(Reviewed by JD Jung)
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If you’re searching for a crime thriller that grips you from the first page and doesn’t let go, Invisible Helix is the novel for you. When homicide detectives investigate a plausible murder: a man floating in Tokyo Bay, shot in the back, they think it will be open and shut. The victim, Ryota Uetsuji was physically abusive to his live-in girlfriend, Sonoka Shimauchi who reported him missing about a week prior to the discovery. Though she has an alibi, she cannot be found when they later try to question her. Add to that, they discover that she is on the run with children’s book author, Mae Matunaga.
A lot here doesn’t make sense to Chief Inspector Kusanagi, so he pays a visit to his friend, Physics Professor Manabu Yukawa, who often consults the Tokyo Metropolitan Police Department.
One of the book’s strengths lies in its storytelling. Every detail, no matter how seemingly insignificant, serves the larger mystery. The author crafts a world where lies are rampant, truth is elusive, and nothing is as it appears. Even the layered backstory, including family history, kept me hooked until the last revelation.
I thought Invisible Helix was a superb stand-alone novel, but I discovered that it is the fifth installment in the “Detective Galileo Series”. Detective Galileo is Professor Manabu Yukawa, though he plays only a supporting character in this novel. Heads up: We learn a surprise about him, too.
Invisible Helix is such a page-turner that fans of intricate crime thrillers are sure to enjoy it. I hope to read more translated works by author Keigo Higashino.
