My rating: 5 of 5 stars


Beyond words, one of the best mystery books I have read, and that probably might evoke a laugh becoz this is no classic whodunnit. The whole mystery element of the story was how one genius can outwit the other genius. This was more of a howdunnit. We are made aware of the murder from the first and by whom but even then the whole plot was simply too good which works on misdirection.

Ishigami is a math teacher who helps Yasuko to cover up the murder of her ex. Enter Yukawa who is a brilliant physicist and a consultant to the police. Thus begins the chess game that keeps a reader riveted.

There were so many things that interested me in this book, the conundrum of P=NP problem, the ultimate sacrifice of love to name a few. To accept purgatory for the sake of love is heartbreaking. Even with all that sacrifice, the ending felt really sad and desolate.

Yasuko lives a quiet life, working in a Tokyo bento shop, a good mother to her only child. But when her ex-husband appears at her door without warning one day, her comfortable world is shattered.

When Detective Kusanagi of the Tokyo Police tries to piece together the events of that day, he finds himself confronted by the most puzzling, mysterious circumstances he has ever investigated. Nothing quite makes sense, and it will take a genius to understand the genius behind this particular crime…