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Keigo Higashino is an Asian author born in Osaka, Japan. Keigo is massively popular in Japan, the dozens upon dozens of novels and short stories he has written having transformed him into a household name. Born in 1958, the author released his debut novel in 1985 which he wrote while working as an engineer at DENSO. The Osaka Prefectural University Graduate didn’t become a full-time writer until the late 1990s, winning accolades for the novel ‘Himitsu’ through which his reputation and renown exploded.
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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 |
Order of Detective Kaga Series
| # | Read | Title | Published | Details |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Malice | 2014 | Description / Buy | |
| 2 | Newcomer | 2018 | Description / Buy | |
| 3 | A Death in Tokyo | 2022 | Description / Buy | |
| 4 | The Final Curtain | 2023 | Description / Buy |
Order of Keigo Higashino Standalone Novels
| # | Read | Title | Published | Details |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Naoko | 2004 | Description / Buy | |
| 2 | Under the Midnight Sun / Journey Under the Midnight Sun | 2015 | Description / Buy | |
| 3 | The Name of the Game is Kidnapping | 2017 | Description / Buy | |
| 4 | The Miracles of the Namiya General Store | 2019 | Description / Buy |
Most readers know Keigo for his mystery novels; though the author has also gone on to write a number of story books for children. The fact that Keigo’s writing style differs so drastically between his novels and story books often comes as a surprise. Keigo has mastered the ability to adapt his writing style to fit the unique sensibilities of different types of readers and age groups.
Keigo Higashino’s renown is such that he was won Japanese, American and French Accolades for his works.
Keigo Higashino Awards
Keigo’s lengthy career has won him all manner of awards, both locally and internationally. From Japan, he can boast of the Edogawa Ramp Prize, Naoki Prize, Honkaku Mystery Best 10 and the Mystery Writers of Japan Award to mention but a few.
From the United States, Keigo has been nominated for the Edgar Award for Best Novel and the Barry Award for Best First novel, this along with his book ‘The Devotion of Suspect X’ being chosen as the Best Mystery novel by the American Library Association in 2012.
In 2010, Keigo received a French Award known as the Prix Polar International.
Keigo Higashino Books into Movies
A number of Keigo’s books have been adapted into movies, this including Himitsu, Gemu no Na wa Yukai, Lakeside, and Midsummer’s Equation to mention but a few. Authors might also be familiar with Suspect X, Into the White Night and The Wings of the Kirin.
Besides Live-Action movie adaptations, Japanese TV Dramas like Shinzanmono, Galileo II, Ryusei no Kizuna and Byakuyako, not to mention Tokio chichi e no dengon where also adapted from Keigo’s work.
One French film called ‘The Secret’ was based on the story in Himitsu also written by Keigo. With dozens of Television and Movie adaptations under his name, Keigo Higashino’s books have received more recognition than most, exploding both locally and internationally.
Best Keigo Higashino Books
Keigo has produced a lot of books since he took to full-time writing in the late 1990s; selecting the best Keigo books is no easy task, especially considering the manner in which the author seems to vary his writing style, though the books below have been especially well-received:
The Devotion of Suspect X: Yasuko Hanaoka thought that her divorce from Togashi had finally delivered her from the abusive man. Then Togashi shows up one day and threatens violence against Yasuko and her teenage daughter Misato.
The resulting commotion leads to Togashi’s death in Yasuko’s apartment. Ishigami, Yasuko’s middle-aged high school mathematics teacher of a neighbor offers to help her cover the death up.
The body eventually turns up and Detective Kusanagi turns his attention to Yasuko as the prime suspect; this is despite the fact that Kusanagi cannot identify any weaknesses in Yasuko’s alibi. Kusanagi eventually turns to Doctor Manabu Yukawa, a frequent consultant for the police who went to school with Ishigami and who quickly determines that he was involved in the murder.
IShigama and Yasuko face off against Kusanagi and Yukawa in a battle of the wits.
There is nothing new in this book. Keigo doesn’t break any new ground in the mystery genre. However, Keigo’s approach to the whodunit field is incredible, the author delivering a breathtaking conflict of wits between a mathematician and a physicist.
Journey under the Midnight Sun: A man is found dead in an abandoned building in Osaka. Murder is suspected and detective Sasagaki is assigned the case. The unflappable detective seeks to identify the connection between the victim’s taciturn son and the daughter of the main suspect.
The fact that Keigo allows readers to follow the mystery of this book over a period of twenty years during which Sasagaki grows increasingly obsessed sets it apart from the typical mystery novel.
Many people have called this novel a masterpiece primarily because it is so long yet completely engaging, keeping readers entertained not with the primary plot but the minutiae of the characters’ lives as they circle one another over a lengthy period of time.
When Does The Next Keigo Higashino book come out?
Keigo Higashino doesn't seem to have an upcoming book. Their newest book is The Final Curtain and was released on December, 12th 2023. It is the newest book in the Detective Kaga Series.