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.
3.5 / 5 This book was fun to read with great twists and I can't put it down because I was dying to know who the murderer was. I have read many books from this author, so I could figure out there's something wrong with the protagonist. And DAMN,The ending left me breathless!
Kamen sansō satsujin jiken (Zabójstwo w Domu Maski, 1990)
Zgadliście kiedyś zakończenie kryminału po tytułach rozdziałów?
Znów wczesny Higashino, po którym wiele sobie obiecywałem. Japońscy fani często wymieniają Kamen sansō wśród najlepszych utworów pisarza z pierwszej dekady jego twórczości, rozpływając się nad mistrzostwem finałowej sceny. I jestem w stanie to zrozumieć. Ale...
Powieść zaczyna się jak klasyczna Christie - willa na odludziu ośmioro gości, mroczna tajemnica z przeszłości, zaraz coś się stanie, no po prostu miód na moje oczy. I rzeczywiście coś się dzieje, bo od drugiego rozdziału dostajemy... home invasion. Higashino, który nie lubi pisać dwa razy tego samego musiał oczywiście namieszać (Ale czy ja chcę home invasion w moim klasycznym kryminale?). Do willi dostaje się dwóch mężczyzn, którzy właśnie obrabowali bank i zaczyna się psychodrama. Jakieś 90% powieści to dialogi - czytam, czytam i niby wiem, że kryminał, konwencja, wiadomo, ale czy te dialogi nie są miejscami zbyt sztuczne? Do tego od pewnego momentu zdałem sobie sprawę, że już do końca nie opuścimy salonu willi i coraz ciężej było mi brnąć dalej. Wreszcie przychodzi wielki finał i co się okazuje? Że tytuły rozdziałów podpowiedziały mi rozwiązanie. Smuteczek, choć trzeba przyznać Higashino, że świetnie to wszystko sobie obmyślił i intryga jest pierwszorzędna, a te męczące środkowe 2oo stron ostatecznie ma sens . Niestety mi w tym wypadku samo zakończenie nie wystarczyło, choć obiektywnie patrząc dorównuje temu z Podejrzanego X, więc jeśli chodzi o ocenę Kamen sansō jestem pewnie w mniejszości.
This mystery and a thriller book involve great mystery that is soon to be discovered. The first time I laid my hands on this book, I couldn't stop but reading because the story was so intense I had to find out what was going to happen next. About ten people who have known each other for years meet up in a mountain villa that belongs to the highest man from those. They believe they have met only for the purpose of enjoying the meetup, but unexpected guests soon come to invade the villa. They were thieves and were looking for a place to hide from the police when they found the villa the people were currently using. The two thieves easily capture all people in the villa and keep everyone in charge while they rest and rob the house. Threatened by the weapons, the people had no choice but to follow the thieves. Soon, an unfortunate murder case happens in the villa. One of the hostages is dead, and everyone is busy suspecting others. Like a well-written play in performance, this book creates suspense between the invited guests and the two thieves in the middle of the escalation, and you can feel joy with a huge twister at the end.
As readers who are trying to figure out who the criminal is, the author does not fail to surprise us at the end. Higashino Keigo is famous for his mystery thriller murder books, and I definitely think this book is one of his best work.
Prolog nya dibuka dengan kematian Tomomi yang bentar lagi mau nikah, diduga karena kecelakaan. Orang tuanya ini ngundang beberapa kerabatnya sama calon suaminya Tomomi ke villa dia di gunung bikin acara buat mengenang Tomomi lah ceritanya.
Tapi tiba-tiba ada 2 perambok yang abis nyolong duit bank masuk ke villa ini, semua yang ada di villa ini jadi sandera nya mereka. Long story short mereka ini udah usaha banget minta tolong ke dunia luar dengan cara apapun, tapi ada yang sabotase nah siapa tuh penghianat nya. Ditengah tengah tiba tiba aja ada yang terbunuh tapi bukan 2 rampok ini yang bunuh mulai lah tuh mereka ini saling curiga satu sama lain. Apakah kematian Tomomi hanya kecelakaan biasa? Atau ada yang dengan sengaja membunuhnya?
Ini kocak sih pas saling tuduh menuduh si rampoknya malah bantuin wkwkwk, plot twist nya oke banget ga ketebak bakal dibawa kesana.
The plot was well developed and the pace was just right. It makes me wonder what is really happening and the plot kept me excited on what is to come.
But I am still disappointed with the murderer. As with most murderer in Keigo Higashino stories, the story of the murderer always leave one questioning if justice means acquitting the murderer. Because the murderer in Keigo Higashino book always have a past that makes one feel sorry for. Yet in this story, there is no such story.
The murderer deserve to be acquitted but yet he did not.