I trace the seeds of said obsession to my early years when I would hide under my quilt with a flashlight to continue reading without parental interference. They straddled the line between sanity and madness.I confess my addiction to books shrouded in mystery and intrigue. At the same time, it meant they had one foot in forbidden territory. Somehow, their transgression freed them from the confines of a mortal existence, allowing them to perceive the great truths of the universe. There was something about them he always seemed to sense, an aura that they shared. Kusanagi had met plenty of good, admirable people who’d been turned into murderers by circumstance. This novel sold two million copies in Japan and is the first book in the Detective Galileo series to be translated into English. The twists as the story heads into its denouement are dizzying - and make perfect sense. This is a hyper-intelligent blend of police procedural, character study, and logic puzzle.

The tension in this sparingly written, all-together affecting novel is almost unbearable, but deliciously so. Suffice it to say everything is much more complicated than it seems. We also get a more complete picture of Yasuko and the circumstances that lead to her ex knocking on the door. Ishigami’s solution creates a dangerous bond between the two of them and sets off a shocking chain of events that attracts police attention.Īs Ishigami schemes to outsmart the police, we slowly learn more about him and his past relationship with Professor Galileo. He’s been in love with her from afar, and this tragedy is his opportunity to show his devotion. Her neighbor Ishigami - the unassuming teacher who’s literally just on the other side of the wall - comes to her rescue. But when her violent ex-husband shows up unexpectedly one day, circumstances spiral way, way out of control. Yasuko is a single mom who works at a bento shop and lives a quiet life in a Tokyo apartment building.

The story begins with a seemingly average woman. There’s no doubt who committed the crime the suspense is in watching the police and their consultant, known as Professor Galileo, try to unravel the knot of the crime. In this super-twisty thriller set in Tokyo, Japan, a mild-mannered math teacher might be a criminal mastermind.

The devotion of suspect