INVISIBLE HELIX is one of the twistiest, most brilliant mysteries involving familial relations tied into a murder that I have ever read. Keigo Higashino once again has elevated the genre to a level worthy of the greats like Dame Agatha Christie.

In the Prologue, a young mother makes the extremely difficult decision to give up her newborn for adoption. The only thing she leaves behind with her daughter is a handmade doll with a special marking on the back. It is obvious that these events took place some time ago. As readers are introduced to a handful of new characters in the present day, they will find their minds whirling as they try to figure out which of them may have been that once-abandoned baby girl.

"Higashino is at his most mesmerizing in INVISIBLE HELIX, and it was a joy to read from start to finish. This series is one of the finest being written today, and I eagerly look forward to each new installment."

A young woman named Sonoka Shimauchi has the dreadful experience of watching her mother, Chizuko, succumb to an unexpected subarachnoid hemorrhage. Sonoka must take solace in her job working at a florist, as well as leaning on Nae Matsunaga, the older woman who she and her mother always considered to be unofficial family. She also has to deal with her deadbeat wannabe film director live-in boyfriend, Ryota Uetsuji, who recently has become physically abusive towards her.

The murder mystery part of INVISIBLE HELIX comes into play when Chief Inspector Kusanagi of the Tokyo Metropolitan Police and his team answer a call about a body found in Tokyo Bay that is soon identified as Ryota. The police are initially unable to locate Sonoka, who supposedly has gone out of town on a trip with a friend.

As matters quickly grow more complex, Kusanagi calls on his long-time collaborator, Professor Manabu Yukawa, aka Detective Galileo. The first lead they track down involves the madam of a local ladies’ club, Hidemi Negishi, who for some reason had taken an interest in Sonoka. Galileo dives into the case but seems to suddenly pull back and begins to investigate different avenues on his own. Clearly he knows more than he is letting on and may have his own reasons for wanting to solve this case.

When Galileo has a private meeting with Hidemi, things previously hidden are revealed in astounding fashion, making for a great climax to this deeply layered puzzle of a mystery. It is difficult to go into further detail without spoiling some of the terrific twists, so I will leave it at that. Higashino is at his most mesmerizing in INVISIBLE HELIX, and it was a joy to read from start to finish. This series is one of the finest being written today, and I eagerly look forward to each new installment.