Under the Midnight Sun: A Novel

Written by Keigo Higashino and Joseph Reeder

Narrated by David Shih

From the acclaimed internationally bestselling author Keigo Higashino (The Devotion of Suspect X) comes a sweeping novel in the tradition of Les Miserables and Crime and Punishment. This is the compelling story of a brutal crime and the two teenagers—Ryo, the son of the murdered man, and Yukiho, the daughter of the main suspect—whose lives remain inextricably linked over the twenty-year search for the truth behind the crime.



In Osaka in 1973, the body of a murdered man is found in an abandoned building. Investigating the crime, Detective Sasagaki is unable to find the killer. Over the next twenty years, through the lens of a succession of characters, Higashino tells the story of two teens, Ryo and Yukiho, whose lives are most affected by the crime, and the obsessed detective, Sasagaki, who continues to investigate the murder, looking for the elusive truth.



Under the Midnight Sun is a complex, psychological novel about crime and its after-effects by one of the most read and most accomplished contemporary mystery authors. A twisting, compelling work that will astonish and delight fans both old and new alike.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Tantor Media, Inc
• Translator: Alexander O. Smith
• Release date: Aug 27, 2019
• ISBN: 9781400170067

Keigo Higashino

Keigo Higashino, exingeniero nacido en Osaka, es uno de los escritores de mayor éxito en Japón, cuya obra ha vendido más de cinco millones de ejemplares. Ha sido galardonado con los más prestigiosos premios de su país: el Edogawa Rampo a la mejor novela negra, el Mystery Writers of Japan, el Inc. Prize a la mejor novela negra, el Honkaku Mystery y el Naoki 2006 a la mejor novela por La devoción del sospechoso X (Ediciones B, 2011), primera de sus novelas traducida al español. En Japón, sus novelas negras han alcanzado las listas de libros más vendidos, han inspirado varias películas y series de televisión, y han sido traducidas en todo Asia. En la actualidad, Higashino vive en Tokio.

Reviews for Under the Midnight Sun

[ryan · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

Weirdly satisfying. First thriller book that I finished. Love it.

[secondhandrose_1 · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

Wow! It took me awhile to get through this book but it was worth it. So many twists and turns expertly drawn by the author. Without doubt a crime fiction masterpiece.

[siok-76276 · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

There are many unknowns even at the end of the book. Higashino does not reveal how Ryo and Yukiho became friends, and why Ryo supported and helped Yukiho including committing some hideous crimes. The story is not told from their perspectives, and seldom do you hear what they think and feel. Only once did they reveal to a third party that they lived in darkness under the midnight sun. Despite their deeds, you feel sympathy for them. What they do is not justified but you don't feel that they are heartless criminals. Other than characterisation, Higashino cleverly marks the progress of time through the main characters' development. And he brings out the 1970s and 1980s well. A thorough page-turner, I miss reading this book.

[arubabookwoman · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

This is an excellent Japanese crime novel. I have previously read and enjoyed his most well-known crime novel, The Devotion of Suspect X, as well as Naoko, a unique (fictional) psychological study of gender roles.

This novel takes place over many years. It begins in 1973 when some children playing in an abandoned building discover the body of a pawnbroker who has been murdered. Suspicion initially falls upon a woman who had been one of the pawnbroker's clients and her boyfriend. However, after they die in separate incidents, the case becomes a cold case.

Over the course of the novel, we follow the lives of Ryo, the pawnbroker's son, and Yukiho, the daughter of the woman initially suspected of the murder, over the next 20 years as they grow up and approach middle-age. Yukiho, a beautiful and intelligent woman, becomes a wealthy and successful entrepreneur. Ryo, in his own mysterious way, is also successful. The two never seem to meet, but there are connections and coincidences involving them that seem to hint at something more under the surface.

This novel confirms my admiration for Higashino's skill as a writer of intricate and nuanced psychological crime novels. I will continue to seek out his books.

3 1/2 stars

[janerawoof · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

A gruesome murder of a pawnbroker, a dogged detective kick off this sprawling mystery that spans nearly twenty years and the lives of a whole cast of characters. This turns out to be more than a police procedural. Through various complicated subplots and unexpected twists, the author has given us a fascinating work. Various other murders occur throughout the work. It was interesting to see how the author drew everything together. I kept reading to see motivation. I was completely confused for about the first 40% of the novel at the Japanese names, but then things started to fall into place. It might be valuable for readers to keep some kind of name chart, along with who each character is. I enjoyed reading about snippets of Japanese customs and food. Dialogue was somewhat mechanical and clipped but the story moved along at a smart pace.

[ritaer_1 · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

A strange and extended mystery with the murder solved almost 20 years after its commission and with a previously unsuspected murdered and unpredictable motive. Definitely not fair play by the author by the standards of golden age puzzle mysteries. However an interesting view of various levels of Japanese society from the 70s through to the 90s. You may want to take notes to keep track of the characters as the Japanese names provide few associations for an English reader.