What do readers think of The Devotion of Suspect X by Keigo Higashino? Write your own review.

The novel is engaging and fast paced--not to mention a great puzzle. It's not often I don't see the end coming in crime fiction, but I honestly had no idea what to expect as the events unfolded in "The Devotion of Suspect X". Seeing the two geniuses at work, both Yukawa and Ishigami, as one tried to solve the crime and the other to hide it, I was reminded a bit of Sherlock Holmes.

I love foreign mysteries and have read several Japanese ones so I was anxious to review this one. It did not disappoint. Very Hitchcockian in the way you saw what was coming and slowly but surely your worst fears were realized. The book was a great example of unwavering devotion going too far! The characters' names get a bit hard to keep straight but definitely worth the effort.

Like a math problem itself, two geniuses are pitted against each other as one tries to hide a murder, while the other tries to solve it. Starting somewhat slowly, I quickly found myself jumping ahead worrying how the characters would end up. It resolves only at the very end.

The Devotion of Suspect X is a quick read, but has interesting and likable characters to lead the storyline. The ending differed from the expected and proved a little hard to accept by American values, but the workings of a foreign culture make the book a notch above regular crime detection. The development of the lead villain/hero made the book work for me. I have recommended the novel to two others who found it a worthwhile read and spoke highly of their experience

I can understand why this author is so highly regarded in his country. His novel is an intricately woven mental duel between a mathematician, Ishigami, who has contrived a complicated cover up to a crime, and his friend, the physicist Yukawa, who has figured it out, and whose actions bring us to the dramatic finale. The detective on the case, Kusanagi, is a cog in the wheel, at best. One could draw a parallel to “The Gift of the Magi.” Our mathematician sacrifices to the ultimate degree for his unrequited love, Yasuko, and she, in turn, unknowingly offers up her own sacrifices as well. Justice prevails, I think, but in a somewhat disturbing and unsatisfying way. Even so, it was an engrossing read that I would highly recommend.

What a fun, intelligent read. Higashino's characters are fully formed and his plot is as taut and satisfying as a perfect geometry proof. The writing is simple and logical but contains so much - the meaning of love, friendship, justice, loyalty, truth. This is a book that stays with you after you finish the last page and makes the reader want to share it with others. I plan to give this book to my son who is working on his PhD in Math. I hope he takes an afternoon away from his work for this nugget of gold.

The Devotion of Suspect X is certainly not your run-of-the-mill thriller. I have to admit at first I found the premise a little far fetched, however by the time I was 50 pages into the story I was hopelessly hooked. Intelligent characters and plenty of twists and turns to keep even the jaded thriller fan happy.

The plot of this novel strains credulity even more than most mysteries, but I still found it compelling. This is a Japanese novel in translation, and the elements of Japanese culture, as contrasted with American culture, that affect the plot are interesting. Also, all three of the major characters--our murderer; her devoted neighbor, our "Suspect X"; and a scientist who helps the police--are sympathetic and believable. We learn right away who killed our victim and why; it is how the murder is covered up and how the police are led astray that provide the mystery.