The Devotion of Suspect X

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I read The Devotion of Suspect X for The Literally Dead Bookclub in June. It looks like it’s technically the third book of a series, however, the first two books haven’t been translated into English (I think?). If you know otherwise please leave a comment. I haven’t stopped thinking about this since I read it. I also watched the movie (2017) which was a stunning adaptation.

“Higashino won Japan’s Naoki Prize for Best Novel with this stunning thriller about miscarried human devotion, a bestseller in Japan. 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

About The Book 📚

Title: The Devotion of Suspect X

Author: Keigo Higashino

Translator: Alexander O. Smith, Elye J. Alexander

Publication Date: August 2005

Publisher: Minotaur Books

Genre: Literary Psychological Thriller, Mystery, Crime

Pages: 320

Content Warnings: murder, suicide, stalking, domestic abuse

PG-13 Some material may be inappropriate for children under 13.

About The Author

The following facts are taken from https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/117366.Keigo_Higashino

Keigo Higashino (東野圭吾) is one of the most popular and biggest-selling fiction authors in Japan—as well-known as James Patterson, Dean Koontz and Tom Clancy
Born in Osaka, he started writing novels while still working as an engineer at Nippon Denso Co.
He won the Edogawa Rampo Prize, which is awarded annually to the finest mystery work, in 1985 for the novel Hōkago (After School) at age 27. Subsequently, he quit his job and started a career as a writer in Tokyo.
In 1999, he won the Mystery Writers of Japan Inc award for the novel Himitsu (The Secret), which was translated into English by Kerim Yasar and published by Vertical under the title of Naoko in 2004.
In 2006, he won the 134th Naoki Prize for Yōgisha X no Kenshin.
The Devotion of Suspect X was the second highest-selling book in all of Japan— fiction or nonfiction—the year it was published, with over 800,000 copies sold. It won the prestigious Naoki Prize for Best Novel— the Japanese equivalent of the National Book Award and the Man Booker Prize.
Made into a motion picture in Japan, The Devotion of Suspect X spent 4 weeks at the top of the box office and was the third highest‐grossing film of the year.
Higashino’s novels have more movie and TV series adaptations than Tom Clancy or Robert Ludlum, and as many as Michael Crichton.

My Review

› The Devotion of Suspect X takes place in Tokyo. Yasuko Hanoaka lives with her daughter Misato and works at a small lunch shop. Her neighbour Ishigami often buys lunch at the shop. He’s an unassuming and peculiar math teacher who has a crush on Yasuko.

Yasuko’s abusive ex-husband, Togashi, shows up at her apartment and ruins the quiet life she had built for her and Misato. He initiates a physical fight and ends up dead. After hearing a lot of noise, Ishigami goes to Yasuko’s place and offers his assistance. He’s a math genius and believes he’s smart enough to help her cover up the crime.

“It seems to me that you have two options: hide the fact that anything happened, or hide the fact that you had anything to do with it.”

› I know this sounds like I’m spoiling the entire book, but this all happens within the first couple of chapters. When Togashi is found dead, Yasuko becomes the prime suspect.

“Tunnel vision is no way to make it as a researcher. Your assumptions are your worst enemies. Trust them too much, and you’ll fail to see what’s right under your nose.”

› While investigating the case, Detective Kusanagi discovers Ishigami went to the same university as his brilliant friend Manabu Yukawa, also known as Inspector Galileo. Detective Kusanagi turns to Yukawa for help to crack this puzzling case. Ishigami is DEVOTED to Yasuko and he’ll do whatever it takes to keep her from going to jail.

› “Which is harder: devising an unsolvable problem, or solving that problem?”

› Characters: 8
My favourite character is Ishigami. I like the relationships between the detective and Yukawa and between Yukawa and Ishigami. Yukawa is like us, the reader, injecting ourselves into the case out of curiosity.

› Atmosphere: 8
This book played out like a movie in my head.

› Writing Style: 10
I don’t think I’ve ever read a book like this before.

› Plot: 10
It’s been a long time since a mystery really shocked me like The Devotion of Suspect X.

› Intrigue: 10
I read this book in three sittings. I was intrigued by the math. I’ve always loved math so this is right up my alley. The Riemann hypothesis that they mention is a real one. It’s considered to be the most important unsolved mathematical problem.

› Logic: 8
I find it hard to believe a guy like Togashi didn’t have enemies to investigate.

› Enjoyment: 10
WOW. This story made me think and moved me to tears.

Average 9.1

My Rating ★★★★★

› Final Thoughts
• One of the BEST mysteries I’ve ever read, The Devotion of Suspect X, is smart, dark, tense, and emotional. I can’t wait to dive into Higashino’s backlist.

Novels
Yōgisha X no Kenshin (The Devotion of Suspect X), 2005
Seijo no Kyūsai (Salvation of a Saint), 2008
Manatsu no Hōteishiki (A Midsummer’s Equation), 2011
Kindan no Majutsu (The Forbidden Magic), 2012
Chinmoku no Parēdo (Silent Parade), 2018

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