Abhishek Sharma
Both unusual and familiar, The Devotion of Suspect X is an unassuming mystery with an astonishing approach. It is a book that will toy with the very definition of the concept of 'spoilers:' it begins with a few hours in our main characters' daily routines, then quickly jumps into an emotional scene that results in murder. I admit that I was doubtful; how was I to stay interested in a mystery where I already knew the answers to the 'who-what-where-why-when?' But Hiashino is quite masterful, drawing a veil over the disposition of the body. The reader is left in a unique position of knowing more than the police about where the investigation should end, but discovering clues with the police as they work backwards. The narrative follows both the police investigation and the viewpoint of the perpetrator(s), leaving me marveling at the chess game. Something in it puts me in mind of Agatha Christie, although it could be that she's just the one I always think of when it comes to non-gory murder and a more nuanced form of suspense. It is a book that is as much about characters and social protocols as much as mystery, but don't let that frighten you away. There's a distinct whiff of literary-fiction about this as well, a story that is also about the everyday lives and the future dreams of the characters.
