Manabu Yukawa, the physicist known as "Detective Galileo," has traveled to Hariguara, a once-popular summer resort town that has fallen on hard times. He is there to speak at a conference on a planned underwater mining operation, which has sharply divided the town. One faction is against the proposed operation, concerned about the environmental impact on the area, known for its pristine waters. The other faction, seeing no future in the town as it is, believes its only hope lies in the development project.
The night after the tense panel discussion, one of the resort's guests is found dead on the seashore at the base of the local cliffs. The local police at first believe it was a simple accident—that he wandered over the edge while walking on unfamiliar territory in the middle of the night. But when they discover that the victim was a former policeman and that the cause of death was carbon monoxide poisoning, they begin to suspect he was murdered, and his body tossed off the cliff to misdirect the police.
As the police try to uncover where Tsukahara was killed and why, Yukawa finds himself enmeshed in yet another confounding case of murder. In a series of twists as complex and surprising as any in Higashino's brilliant, critically acclaimed work, Galileo uncovers the hidden relationship behind the tragic events that led to this murder.
1 of 1 copy available
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Creators
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Series
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Publisher
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Release date
February 23, 2016 -
Formats
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OverDrive Listen audiobook
- ISBN: 9781427264527
- File size: 335097 KB
- Duration: 11:38:07
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Languages
- English
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Reviews
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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
Copyright 2016 Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.
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