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4.05 AVERAGE
4.05 AVERAGE
mysterious
sad
tense
medium-paced
mysterious
sad
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
dark
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
adventurous
mysterious
sad
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
dark
emotional
mysterious
sad
tense
medium-paced
adventurous
challenging
dark
emotional
reflective
sad
tense
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Complicated
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
medium-paced
I thought the twist at the end was pretty good, but it general this was just ok for me.
dark
mysterious
reflective
tense
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
mysterious
reflective
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
The Devotion of Suspect X is less a whodunnit and more a how-the-hell-will-they-get-away-with-it. The murder happens right out of the gate—no dramatic buildup, no veil of mystery—just a straight-up crime of desperation, and from that point on, it’s a slow-burning, cerebral chess match you’ll want to read in one sitting.
The plot is deceptively simple: Yasuko Hanaoka, a divorced mother, accidentally kills her abusive ex. Her quiet, socially awkward neighbour Tetsuya Ishigami—a maths teacher with a mind like a steel trap—witnesses the aftermath and calmly steps in to help cover it up. What follows isn’t a story of escape, but a careful, exquisite unraveling of truth. Think Columbo, if Columbo were a physics professor with a penchant for poetic logic and existential dread.
The characters are sketched with the elegance of a sumi-e painting—minimalist but deeply expressive. Tetsuya Ishigami is fascinating: brilliant, lonely, heartbreakingly human. His loyalty borders on madness, his mind a labyrinth of deduction and sacrifice. Then there’s Manabu Yukawa, the physics professor turned accidental detective, whose friendship with Tetsuya Ishigami gives the story unexpected emotional heft. Their intellectual showdown is like watching two master chess players circle each other for the kill—if one of them is also harbouring a devastating secret.
Detective Shunpei Kusanagi adds the procedural element, diligently combing through clues while Manabu Yukawa pokes holes in every convenient theory. The shifting viewpoints keep things fresh and the pacing taut. This isn’t your average twisty thriller—it’s precise, clinical almost, but never dull. Every clue, every deduction is earned.
The writing, translated from Japanese, is a bit stiff at times—like it’s wearing its best shoes and trying not to scuff the floor—but in a way, that restraint suits the tone. There’s a coldness, a mathematical elegance to the prose that mirrors the minds of its characters. My only advice? Pay attention to the names early on. There aren’t loads, but they do have a way of blurring together if you’re not careful.
The ending is a quiet punch to the gut. Just when you think you’ve got it sussed, Keigo Higashino pulls back the curtain on a layer you didn’t even know was there. It’s not a flashy twist—it’s devastating in its subtlety. Agatha Christie would’ve tipped her hat. If you enjoy mysteries that respect your intelligence, characters that slowly unfold like origami, and plots that click together like a Rubik’s cube solved behind someone’s back—this is your book.
The plot is deceptively simple: Yasuko Hanaoka, a divorced mother, accidentally kills her abusive ex. Her quiet, socially awkward neighbour Tetsuya Ishigami—a maths teacher with a mind like a steel trap—witnesses the aftermath and calmly steps in to help cover it up. What follows isn’t a story of escape, but a careful, exquisite unraveling of truth. Think Columbo, if Columbo were a physics professor with a penchant for poetic logic and existential dread.
The characters are sketched with the elegance of a sumi-e painting—minimalist but deeply expressive. Tetsuya Ishigami is fascinating: brilliant, lonely, heartbreakingly human. His loyalty borders on madness, his mind a labyrinth of deduction and sacrifice. Then there’s Manabu Yukawa, the physics professor turned accidental detective, whose friendship with Tetsuya Ishigami gives the story unexpected emotional heft. Their intellectual showdown is like watching two master chess players circle each other for the kill—if one of them is also harbouring a devastating secret.
Detective Shunpei Kusanagi adds the procedural element, diligently combing through clues while Manabu Yukawa pokes holes in every convenient theory. The shifting viewpoints keep things fresh and the pacing taut. This isn’t your average twisty thriller—it’s precise, clinical almost, but never dull. Every clue, every deduction is earned.
The writing, translated from Japanese, is a bit stiff at times—like it’s wearing its best shoes and trying not to scuff the floor—but in a way, that restraint suits the tone. There’s a coldness, a mathematical elegance to the prose that mirrors the minds of its characters. My only advice? Pay attention to the names early on. There aren’t loads, but they do have a way of blurring together if you’re not careful.
The ending is a quiet punch to the gut. Just when you think you’ve got it sussed, Keigo Higashino pulls back the curtain on a layer you didn’t even know was there. It’s not a flashy twist—it’s devastating in its subtlety. Agatha Christie would’ve tipped her hat. If you enjoy mysteries that respect your intelligence, characters that slowly unfold like origami, and plots that click together like a Rubik’s cube solved behind someone’s back—this is your book.