'The Devotion of Suspect X' by Keigo Higashino translated by Alexander O. Smith with Elye J. Alexander

Anything I want to say about this book will give something away.

So what to do?  Well, you see, I must write about this book.

In the beginning...

We were on vacation somewhere hot that also had copious amounts of great cheap rosé available.  Naturally, my instinct is to sip wine, read and move as little as possible due to the heat and I hope due to a good book. I had run out of books to read so I went to the local book sellers and inspected the English/German/Spanish shelf.  My husband was also looking for a book. As I chose 'The Language of Flowers', I spotted another book from a Japanese author.  I read the back cover and thought "cool, a book for BPR."  Beloved Proof Reader agreed and off we went.  To make a long story short, I finished my book quickly and attacked his.

I expected the sort of suspenseful "who done it" that is normal for hot holiday reading.  This book is different and definitely not normal.  I usually can discern the formula of a suspense/thriller quickly.  I get bored or frustrated by chapter 3... that is, I know who will die, I know who done it, and I know who will sleep with whom.  'The Devotion of Suspect X' is so not predictable (to me).  I don't want to even begin to gush for fear of giving everything away.  I loved the way hints are dropped. The reader is not treated like an idiot but somehow a predictable story starts to gently twist and soon you don't know which way you are facing.  It is all done calmly, no explosions, no chases through dark alleys, nothing that would make you jump.  But, there is plenty to keep you chewing your lip, twisting your hair and holding on to that glass of wine those seconds too long because actually swallowing would be distracting.

The Devotion kept me devoted.  It lingered once I had finished it.  I kept away from BPR while he read so I would not ask such things as "Did you notice .....?"  Please go out and find this book before they make it into a film.  Read it and pass it on but from a distance because you don't want to let something slip.

Alexander O. Smith
ISBN: 9781408703250