23 August, 2016

#BookReview :: Journey Under the Midnight Sun by Keigo Higashino, Alexander O. Smith (Translator)


When a man is found murdered in an abandoned building in Osaka in 1973, unflappable detective Sasagaki is assigned to the case. He begins to piece together the connection of two young people who are inextricably linked to the crime; the dark, taciturn son of the victim and the unexpectedly captivating daughter of the main suspect. Over the next twenty years we follow their lives as Sasagaki pursues the case - which remains unsolved - to the point of obsession. 

Stark, intriguing and stylish, Journey Under the Midnight Sun is an epic mystery by the bestselling Japanese author.






I received this book as a review copy from Hachette India quite some time back. And though I quite enjoy Keigo Higashino’s works, I dawdled for as long as I could before picking it up to read it because my prior experience with this author’s works meant that I knew I would have to pay really close attention to every little aspect in the book.

A dead body is discovered at an abandoned building and Detective Sasagaki is assigned the case. The body is identified to be that of a pawnbroker. As the detective investigates the case, he is introduced to two characters - Ryo, the son of the pawnbroker and Yukiho, the daughter of the lady who seemed to have been in a relationship with the pawnbroker. The case remains unsolved through the detective’s career, but it becomes sort of an obsession for the detective. As a result, he continues to keep tabs on Ryo and Yukiho and the book follows the incidents of almost two decades. Does Sasagaki ever get the satisfaction of solving this case? Or are the perpetrators just a bit too clever for him?

As expected, the book doesn’t conform to the general mystery format. Most of the seasoned mystery readers will be certain about the ‘who’ in the plot. But just like ‘The Devotion of Suspect X’ the book is all about the other aspects of the case – the why, where, and how’s of the case. It is a rollercoaster journey and the genius of it just left me amazed. Detective Sasagaki’s dedication towards this case is admirable as is the intelligence of the perpetrators. The plot is multi layered and there is so much going on that it keeps the readers engrossed. The twists and turns keep the readers on their toes. The best part of the book is perhaps its climax when the twisted plot finally unravels to disclose every little secret. The author doesn’t leave anything unanswered.

This is a huge book but I managed to read it within two days lest I forget some important little detail. It is certainly a page turner.


Review Copy from Hachette India



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