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 or Tom Clancy are in the USA.
Born in Osaka, he started writing novels while still working as an engineer at Nippon Denso Co. (presently DENSO). 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. His novels had been nominated five times before winning with this novel.
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.
Prequel Masquerade Hotel karena Nitta ama Naomi belum saling kenal, dan harusnya ini urutan buku ke 2 dari series bukan ke 1 karena secara tahun rilis Masquerade Hotel duluan daripada Masquerade Eve. Secara kronologi memang Masquerade Eve duluan.
Ada 4 cerita di bukunya terus karakternya masih Nitta Naomi walau blm saling kenal, jadi di cerita 1 pov Naomi lanjut cerita 2 pov Nitta. Di buku ini lebih kerasa "Masquerade" nya kek semua orang di kasus ini bertopeng semua.
Cerita 1 ini tentang Naomi yg diminta bantuan mantan pacarnya pas high school katanya selingkuhan dia hilang dan ngancam bunuh diri, jadilah si Naomi ini ala ala detektif nyari orang hilang ini.
Cerita 2 kasus pembunuhan yg ditanganin Nitta tentang pembunuhan seorang pengusaha restoran pas white day.
Cerita 3 balek ke Naomi lagi, ada penulis yang anonim nginep di hotel ini dan fans nya tuh fanatik bgt pengen ketemu penulisnya yang populer karena kecantikannya tapi pas dateng ke hotel kok penulisnya bapak bapak?
Cerita 4 combine antara Nitta Naomi tapi ga saling ketemu dan ga bersinggungan, pembunuhan seorang profesor universitas dan si tersangka punya alibi pada saat kejadian pembunuhan si profesor ini lagi nginep di hotel cortesia itu.
Di epilog setelah Naomi balik dari tugas Osaka ke Tokyo lagi ada insiden yang jadi pemantik kasus di buku sebelumnya yaitu Masquerade Hotel.
읽으면서 생각하는건 여자의 관점이 조금 마음에 들지는 않았다. 남자를 이용한다, 약하다, 눈치없이 궁금증이 크다. 라는 느낌이 좀 커서 싫었다.
하지만 닛타랑 나오미들의 햇병아리 모습을 보니 조금 흐뭇했다. 닛타는 어렸을때 부터 관심이랑, 의심, 추리력이 엄청 뛰어났다는걸 느꼈다. 그러면서 자기가 공을 새우는것보다는 단지 범인을 잡고 싶다는 의지가 강했다. 나오미는 호텔 프런트 직원으로 서툴리면서 손님의 관심과 열정이 보였다. 나오미는 형사를 만나기 전부터 그녀의 능력으로 대단한 추리가 가능하다고 느꼈다. 이 점들을 정말로 마음에 들었다.
끝을 보니까 아까까지는 멍했다. 이런 방법으로 읽는사람들의 관심을 봤는 이 책을 만든사람이 대단하다고 생각했다. 그리고 이걸쓰면서 세상은 참 좁구나 라는 생각이 들었다. 나도 지난 그 미묘한 차이로 중요한걸 못할수도 있구나 라고 생각이 들었���.
이책은 다시 한번더 읽고 싶다. 전책은 너무 아쉬었다는 느낌이었는데. 만약에 다음 시리즈가 있다면 나오미랑 닛타가 다시 한번 만나 한번더, 이번에는 진짜 둘이 머리 맞데고, 사건을 해결하면 좋겠다. 나오미의 세세한면과 닛타의 추리력으로.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
really more like an unnecessary prequel to the first book - it's a series of short stories that cash in on the existing characters but their paths never intersect. the original book had a more meta theme running through (similar to Shinzanmono) but this book completely disregards that. One female cop caricature was almost entirely not "laughable" at all.
Considering the theme of "kamen", the 2nd story was actually quite chilling.
Fast pace storytelling without waste of pages. Probably the writing was not focused on enriching the characters, or to make a very touching or moving story, but again, the story is concise and precise, and definitely a good read. (I do not quite like the character 新田. The policewoman is a little slow but hard-working and lovely.)
I actually want to see more of Risa rather than Naomi. Naomi interacting with Risa was probably the most interesting part in the book and I didn't expect to see that. He needs to write more of that.