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.
Melanjutkan kisah Reito di buku pertama sebagai penjaga pohon kamper, kali ini ia dihadapkan dengan kenyataan terburuk bahwa bibinya Chifune mengidap demensia. Di lain sisi ada anak yang mengidap penyakit serupa tapi bedanya setiap ia tidur ingatan di hari sebelumnya akan hilang.
Ya singkatnya begitulah kurang lebih mirip sama cerita pertama dimana si mc bantu memecahkan masalah yang berhubungan sama kuilnya. Kali ini engga berekspektasi tinggi lagi soal bukunya, ternyata benar bahkan judulnya ga begitu nyambung sama isinya.
A surprising improvement of a sequel on an already iconic first book, "Megami" focuses more on Ryūto's relationship with Chifune and on growth. Having matured into the job at Tsukisato, Ryūto has grown significantly and begins to carry the will of the Camphorwood to help others. The wholesome brotherly relationship between Ryūto and Motoya, Chifune's bittersweet fate, and the group effort to bring a children's book to life all make for a calm, heartwarming, yet persuading page-turner.
Though not typically a fan of mystery as a genre, this book becomes intwined with a hint of it, while keeping the thread of a day-in-the-life vibe that made the first book "Bannin" so enjoyable. This book hit me where I least expected it, and it made me cry harder than I had reading any book prior.