The Devil's Whisper [Hardcover]

Miyuki Miyabe (Author), Deborah Stuhr Iwabuchi (Translator)

Book Description

Publication Date: October 1, 2007

Sixteen-year-old Mamoru Kusaka has recently moved to Tokyo to live with his aunt and uncle after the death of his mother. Just as he is beginning to adjust to his new life, his uncle is involved in a late-night accident while driving his taxicab. A young coed is dead and Uncle Taiko is charged with manslaughter, even though the circumstances seem suspect.

Struggling to help his uncle, Mamoru discovers that the victim had been involved in a cruel scam with three other young women. Two of the four have also recently died in similarly violent incidents.

Several days after the accident, a powerful businessman comes forward as a witness. But instead of making things clearer, the mans testimony only adds more confusing lies and deceptions to an already puzzling case, as Mamoru races to save the last of the four women targeted by the real killer.

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

Starred Review. Miyabe (All She Was Worth), Japan's bestselling mystery author, should garner new fans in the U.S. with this eerie tale that recalls some classic Japanese horror films. Mamoru Kusaka, a sensitive and intelligent teen, is troubled by the loss of his parents. Twelve years after his father disappeared following a municipal financial scandal, his mother has died of a stroke. As Mamoru tries to start a new life with relatives in Tokyo, his uncle, taxi driver Taizo Asano, is arrested after running over a young woman. While working to exonerate Taizo, Mamoru stumbles upon evidence that the victim may have been fleeing the person responsible for two other recent strange deaths that were officially classed as suicides. Miyabe excels at creating a supernatural feeling in a prosaic urban setting, and Mamoru is an engaging and original amateur sleuth. Both horror fans and mystery fans will savor this spooky mystery and want to seek out Miyabe's other work. (Oct.)
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Review

"Miyabes forte is suspense. . . .[the] fascination of the story lies in its acute observations of the way masochistic shame and guilt play into the social conformity so inhibiting to the Japanese identity." -- The New York Times Book Review
"Miyabe's (All She was Worth) will garner new fans in the U.S. with this eerie tale that recalls some classic Japanese horror films. ...Miyabe excels at creating a supernatural feeling in a prosaic urban setting... Both horror fans and mystery fans will savor this spooky mystery and want to seek out Miyabe's other work." -- Publishers Weekly (Starred Review)
"The Devil's Whisper is laden with brilliant plot twists throughout and explores culturally transcendent themes like betrayal, forgiveness and revenge. Mystery fans looking for something a little exotic should check it out." The Chicago Tribune
..".the novel consistently surprises us along the way."The Washington Post
..".one of Japans most popular, prolific a

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Hardcover: 256 pages
• Publisher: Kodansha USA (October 1, 2007)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 4770030533
• ISBN-13: 978-4770030535
• Product Dimensions: 9.1 x 6.4 x 0.8 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.2 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 4.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (3 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,113,730 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

19 of 19 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Part mystery, part SF, part social commentary, October 26, 2007

By 

Charles E. Stevens - See all my reviews
(VINE VOICE)    (REAL NAME)   

This review is from: The Devil's Whisper (Hardcover)

The Devil's Whisper is one of the earliest published works of Miyabe's, and arguably her first popular hit in Japan. In many ways this is a fairly representative work of hers--it has the classic Miyabe formula of a scattered collection of mysterious clues faithfully collected, assembled, and slowly solved by the main character. Miyabe is skilled at creating full-fledged and interesting characters, and this novel's "boy sleuth" Mamoru is no exception. Indeed, Miyabe is often at her best with young but complex protagonists like Mamoru in this book.

Miyabe has a fascination with the paranormal, and this appears in many of her early works, including this one. For people expecting a genre-typical mystery or detective story in the vein of "All She Was Worth", this book might stretch the limits of the reader's ability to suspend belief just a little. In Japanese fiction all the way from the Tale of Genji to the works of Haruki Murakami, the line between the ordinary and the extraordinary tends to be blurred more than in Western works, so this is not necessarily a unique aspect from that perspective. Still, the reliance on the paranormal in this book may not appeal to all readers, so be warned that this is a slightly genre-bending work. As is often the case in Miyabe's works, the journey tends to be a little better than the destination, although this book's climax is a unique one that extends beyond the formal "solution" to the mystery. As is also common with Miyabe, this book delves a little into social commentary, as becomes apparent as the book's mysteries unravel. I will reveal no more so as to not give anything away!

Miyabe's works are always fun and engaging, and The Devil's Whisper is no exception. Not Miyabe's best, but still an entertaining read despite being a little rough around the edges. If you like Miyabe's other works, this book should not disappoint. If you are new to Miyabe, you might start with another book such as All She Was Worth which is arguably her best-known (and highest quality) work translated into English.

5 of 5 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars An Emotionally Engaging Thriller, March 16, 2008

By 

Christopher L. Brunner (fort bragg, NC United States) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: The Devil's Whisper (Hardcover)

I've so far read all but one of Miyabe's books (the brave story), and have not been disappointed yet. Her first person narrative is almost as amazing as Natsuo Kirino (nobody's perfect), as you find yourself completely absorbed in the protagonists' struggle to find (or hide) the truth. There are no bad guys here; only people in pain, trying to find their way out. The killer gets alot of sympathy here, and the victims are not as innocent as the fictional newspapers have you believe (not a spoiler. It's explained early on). Every clue to the many mysteries undertaken in this book pulls you in, and you find yourself racing against time with the characters to solve the case before it's too late.

By the way, there are quite a few plot twists that lead to a breath-taking climax.

It's not just a story about a murder, but a web of intrigue surrounding a murder, a missing father, and the honor of a cab-driving family man.

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars an engrossing, suspenseful mystery, December 24, 2009

By 

lazza (Fort Lauderdale, Florida) - See all my reviews

This review is from: The Devil's Whisper (Hardcover)

"The Devil's Whisper" is my first foray into the world of Miyuki Miyabe, and it was a satisfying experience. The story is a bit complex, involving a 16 y.o. boy out to solve the murders of young women who have all appeared in a rather lurid magazine. The author does a great job with keeping the plot suspenseful, complete with twists and turns that are more plausible than ridiculous. Miyabe is clearly a competent mystery writer. The book is good, perhaps very good, but not quite a classic.

Bottom line: a fine read. Not quite the caliber of the works from Natsuo Kirino, but certainly Miyuki Miyabe is an author American readers should get to know.