Title: Salvation of a Saint
Author: Keigo Higashino
Plot: A rich businessman is found dead in his
home, seemingly poisoned by his coffee. But he was home alone, and a suicide is
ruled out. So how on earth was the man killed? All the people connected with
him are accounted for, and his friends and family are more than ready to
cooperate with the investigation. Yet, Inspector Kusanagi can’t seem to connect
the various clues that seem to go in every possible direction. The only one
with a motive is the dead man’s wife, but she was hundreds of miles away when
the murder took place. As Kusanagi finds himself getting attracted to the
beautiful widow, his assistant and old friend must do some investigating of
their own. Did she actually do the deed? But how do you poison someone from far
away? Or is there another killer lurking in the shadows, yet unseen?
Review: After having thoroughly enjoyed ‘The Devotion of Suspect X’ by Keigo
Higashino, I was elated at having the chance to review his next book. Mr.
Higashino comes up with yet another page turner, and tries again to create the
‘perfect crime’ as he did in his earlier book.
I have to say that it is a little
difficult to review this without any spoilers J. I wouldn’t want to spoil the fun of a good thriller!
This is again, not your regular
whodunit, though he does keep you guessing for a long time. The only problem is
that, in order to extend the climax and keep the pace going, he sort of jams a
lot of action into the last quarter of the book. By no means is the book boring
at any point, but you feel a little rushed towards the end, when the pieces
seem to come together.
Each and every character has been very
well described, and the places can almost be seen in your mind’s eye. The
writing is crisp and concise, and the language doesn’t show any of the
clumsiness seen in some translated works. I especially love the dialogue
delivery; you can feel the tension in the air in some of the scenes!! Further,
the author hasn’t cluttered his story with too many unnecessary characters and kept
the focus on the main ones involved.
The problem I have with this book is
actually one that I created myself – comparing it with its predecessor. I know
I shouldn’t, but I just couldn’t help myself J. It is definitely not as puzzling or nail biting as the earlier
one. Again, there is some kind of reverse programming as the investigators’
main aim seems to be figuring out how the
crime was committed. But the twist in this felt a little bland compared to ‘The
Devotion of Suspect X’. Also, the title seems a little confusing. Who exactly
is the saint here?
Verdict: This book is definitely worth
buying. If you haven’t read the earlier book, you will no doubt be bowled over
by Mr. Higashino’s writing. If you have read it, just forget about it, keep an
open mind and you’ll be happy. All said and done, I’m a fan of Keigo
Higashino!!
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4 comments
Lovely review ,Fab :) I loved the fact that you didn't add any spoilers...now I have to get to writing mine...and after reading your's am thinking of what more to add to mine :P It is gonna be a replica of what you said here :P
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It is pretty tricky to review, isn't it? For a while I was wondering where to start!! Do post soon, can't wait to read your review!
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Aww, Thanks Nupur for your sweet words!! You made my day :-))
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