Book Review: The Devotion of Suspect X by Keigo Higashino

There are thrillers that surprise you, there are thrillers that shock you, and then there are thrillers that sit quietly in your mind long after you’ve finished reading, whispering questions about love, sacrifice, morality, and the frightening simplicity of genius. The Devotion of Suspect X is one of those books. It is not loud. It does not rely on high-speed chases or dramatic twists thrown in for the sake of entertainment. Instead, it moves with the calm confidence of a chess player who already knows how the game will end.

The story begins with a crime, but the crime itself is not the mystery. In fact, the murder happens early, and we are told exactly who committed it. Yasuko Hanaoka, a once-popular hostess now living a quiet life with her daughter, is pushed into a moment of desperation when her abusive ex-husband returns to threaten them. The confrontation turns violent, and Yasuko kills him. It is a tragic moment, but what truly shapes the story is what happens after.

Enter Tetsuya Ishigami. Yasuko’s neighbour. A quiet, unassuming high school math teacher who is brilliant in ways the world has chosen to overlook. His life is dull, monotonous, and painfully lonely. So when he hears the struggle and pieces together what has happened, he does not panic. He does not condemn. He simply steps forward and says: Let me…