Author : Keigo Higashino
Price : Rs 350
I was looking for something new to read,after having read a couple of memoirs in a row,I wanted something different.Thanks to Blogadda for sending this book my way just when I needed it.Initially I was wary as it was a Japanese author but all my doubts were soon put to rest as I proceeded with the story.I finished reading the book in a single sitting and was totally impressed at the end of it.It is indeed a compulsive page turner.
This story is set in Japan,it tells us about a single mother Yasuko who lives with her daughter Misato.A chance encounter with Yasuko's ex-husband Togashi sets the story rolling and Togashi somehow finds a way to Yasukos house ,things get ugly,the situation escalates to violence and Togashi ends up dead in their home.Just as they are wondering what they should do next,help comes unexpectedly in the form of their next door neighbour Ishigami.Now,Ishigami is a mathematical genius who works as a school maths teacher and who comes to their aid because he secretly harbours feelings for Yasuko.The story progresses very rapidly from here on and goes on to tell us how Ishigami helps his neighbours get out of the mess they are in by using his intellect and muddling the detectives who are handling the case.
However this is not where it ends.There are numerous twists and turns as Ishigami has to contend with a very smart detective and his genius physicist friend Yukawa,who happens to be Ishigami's equal in university as they belong to the same school.Its a cat and mouse chase but with lots of emotions and feelings thrown in for good measure.I could not guess the ending and I doubt anyone will.It is so difficult to unravel the mystery that it does keep you glued to the pages.
There is a beautiful line which remained with me long after I finished reading it "Sometimes all you
had to do was exist in order to be someone's saviour". Also "Which is harder :devising an unsolvable problem or solving that problem?" This line pretty much sums up the entire plot.The story also talks about friendship,trust and unconditional love and it does pull at your heartstrings.It was initially a little difficult as the names were all Japanese and I had to turn back more than once to get the characters right.However it does not disturb the flow too much as there aren't too many characters in the story.It is a national best-seller in Japan with over 2 million copies sold and also the third book in the detective Galileo series,penned by the author.The writing is so lucid and simple that it keeps you turning the pages to see what next is in store.I could easily imagine it as a movie.
I enjoyed reading it and happily rate it 4 out of 5.
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