Yasuko’s calm life is thrown into chaos when one evening, her abominable ex-husband appears at her doorstep. A divorcee and single mother working at a bento shop, you can never suspect her of a crime as serious as murder. If you are familiar with Higashino’s works, you will realize that the culprit is never emphasized in his books. It is a crime that he talks about and consequently, how crime can be hidden and how crime is driven – and the psychologies of those involve in and around it. Immediately as you enter this book, you know who the killer is. Yet somehow through the narrative and turn of events, you find yourself rooting for the killer and hoping that they would be clever enough to fool the detectives. Does that make you feel guilty?

The Devotion of Suspect X (Review)

Although Yasuko commits the murder which drives the plot, you soon see the man of the book is Ishigami, an extremely talented math teacher who lives next door. His hidden adoration for Yasuko provides a warm feeling even in such a dark setting and grim events of this peculiar book titled The Devotion of Suspect X that makes you wonder – how important are the lives of those around us, them who we love? It is owing to Ishigami that Yasuko decides not to give up and the two devices a solid plan to cover up for the murder Yasuko committed, albeit in self-defence.

From the very first moment, the police have zeroed on Yasuko, as she is the most likely person to have committed the murder. Yet, such is the execution of the murder and further events, that they do not find any luck when they go for the clues, Yasuko has a perfect alibi, and apparently, she cannot be the murderer. The story of The Devotion of Suspect X is indeed very simple; we read about ex-wives murdering the ex-husband in several books. What sets this book apart is the brilliantly executed cat and mouse game, thanks to the brilliance of Ishigami.

You feel your inner criminal unleashed when you find out how they recreate the crime events to suit their purpose, to get away with the murder, and in the worst moment you probably hope you could do that as well. The detective, despite being a friend of Ishigami or probably for being one – has difficulty understanding the events of the night when the crime took place. The pieces of the puzzle he creates seem impossible to be put together, and when they start building up to a coherent structure, it absolutely leaves you shocked.

“The ending is a killer twist,” wrote Metro about The Devotion of Suspect X (Yōgisha X no Kenshin) and I can not agree more! The pace of the book is slow yet steady as if set within the mind of a plotting genius measuring every step cautiously, carefully to not give away any secrets. If the crime, mystery, and thriller genre makes you jump with excitement, grab this read right now! I would further recommend Malice by Higashino which is yet another delight! You can get the book here! 📖

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