A Midsummer's Equation

Starred review from December 7, 2015
Edgar-finalist Higashino’s excellent third whodunit featuring Manabu Yukawa (after 2012’s Salvation of a Saint) takes the brilliant physicist to the dying Japanese resort town of Hari Cove, where Yukawa (aka Detective Galileo) offers his expertise at hearings on an offshore drilling proposal that promises to boost the nation’s economy by providing access to rare metals. Locals who fear the effects of the resulting environmental damage, which also threatens the area’s fishing industry, are against the plan. As the corporation behind the mining operation holds meetings to win over opponents, Masatsugu Tsukahara, a fellow guest at the hotel where Yukawa is lodging, is found at the base of a seaside cliff, apparently dead from an accidental fall. An autopsy reveals that Tsukahara actually died from carbon monoxide poisoning, and the mystery deepens when Yukawa learns that the dead man was a former homicide detective. Superb fair cluing and a nicely enigmatic lead will appeal to golden age fans.

July 1, 2016

The third installment of Higashino's Japan-set Detective Galileo series (after Salvation of a Saint) lands stateside, with plenty of didn't-see-that-coming surprises to keep listeners entranced straight to the end. Brilliant and eccentric physicist Manabu Yukawa--called Detective Galileo because of the brilliant, unexpected insights he shares with the authorities (not always willingly)--arrives at a seaside town, now mostly abandoned by fickle tourists. He's come for a conference on underwater mining, but he's drawn into the investigation of what seems to be the accidental death of a former police officer who was staying at the same family-run resort. With the help of a clever fifth grader who's visiting his hotel-owner relatives for the summer, Manabu will soon uncover what fireworks, chimneys, a 15-year-old murder, a framed sea painting, an environmentalist, and a homeless former criminal have in common and will reveal the convoluted details of yet another homicide. Despite narrator P.J. Ochlan's inconsistent stumbling over names, Higashino's mysterious machinations remain just as chillingly captivating aurally as on the page. VERDICT For collections seeking to go more global, this or any Higashino title will prove to be worthy of acquisition. ["Filled with surprises and plot twists, this complex and riveting mystery will keep readers guessing until the final page": LJ 1/16 starred review of the Minotaur: St. Martin's hc.]--Terry Hong, Smithsonian BookDragon, Washington, DC

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