Salvation of A Saint by Keigo Higashino

Synopsis :

Yoshitaka, who was about to leave his marriage and his wife, is poisoned by arsenic-laced coffee and dies. His wife, Ayane, is the logical suspect—except that she was hundreds of miles away when he was murdered. The lead detective, Tokyo Police Detective Kusanagi, is immediately smitten with her and refuses to believe that she could have had anything to do with the crime. His assistant, Kaoru Utsumi, however, is convinced Ayane is guilty. 

While Utsumi’s instincts tell her one thing, the facts of the case are another matter. So she does what her boss has done for years when stymied—she calls upon Professor Manabu Yukawa.

But even the brilliant mind of Dr. Yukawa has trouble with this one, and he must somehow find a way to solve an impossible murder and capture a very real, very deadly murderer.

Salvation for a Saint is Keigo Higashino at his mind-bending best, pitting emotion against fact in a beautifully plotted crime novel filled with twists and reverses that will astonish and surprise even the most attentive and jaded of readers.


This is what I say :

Right after The Devotion of Suspect X, I can't wait to start on Salvation of A Saint.  It seems to be a habit of mine that if I like the first title that I read, I would immediately try to read whatever other titles by the same author that I have.

It did take me awhile to read this. Slightly longer reading period than the first title but like The Devotion of Suspect X, I find Salvation of A Saint event better and equally refreshing.

Now I know why Keigo Higashiono is being regarded so highly and even as a translated copy,  the difference in him telling the story is quite different that other thriller authors.  He did not overuse his words and kept them to a minimal but at the same time managed to be such an animated storyteller.  

The plot of the thriller is simple. Who kill Yoshitaka?  Most probably his wife is the theme of the plot. Is it her? or could it also be someone else?  If it's her, how did she do it? If it's not her, who else can it be and basically that's it.  And if it's her, why would be a rather important consideration would you think not? And if not her, why not?  

The expectations are being built up very subtly and ingeniously by the author.  In it's simplicity, the author's skill and thoughts as a great storyteller shines through and I love every word in Salvation of A Saint.

I can't wait to see if I have future opportunity to read his work.