Title: The Devotion of Suspect X
Author: Keigo Higashino
Call No.: English HIG – [MY]
Publisher: New York: Minotaur Books, 2011

The Devotion of suspect X is not your typical whodunit mystery story. By the second chapter, the readers would know the culprit and just how the murder was committed. Yusako leads a simple life, working at a small bento store and raising her daughter, Misato. Their quiet lives are disrupted when Yusako’s abusive ex-husband, Togashi, shows up one day. A late night scuffle in their house led to Yusako killing Togashi.

Next door, the lonesome and brilliant Math teacher, Ishigami, stumbles upon the crime. Baffling Yusako, Ishigami offered to dispose the body. (If you are also perturbed why Ishigami decide to be a conspirator in hiding the crime, the title is a clue). As the story unravels, both you and Yusako will wonder: does this convenient service really come with no strings attached? Can Yusako lead a free life knowing that her fate lies in the hands of another?

What happens in the rest of this gripping novel is a tango between the police detectives and the clues laid by Ishigami. Logical and mostly detached, Ishigami has likened the crime to a math problem and he has set a challenging puzzle for the detectives to solve. As the story reaches its climax, it just takes your breath away. The ending is highly unexpected. The author has created a clever albeit unsettling solution, befitting Ishigami’s character.

I wish I can say more, but that would be giving away the story. If you have not read this novel before, I urge you to go to your nearest library and grab a copy now!

The novel was first published in Japanese in 2005, and was later made into a movie by the title “Suspect X” in 2008. This movie is also available in our collection.

The book cover feature is the copyright of its publisher.

Contributed by Toh Yen Yen, loyal reader.