A Midsummer’s Equation By Keigo Higashino

Ever since I read his novel “The Devotion Of Suspect X” about four and a half years ago, Keigo Higashino has become one of my top favourite authors. I just love his master storytelling and the many unexpected twists as his plot unfolds.

Keigo’s  writing is always very entertaining and well worth reading. It is little wonder that he has become the most widely read author in Japan, with hundreds of millions of his books sold worldwide. So far, I have read “The Devotion Of Suspect X”, “Salvation Of A Saint” and “Journey Under The Midnight Sun”.

It is such a coincidence. On November 25, I received an email from MPH Online about  its online book sales. On browsing through the titles on sale, I was delighted to find Keigo’s “Malice” on sale for only RM15.50. I have been looking for this book for quite a while as well as Keigo’s “A Midsummer’s Equation”. I ordered the book together with “Six Four” by Hideo Yokoyama, “The Widow” by Fiona Barton, “The Magic Strings Of Frankie Prest” by Mitch Albom and “Peach Blossom Pavilion” by Mingmei Yip. I am quite impressed with MPH’s service as I received the 5 books yesterday.

The 5 books that I bought from MPH Online

Two days ago on Monday, I was at Popular Bookstore when I saw “A Midsummer’s Equation” on the shelves. I immediately bought it and started reading it on Monday night. It’s the sort of book that I want to finish in a single night but  because my eyes get tired easily, I read about half the book on Monday night and finished the other half last night.

A Midsummer’s Equation by Keigo Higashino

Wow, what a great read! I felt spellbound as I was being fed pieces of a puzzle that I can’t seem to fit together no matter how I tried. Keigo is ingenious in working one twist after another, keeping me in the dark until the final pages.

Manabu Yukawa, the physicist known as “Detective Galileo,” is in Hari Cove, a once-popular summer resort town that has fallen on hard times. Staying at the Green Rock Inn, he is in the town to speak at a conference on a proposed underwater mining operation, one which has sharply divided the community. One faction is against the proposed operation, concerned about the environmental impact on the area, known for its pristine waters. The other faction believes the town’s only hope lies in the development project.

When Masatsugu Tsukahara,one of the Green Rock Inn’s guests, is found dead at the base of the local cliffs, the local police at first assumed it was a tragic accident. But when they discover that the victim was a former detective and that the cause of death was carbon monoxide poisoning, they realise that they are dealing with a murder.

As the police try to solve the murder, Yukawa finds himself enmeshed in yet another confounding case of murder. In a series of twists, he uncovers the hidden relationship behind the tragic events that led to this murder.

I am not going to reveal anything more as I don’t want to spoil your enjoyment of the book. Go grab a copy of the book and be mesmerised by this Japanese author!

P/s I started reading “Malice” today and hope to finish it by tomorrow.