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There are currently 23 member reviews
for The Devotion of Suspect X
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Molly K. (San Jose, CA)
A Real Whodunnit
I just finished the last page, and I’m glad I got this book. The story promises fascinating characters, a real murder mystery, a plethora of clues for the reader, and a battle of wits between police officers, a high school math teacher, and a physicist. What the story seems in the beginning may not be the same story at the end.
I wish the characters had been more fully developed. The writing becomes tedious at times, and the conversations often seem awkward and austere, with little emotion attached. In other places, the writing seems too casual for the content. Is this a translation problem, perhaps?
The crux of the mystery is a mathematical/logical puzzle: in solving a problem, should a person pursue his own solution or instead, should he analyze and evaluate the solutions of others. I found this concept intellectually challenging and hope that one I get a chance to try it out.
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Lee M. (Creve Coeur, MO)
The Devotion of Suspect X
Keigo Higashino has written a twist on the usual murder mystery. This not a ‘who done it’ as the reader is told who, when, and why in the beginning. How the murderer is hidden from the police is slowly and cleverly laid out by the author in an amazing mind duel by two old mathematical school acquaintances
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Marta T. (Lafayette, CA)
well-crafted plot
The writer of this mystery, unlike many modern works written for an English-speaking audience, takes a leisurely approach with many layers. The story begins by establishing the relationship between two Japanese neighbors before a murder occurs and continues with a game of cat-and-mouse between one of them and a police consultant who understands how his mind works. The murder cover-up is the real focus of the story. Recommended for the plot, but pacing may be slow and characters too thin for some readers.
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Neil W. (Tavares, FL)
Mediocre
I found this Japanese mystery to be mediocre. The plot had some unusual twists and turns but it was not an easy book to stay interested in. I do not think the characters were sufficiently developed to really understand any of them. Perhaps the cultural differences were the true obstacle. The ending was unsatisfactory. I would not recommend it.
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Patricia S. (New Canaan, CT)
Momentum builds slowly
A seemingly perfect crime in Japan is solved through scientific theory by a physicist turned detective as he meets with a mathematics professor, a former university friend. Momentum builds very slowly in this mystery, written in spare Japanese prose, and I couldn't become involved with the characters. I did expect more from this prolific author.
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Aprile G. (Northampton, Massachusetts)
Lost in Translation
A very quick and engaging read, although the characters aren't very nuanced (not that they really need to be in a murder mystery)and the final chapter falls completely flat and undermines some of the book's good qualities. But the prose often seems stilted--could this be a problem with the translation? I didn't dislike the book, but can't really say I'd highly recommend it.
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Laureen S. (Aurora, IL)
Not What I Expected
After reading about this author's success in Japan and the premise of the novel, I was looking forward to reading The Devotion of Suspect X. I was disappointed though in the pace of the novel and in the development of the characters. I am not sure if this is the author's writing or the translation, but whichever I struggled to finish the book. Additionally, the ending fell short of what I would have hoped for this novel - the plot is a good one if the writing had equaled it.
