“The Devotion of Suspect X” By Keigo Higashino

While in Singapore over the Gawai holidays, I dropped in to Kinokuniya at Ngee Ann City, spending an hour or so browsing inside the huge bookstore. I did not find any books that really piqued my interest and was about to leave the store when I chanced upon “The Devotion of Suspect X” by Keigo Higashino (translated by Alexander O. Smith with Elye J. Alexander). I think the cover and the words “The Japanese Thriller Phenomenon – 2 Million Copies Sold” grabbed my attention and aroused my curiousity.

After quickly flipping through the book, I decided to buy it as it was printed in slightly larger print than most paperback books. I find reading books with small print a bit taxing on my eyes nowadays so I always avoid buying such books.

After returning to Miri, I started reading the book. And what a read it turns out to be!

The book has a mind-twisting plot that really holds me in its grip. The story-line is superbly crafted and keeps you hooked on till the last. It takes a path that very few crime thriller authors have ever taken. We are so used to the well-trodden path that most crime stories take where we follow the protagonists’ journey towards solving the crime and we try to zero in on the murderer. But in “The Devotion of Suspect X” (Yōgisha X no Kenshin 容疑者Xの献身?), the perpetrator is pointed out towards the very beginning of the book. Surely that would make the story very predictable, you may ask. Well, you are in for a big surprise! There are lot of twists and turns in the novel to keep you on the edge. It is a wonderful, fresh take on the classic mystery’s intellectual struggle between protagonist and antagonist with a surprise ending.

The cover of "The Devotion Of Suspect X" by Keigo Higashino

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 teenage 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.

Higashino won numerous awards for this novel, including Japan’s Naoki Prize for Best Novel and the 6th Honkaku Mystery Grand Prize.

Grab this book…..you won’t regret it!