REVIEW: The Devotion of Suspect X - Keigo Higashino

• Year first released:  2005 (Japanese), 2011 (English)
• ISBN of the version I read:  978-1250002693
• Publisher of the version I read:  Minotaur Books
• My rating (out of 5):  2

The most important thing I can think to say about The Devotion of Suspect X is that it did a couple things very right and a couple things…well: not so right, to put it kindly.

Devotion is, essentially, a mind game between two equally brilliant men: the genius physics professor Yukawa, who occasionally helps his police-detective friend solve some of the trickier murder cases in the precinct; and math teacher Ishigami, an intimidating mastermind who seems to have missed his mark in life and is now, somehow, at the heart of a murder investigation.

Unlike most other mystery/crime novels, Devotion actually begins by showing us the murder, telling us exactly who did it and how it was done. The mystery at hand for us readers, then, is in the elaborate plot created by Ishigami to cover up the crime. It’s an unconventional approach for the genre, and a wonderful change-up. As the book progresses and every new lead or clue is discovered, each step of the way we wonder, Is Ishigami’s plan falling through the cracks, or is this, too, part of his master setup?

His plan, by the way, was truly clever. Just how far it goes is not something I will comment on; frankly, that’s the entire joy of the book. And, as you might surmise, the ending was wholly shocking and mind-blowing. I, at least, wasn’t even in the same galaxy of guessing the answer.

Here, though, is exactly where the book’s biggest problem lies.

Devotion suffers from what I sometimes refer to as the Sixth Sense Effect. Just saying that phrase, I’m sure you can guess exactly what I’m getting at: as the final act plays out in front of us and the whole truth is revealed, we realize we’ve just witnessed the most twisty twist that’s ever twisted in a movie. But in this case, the movie is the ending. The first 97 minutes of the movie are really just a prelude to the final 10. 

Which, unfortunately, makes the first 97 minutes rather dull.

So, too, with Devotion. Yukawa and Ishigami’s back-and-forth, cat-and-mouse game is a genuinely interesting, psychological treat. But every moment in which neither of them is on the page – and even a few moments when they are – I felt as though I was merely biding my time. Yes, the payout is incredible. But now that I know exactly what it is, there’s really no reason to tread this ground again.

That said, if this incredible twist is the most important thing to you and you’re willing to wade through 270 pages of prelude, then Devotion will likely be a delight for you. If you feel, though – as I usually do – that the journey is just as important (or even more important) than the destination, then Devotion might not quite be your thing.