of the Yellow Room revolves around an impossible crime: a young woman is violently attacked inside a locked room, with no apparent means of entry or escape. The prime suspect insists on his innocence; she fell, he claims, but the physical evidence seems to say otherwise.

Enter Joseph Rouletabille, a young reporter with an uncanny talent for logic. As he examines testimony, timing, and motive, Leroux constructs one of the earliest and most influential locked-room mysteries, daring the reader to solve the puzzle alongside the detective.

My favorite quote from the book:

"Everything in this affair is strange, my friend, but take my word for it, the strangeness you know about is nothing to the strangeness that awaits you."

- Gaston Leroux, The Mystery of the Yellow Room

Questions to ponder while reading:

Is there always a rational explanation?

How far would you go to keep a secret?

My review:

Mysteries are one of my favorite ways to relax, and this one was an absolute treat.

The Mystery of the Yellow Room is clever, playful, and immensely satisfying. Leroux leans fully into the intellectual pleasure of the genre, offering a puzzle that rewards careful reading and curiosity rather than brute suspense.

This is not a dark or emotionally heavy mystery; it’s a thinking person’s puzzle, full of misdirection, confidence, and theatrical flair. Rouletabille’s certainty is infectious, and watching the logic snap into place is half the fun.

It’s pure brain candy: smart, inventive, and exactly the kind of mystery that reminds you why the genre endures.

_____________________________________________________________________________

About the Author
a.d. elliott is a wanderer, photographer, and storyteller traveling through life

She shares her journeys at Take the Back Roads, explores new reads at Rite of Fancy, and highlights U.S. military biographies at Everyday Patriot.

You can also browse her online photography gallery at shop.takethebackroads.com.

✨ #TakeTheBackRoads

Enjoyed this post? Support the adventure by visiting my sponsors, shopping the gallery, or buying me a cup of coffee!