The Devotion of Suspect X

The Devotion of Suspect X is told in close third-person, featuring three point-of-view characters. The first chapters open not with the title character, Yukawa, but rather with the perspectives of the two culprits of the novel’s mystery, Ishigami and Yasuko. The third point-of-view character is not Yukawa either, but his friend, the police detective Kusanagi, who (along with Yukawa) does not appear until Chapter 3. Despite being the title character, Yukawa is never a point-of-view character. Instead, his actions are only ever revealed through the perspectives of Ishigami, Yasuko, and Kusanagi. This tactic is reminiscent of Sir Arthur Conan Doyle’s portrayal of Sherlock Holmes, as the famous detective character is only portrayed through the narrative told by his friend, John Watson.

By taking a similar approach, Higashino’s narrative can effectively withhold Yukawa’s thoughts and motives, slowly revealing them and his conclusions about the case as needed, thereby creating a more dramatic effect. This technique has the added advantage of allowing readers to attempt to solve the crime in real time along with Yukawa and Kusanagi. The full disclosure of necessary clues is a primary feature of the honkaku mystery genre, whereas narratives like Doyle’s often withheld the key details until the last possible moment. Instead of following Yukawa’s thought process, The Devotion of Suspect X focuses on the internal thoughts and feelings of Ishigami and Yasuko, crafting complex, sympathetic characters rather than one-dimensional villains. Yet even as Ishigami’s decisions clearly illustrate the ambiguous nature of The Morality of Love and Sacrifice, the narrative also conceals key details about Ishigami’s plan and actions in order to maintain the mystery element of the crime.

Though the novel is in the honkaku tradition—constructed like a puzzle, with the necessary clues provided for the reader—the narrative also includes elements of the “social school” style of mystery story, incorporating social realism and light commentary on broad social issues. For instance, the early chapters introduce reflections on gender discrimination in modern Japan. Though this topic does not rise to the level of a major theme, several characters remark on it briefly at various points. In Chapter 1, Yasuko threatens to call the police on Togashi, but Togashi says that the police will take his side and will tell her that she should be more tolerant of her ex-husband. Yasuko reflects that this is probably true and recalls that the police have never helped her in the past. Although this moment is largely inconsequential to the main storyline, it nonetheless reflects an underlying issue in modern Japan, highlighting the fact that outdated conventions of gender still dictate official behaviors and assumptions. Though Japan has seen much social change in recent decades, traditional Japanese societal norms still place supreme importance on the nuclear family and the power of the patriarch, often shaming divorced or unmarried single mothers. Additionally, Japanese society expects strict levels of propriety, believing that domestic issues such as spousal abuse should be dealt with privately. This social structure of gender oppression underlies Yasuko’s motivation for killing Togashi.

Another Japanese cultural detail that contributes to this structure of gender discrimination is the culture of hostess clubs, as illustrated by Yasuko’s previous place of employment. Hostess clubs are drinking establishments in which women who work as hostesses are tasked with sitting and drinking with the clientele (generally businessmen). In these situations, men can request specific hostesses, who then often receive generous tips for their companionship. In addition to an hourly wage, such hostesses usually receive commissions on the alcohol that their clients purchase. Hostess clubs are strictly monitored by the government and by a hostess manager. Hostesses are not sex workers, and men are not permitted to touch them or to subject them to lewd speech. The appeal of such clubs is merely the company of a pretty woman while the men drink. However, it is not uncommon for regular customers to become infatuated with a particular hostess, and despite the industry’s strict regulations, many people in Japanese society hold a low opinion of hostess clubs in general.

In a novel full of twists, the first major plot pivot occurs in the second chapter when the author chooses to subvert the conventional structure of a mystery novel by revealing the murder and culprits at the very beginning of the narrative. This decision gives rise to an intense element of dramatic irony, as Kusanagi and Yukawa investigate a crime that has already been fully described. As the story unfolds, the mystery element arises from the question of precisely how Ishigami has so effectively hidden the truth from the police. Tension also exists around the uncertainty of whether Yukawa’s skills of observation and analysis will be enough to allow him to uncover that truth. The first chapters also introduce the symbol of mathematics, as seen through Ishigami’s perspective, for he sees the world itself as a complex math equation and acts dispassionately to solve the problem before him. However, his determination to take risky actions on Yasuko’s behalf introduces The Morality of Love and Sacrifice, and the narrative implicitly explores the lengths to which he will go for her sake. The mere fact that he is willing to cover up a murder in order to keep her safe already highlights the fact that love and infatuation can blur a person’s perception of the line between right and wrong.