A review by jwsg
A Midsummer's Equation by Keigo Higashino

4.0

As usual, Higashino offers an absorbing read. But whereas in previous Detective Galileo mysteries, Manabu Yukawa was consulted by Detective Kusunagi, this time round, Yukawa finds himself in the middle of a murder case when one of the guests at the inn where he's staying at in Hari Cove is found dead at the base of the local cliffs. The local cops see it as a straightforward accident; a stranger to Hari Cove who missed his footing when taking a walk by the cliffs. Unexpectedly, a director in the Tokyo Metropolitan Police Department arrives in Hari Cove and calls for an autopsy when he sees the remains; Director Tatara reveals that the victim was a retired homicide detective whom he regarded as a mentor of sorts, and is determined to reveal the truth behind his death. While Yukawa unpacks what happened in Hari Cove, Detective Kusunagi and his assistant Kaoru Utsumi try to figure out why Masatsugu Tsukahara had travelled from Tokyo to Hari Cove and whether any of his cases when he was still in active service might have any bearing on his death.