The Devotion of Suspect X

{{Infobox book |name = The Devotion of Suspect X |title_orig = Yōgisha X no Kenshin容疑者Xの献身 |translator = Alexander O. Smith |image = Devotion of suspect x .jpg |caption = First edition (Japanese) |author = Keigo Higashino |country = Japan |language = Japanese |series = Detective Galileo |genre = Crime / Mystery novel |published = 2005 (Bungeishunjū) (Japanese)2011 (Minotaur Books) (English) |media_type = Print (Hardback & Paperback) |pages = 352 |isbn = 4-16-323860-3 |preceded_by = Yochimu予知夢 |followed_by = Salvation of a Saint聖女の救済 }} is a 2005 novel by Keigo Higashino, the third in his Detective Galileo series and is his most acclaimed work thus far. The novel won him numerous awards, including the 134th Naoki Prize, which is a highly regarded award in Japan. The novel also won the 6th Honkaku Mystery Award, which is one of the most prestigious awards in the mystery novels category in Japan. 2006 Honkaku Mystery Best 10 and Kono Mystery ga Sugoi! 2006, annual mystery fiction guide books published in Japan, ranked the novel as the number one. The English translation was nominated for the 2012 Edgar Award for Best Novel and the 2012 Barry Award for Best First Novel. Plot The story begins with Tetsuya Ishigami and Yasuko Hanaoka following their daily routines. Yasuko is a divorced single mother who works at a bento shop. Tetsuya is a highly talented mathematics teacher, who lives next door to Yasuko and her daughter, Misato. Yasuko's abusive ex-husband, Togashi, shows up one day to extort money from Yasuko. He threatens both her and Misato. The situation quickly escalates into domestic violence, prompting Yasuko and Misato to kill Togashi. Overhearing the commotion, Ishigami, who is secretly enamored of Yasuko but has never told her so, offers his help, disposing of the body and plotting the cover-up of the murder step-by-step.