Reviews tagging 'Death'

The Devotion of Suspect X by Keigo Higashino

14 reviews

afi_whatafireads's review against another edition

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dark hopeful mysterious tense medium-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? Character
  • Strong character development? Yes
  • Loveable characters? It's complicated
  • Diverse cast of characters? Yes
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

5.0

Head? Empty...
Brain? Still processing shit..
Emotions? ✨Emotional Damage✨

This book. THIS FREAKING BOOK. It blew my mind. It took on the depths of human's emotions and spinned it into a tale that just seemed so freaking simple, but is just so MINDBLOWINGLY BRILLIANT. Everything was brilliant about this. The writing, the emotion, the plot progression, the way the story evolved. It really teaches us to not take something from the face value. There's more to things than just the surface. You have to dig deeper to really know something.


"Sometimes, all you had to do was exist in order to be someone's saviour."


This book had was so unique but so very, well-written. The intricateness of the writing, the way Keigo relates life and the characters and just how very unique this book was. Imagine already knowing WHO the killer is and what had happened during the time of murder, but how Keigo spinned the story into the perspective of the murderer, the detectives as well as the POV of a bystander. The more I think about it, the more I feel that Keigo Higashino is not only a genius in curating a story, he leads the readers into thinking that something is as what it seemed, when it's not. The way everything pieced together at the end, the way the emotional inflict that the characters had done, every line and word is meaningful in his writing.


"When an amateur attempts to conceal something, the more complex he makes his camouflage, the deeper the grave he digs for himself. But not so a genius. The genius does something far simpler, yet something no normal person would even dream of, the last thing a normal person would think of doing. And from this simplicity, immense complexity is created."


This line alone, this line alone had shown the overall gist of the story. How the plot seemed so simple, and yet, you still feel why the police still can't convict the murderer. The things that Keigo had laid out, the base of the story, felt and looked so simple, but it was more than that. The surface ran deep like looking at the base of the ocean, not knowing what you'll find.

I also like how I can actually relate to the things that the characters were doing. Its one thing to read about rampage murderers, but its an entirely different thing to read about a calculative and smart murderer. The way Keigo leads the readers into accepting the perspective that he wrote but, the clues lies between the lies of the stories. If only another perspective was shone through, everything will make sense.

This is a story that is unlike any other, but had caught me from the very first chapter. It blew my mind and paired with a straightforward writing but with complex monologues showcasing the intricacy of human's feelings, its a book that will really make you go back to the cover, stare at it for a few minutes and cry. A crime thriller that may be one of the best I've read so far in my life. Highly recommended.
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akira_outofthegravity's review against another edition

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dark emotional mysterious sad medium-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? A mix
  • Strong character development? Yes
  • Loveable characters? Yes
  • Diverse cast of characters? No
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

5.0

Perfect for fans of Columbo! This is a howdunnit of the highest calibre. After murdering her abusive husband with the help of her daughter, Yasuko fears for her and her daughters lives. Unbeknownst to her, the crime was witnessed by her next door neighbour Ishigami, a genius maths teacher who happens to be in love with Yasuko, who offers to cover up the crime and help her escape the police.  

This is a great thriller mystery. Yasuko’s paranoia is palpable, and her relationship with Ishigami becoming more strained, yet more intimate, really sells the fear and dread. Ishigami and detective Galileo are old friends, and have similar personalities. There were certain aspects that left me really sad, and the ending was so tragic. It’s a game of cat and mouse that had me hooked! 
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kellee's review against another edition

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dark mysterious tense medium-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? Plot
  • Strong character development? No
  • Loveable characters? No
  • Diverse cast of characters? Yes
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? No

4.25

This detective novel is part of a popular series in Japan (this is the third book, but the first translated into English). If you enjoyed Agatha Christie’s “Murder on the Orient Express” with its iconoclast lead detective, clues dropped along the way, and twists that you do not see coming, I would highly recommend this book. Thanks to the Currently Reading podcast for recommending this one. 
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bethanyann97's review against another edition

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challenging dark mysterious tense medium-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? Plot
  • Strong character development? No
  • Loveable characters? No
  • Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? No

4.0

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