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Detective Galileo is the name of a Japanese series of mystery suspense novels written by Keigo Higashino. The books follow the exploits of a physicist who also doubles as an amateur detective.
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Order of Detective Galileo Series
| # | Read | Title | Published | Details |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | The Devotion of Suspect X | 2011 | Description / Buy | |
| 2 | Salvation of a Saint | 2012 | Description / Buy | |
| 3 | A Midsummer's Equation | 2016 | Description / Buy | |
| 4 | Silent Parade | 2018 | Description / Buy | |
| 5 | Invisible Helix | 2021 | Description / Buy |
Kusanagi is a fairly ordinary detective when readers meet him in The Devotion of Suspect X. And Kusanagi’s investigative abilities are perfectly adequate for most murder mysteries.
However, the Yasuko Hanaoko case is no ordinary murder mystery. Yasuko Hanaoka abandoned her life to escape an abusive ex-husband. When that ex-husband found her, the resulting confrontation led to his death.
Fortunately for Yasuko, her neighbor Ishigami, a mathematician, overheard the commotion and offered to help Yasuko hide the crime. Unfortunately for Detective Kusanagi, Ishigami did too good a job.
With all his leads dead and no clues to speak off, Kusanagi changes tracks by calling upon Doctor Manabu Yukawa, his old friend, and a physicist. What follows is a breathtaking game of cat and mouse as Yukawa quickly finds that Ishigami is more than a match for his own considerable intellect.
As the rest of the Detective Galileo series plays out, it quickly becomes clear that Yukawa has a knack for solving crimes. His extensive intelligence and unique ability to unravel highly complex mysteries earn Yukawa the name Detective Galileo.
The books have been compared to Sherlock Holmes, not only because Yukawa’s crime-solving abilities are reminiscent of Sherlock’s deductive capabilities but also because of the convoluted and contrived nature of the cases.
Each new installment in the series finds a way to drag Yukawa into a new mystery, either because Detective Kusanagi calls upon him or because a case hits so close to home that he cannot help but investigate it.
Detective Galileo Awards
Keigo Hagashino has received numerous accolades for his work on the Detective Galileo series. They include the Naoki Prize, Kono Mystery ga Sugoi and Honkaku Mystery Best 10, not to mention an Edgar, Barry and Audie Award nomination.
The American Library Association also selected the first Detective Galileo novel (Devotion of Suspect X) for their reading list (Best Mystery Novel) in 2012.
Detective Galileo Books into Movies
The Devotion of Suspect X, the first Detective Galileo novel was adapted into a highly successful Japanese movie called Suspect X in 2008.
This adaptation was eventually followed up by Midsummer’s Equation, a 2013 Japanese movie that adapted the third Galileo novel.
This was around the same time that Galileo, a television series also adapted the second Detective Galileo novel (Salvation of a Saint).
Best Detective Galileo Books
The Detective Galileo novels were explosive hits in Japan before they found unexpected success in the west where readers of mystery and suspense took to them with considerable fervor, with some of the best books in the series including:
Salvation of a Saint: Yoshitaka and Ayane’s marriage was about to end when Yoshitaka died. The resulting investigation proved that he had been poisoned. Ayane, who Yoshitaka was on the verge of leaving, became the prime suspect.
The fact that she was hundreds of miles away when Yoshitaka died does little to dissipate the cloud of suspicion around her. Now Kaoru Utsumi, assistant to Detective Kusanagi is in a bind.
Her boss refuses to investigate Ayane, primarily because Kusanagi is smitten with the murder suspect and doesn’t believe she could ever commit murder.
When it becomes clear to Kaoru that Kusanagi won’t see reason, she calls upon his friend Yukawa, a physicist.
Midsummer’s Equation: A summer resort town in decline stands on the verge of conflict. There are plans to initiate an underwater mining operation.
One portion of the town believes that the project will revitalize their poor prospects. Another fears that the project will irreversibly ruin the environment.
Yukawa went to the town to speak at a conference aimed at dissecting the issue. When one of the resort’s guests is poisoned and his body is thrown off a cliff, Yukawa is forced to unravel the confounding murder.
Other Book Series You May Like
Another great read is the “Lieutenant Himekawa” Series by Tetsuya Honda. Reiko Himekawa is a young officer in the Tokyo Police’s homicide division. Recently made Lieutenant despite her lack of political or family connections, Reiko must overcome gender and social barriers to solve crimes using her impressive investigative abilities.
Be sure to check out the “Inspector Chen” series by Qiu Xialong as well. Inspector Chen heads the Shanghai Police Bureau’s Special Case Squad, a unit that deals with cases heavily steeped in politics. Chen must overcome personal, political and social forces to solve crimes and right wrongs.
What Is The Next Book in The Detective Galileo Series?
There doesn't seem to be an upcoming book in The Detective Galileo Series. The newest book is Invisible Helix and was released on September, 3rd 2021.