Which is harder: devising an unsolvable problem or, solving that problem? - Chapter Eight
The story opens on an ordinary domestic scene which very rapidly escalates into a murder scene. The reader will be told how and why the murder occurred and who the murderers were right at the beginning of the book but it is the unfurling of the investigation and the interaction of the characters that is what makes this book worth a read. The story can be equated to a mathematical problem which needs to be worked out step-by-step.
Yasuko Hanaoka lives a quiet life, working in a Tokyo bento shop, a good mother to her only child, Misato. But when her abusive ex-husband appears at her door without warning one evening, her comfortable world is shattered. When Detective Kusanagi of the Tokyo Police tries to piece together the events of that night, he finds himself confronted by the most puzzling, mysterious circumstances he has ever investigated. Nothing quite makes sense, and it will take a genius to understand the genius behind this particular crime... (paperback blurb)
Briefly, Keigo Higashino was born in Osaka in 1958. He started writing novels while still working as an engineer and won the Edogawa Rampo Prize for his debut novel at age 27. In 2006, The Devotion of Suspect X won the 134th Naoki Prize and also the 6th Honkaku Mystery Grand Prize. This year, it has been nominated for the Edgar Awards for Best Novel. It is dubbed one of the biggest-selling Japanese thrillers ever, selling over 2 million copies in Japan, and has been made into a cult film. Its blend of an intelligent and atmospheric story, evocative Tokyo setting, human psyche and relationships, Japanese philosophy, perverse love and utterly ingenius ending makes it a must-read for anyone interested in international crime fiction. Since 2009, the author has been the president of the Mystery Writers of Japan. His other books (not all are available in the UK yet) which have been translated into the English are
1) Naoko (2004)
2) Malice (2009)
3) Salvation of a Saint (2012) - release date: 2 October 2012
In Japan, The Devotion of Suspect X is the third book in the Detective Galileo series and apart from this little nugget, I have no other information on the other books in the series. I have enjoyed reading this thought-provoking Japanese police procedural and highly recommend it.
Alexander O Smith and Elye J Alexander from Kajiya Productions Inc have done an excellent job translating the text from the Japanese into the English.
The trailer is enough to convince you to read the book:
Rating: 5/5
No comments:
Post a Comment