Yasuko Hanaoka is a divorced, single mother who thought she had finally escaped her abusive ex-husband Togashi. When he shows up one day to extort money from her, threatening both her and her teenaged daughter Misato, the situation quickly escalates into violence and Togashi ends up dead on her apartment floor. Overhearing the commotion, Yasuko's next door neighbor, middle-aged high school mathematics teacher Ishigami, offers his help, disposing not only of the body but plotting the cover-up step-by-step. When the body turns up and is identified, Detective Kusanagi draws the case and Yasuko comes under suspicion. Kusanagi is unable to find any obvious holes in Yasuko's manufactured alibi and yet is still sure that there's something wrong. Kusanagi brings in Dr. Manabu Yukawa, a physicist and college friend who frequently consults with the police. Yukawa, known to the police by the nickname Professor Galileo, went to college with Ishigami. After meeting up with him again, Yukawa is convinced that Ishigami had something to do with the murder. What ensues is a high level battle of wits, as Ishigami tries to protect Yasuko by outmaneuvering and outthinking Yukawa, who faces his most clever and determined opponent yet.
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"This book came highly recommended by 2 mystery readers. So I expected it to be good. It did not disappoint. What a surprising twist near the end of the story.I did wonder about the 2 mornings off from work, but never, ever drew the correct conclusion. Very, very good mystery! "
— Mary (4 out of 5 stars)
“Ingeniously plotted.”
— New York Times“[The Devotion of Suspect X] is smart at every level. Each revelation is smarter than the illusion it tears aside. And the conclusion, which depends on understanding of human character rather than logic or science, is both satisfying and frustrating. Satisfying, because it is utterly just and true to character; frustrating, because quite against our own moral sense we find ourselves rooting for the bad guy—because we understand him so well he doesn’t seem all that bad.”
— Orson Scott Card“Veteran police detective matches wits with a brilliant rookie criminal. This character-driven mystery by the prolific Higashino has much to recommend, including a droll Columbo-like sleuth and a great surprise ending.”
— Kirkus Reviews (starred review)“[A] stunning thriller…The author successfully combines unquestionable reasoning with unquenchable pain. In this brutally laconic translation, cold logic battles warm hearts throughout this elegant proof of the wages of sin, in which everyone suffers and no one can ever win.”
— Publishers Weekly (starred review)“This literary psychological thriller is a subtle and shifting murder mystery. It will make readers redefine devotion and trust in an otherwise complete stranger.”
— Library Journal (starred review)" The book is even better than the movie adaptation! "
— Jia, 2/19/2014" An elegant and complex little mystery, with great Japanese background. A quick read and very clever. "
— Laura, 2/16/2014" Wasn't really sure where it was headed in the first chapter, but it turned out to be a very good read, with interesting characters and a very clever plot. "
— Christopher, 2/8/2014" A complex plot and some intriguing characters - well translated into English and easy to read. A stunning twist at the end - but I didn't relate to the characters as much as some other readers seem to have. I was interested in the outcome, but found the didn't quite reach the emotional depth it could have. Worth a read though. "
— Jenny, 1/30/2014" A page turner with a good twist at the end. "
— Veronica, 1/20/2014" Such an interesting book! A unique and crisp thriller where we are privy to a murder and the investigation as they happen and yet my heart was in my throat the whole time. Higashino's first release in the US. Bravo! "
— Corinne, 1/20/2014" That was the single best murder mystery I have ever read. The ending was such a super bummer. But with all the guilt, it was kind of a given. Bummer... "
— Claire, 1/15/2014" excellent murder mystery. ends on a twist "
— Michelle, 1/5/2014" I actually really enjoyed this one. Felt like it was simply written, and the characters weren't overly developed, but it was quite clever. Even though you felt like you new the answer from the beginning, it did offer some satisfying twists at the end. "
— Richard, 1/5/2014" Committing a crime and escaping the consequences is an art in itself. But solving it is the best part. Gripping tale.. Amazingly woven with mathematics "
— Sree, 10/12/2013" Very interesting story, a true page turner! "
— Jerry, 9/24/2013" I'm usually not much of a crime fiction reader but this story was really good. It read quickly and I was completely rapt. The ending was phenomenal...never saw it coming. "
— Sheryl, 9/7/2013" A decent page-turner crime mystery with a cruel twist. The translation's a bit bald and monosyllabic. And oh dear, it's annoyingly sexist. "
— Kathleen, 8/28/2013" Amazing book, the ending is a killer. "
— Jacob, 8/3/2013" Good start but got boring by the end. "
— Sahil, 6/9/2013" A great read. Keeps you guessing to the bitter end. "
— Lee, 2/17/2013" The cat and mouse game was interesting, and the ending came as a surprise to me. "
— Betsy, 2/11/2013" A wonderful mystery with several twists and great characters.... "
— David, 11/9/2012" An okay read but when there are books like 'The Girl With The Dragon Tattoo' in existence, we shouldn't have to settle for such mediocre murder mysteries. "
— Paul, 6/13/2012" Perihal seorang cikgu sekolah yang merencanakan beberapa alibi berdasarkan logik Matematik setelah sengaja terlibat dalam kes homisid hingga berjaya membuntukan duo detektif dan seorang pembantu Profesor. Novel ini naratifnya agak pantas dan pasti ia tak akan lekang dari tangan. "
— Jerry, 5/8/2012" gets into the mind of a brilliant mathematician who is obsessed by <br/>the woman next door and helps her cover up a crime. "
— Pam, 5/21/2011" Audiobook. You already know who did it. An interesting unwinding of the story and of course, an unexpected twist at the end. Set in Japan so the names can be confusing for English speakers if you don't pay attention. "
— Diana, 5/18/2011" Excellent twists to story. Some things not quite plausible. "
— Mike, 5/11/2011" A bit melodramatic, but a good read. Especially interesting because of it's setting in Japan. "
— James, 5/10/2011" Japanese mystery novel. It was unique in that you know who committed the murder as it was revealed in the second chapter, but the mystery is whether it will be solved and how. I'm usually not a mystery person, but it was a good read. "
— Lisa, 5/8/2011" Interesting mystery with a mind game theme. The plot seems simplistic on the surface but gets more and more complex as the book progresses. "
— Janice, 5/6/2011" This had a plot that was interesting. You can tell it's translated but I thought it was a good read. This would make a good book club selection to debate the motives and morality of the story. "
— Moakaday, 5/3/2011" I'm hoping more of Higashino's work gets translated into English. Very good, fast paced novel with lots of twists and turns. "
— Aubrey, 4/27/2011" Fabulously well-crafted. A Japanese murder mystery in which you know the killer in advance and watch the investigation unfold. Sounds boring, but it's quite the opposite. "
— Marianna, 4/22/2011" This is one of best mysteries I have read in a long time. Many twists and turns and an ending that I didn't expect. Highly recommend this to all mystery readers "
— Kathy, 4/19/2011Keigo Higashino is the bestselling, best-known novelist in Japan and around Asia, with television and film adaptations of his work in several languages and many prestigious awards. He’s the author of The Devotion of Suspect X, the English translation of which was the finalist for the Edgar Award for best novel, and Salvation of a Saint.
David Pittu, a two-time Tony Award nominee, has narrated dozens of audiobooks, including Donna Tartt’s The Goldfinch, which earned two prestigious Audie Awards for best narration. He has also won three Earphones Awards. Well-known for his work in theater, he has appeared off-Broadway in LoveMusik and Is He Dead, for which he received his Tony nominations, as well as Parade, for which he earned a National Broadway Award for Best Actor in a Musical. He is also a writer, member, and director of the Atlantic Theater company.