A young man is found floating in water with a bullet wound. After he is identified, the detectives start searching for Sonoka, his girlfriend, who had reported him as missing. She has a solid alibi, but there are still suspicions since the neighbors reported stories of domestic abuse. Sonoka was last seen leaving her apartment with a suitcase. The detectives are puzzled about why she is hiding if she didn't murder him and her alibi checks out. Detective Kusanagi calls in physicist Manabu Yukawa to assist in the investigation because he is familiar with some of the people involved in the investigation, but he is reluctant to help. Just as they think they know where Sonoka is, and who she is with, she disappears again. She was obviously tipped off by someone.
This is a story filled with a web of secrets, complex and intertwined family relationships, and secret backgrounds.
I always enjoy Keigo Higashino's books. Thank you to NetGalley and St. Martins for the advanced copy.

Invisible Helix is the second “Detective Galileo” series that I’ve read. While it was a decent plot, I found the writing extremely dry. Given that this has been translated from the original Japanese, I’m not sure whether this is the author’s style or down to the translation. The book is all about what we will do for those we love.
A young man’s body washes up on the shore and given the gunshot in his back, it’s obvious this was a homicide. His girlfriend, who had been the one to report him missing, has gone missing. She has a solid alibi, so it’s obvious she didn’t kill him.
The name of the series is somewhat of a misnomer as Manuba Yukawa (Galileo) is not the main investigator. In fact, he’s not an investigator at all, but a physicist. It does give us a look at his family background.
This is a slow paced book and doesn’t flow well. The strength of the book is in the characters.
My thanks to Netgalley and St. Martin’s Press for an advance copy of this book.

Invisible Helix is a Japanese mystery about a young couple. One is dead and the other disappears after reporting him missing. Kusanagi and his team have their hands full finding the truth.
It is a well written mystery with interesting characters including the lead detective. I liked the writing style

Caveat: I am biased when it comes to reviewing Keigo Higashino as I have read many of his other books. His writing style in crime solving is methodical and as odd as it may sound, his crime novels are soothing reads. Whenever I am not there myself I find reading his books help put me comfortably right back in Japan. While there are elements of surprise, they are never the "hit you over the head" or overly gruesome turn of events. Instead they are rather elegant, thoughtful and intelligent twists and turns. Invisible Helix is no different. I enjoyed it from start to finish. Thanks to NetGalley for the ARC.

Invisible Helix feels like it laid everything out in the prologue, but it still got me with curveballs at the end. Higashino once again writes good detective work (official or unofficial), giving us great drama beyond the initial crime that kicked off the investigation. While this appears to be the tenth Detective Galileo book, I don't think I am missing out on anything; this was a great story contained in one volume. I should note some content warnings that are probably not spoilers because they're mentioned right in the beginning/general enough: this book has depictions of child abandonment and domestic violence.

This is a good book. Lots of mystery and suspense with tons of twists and turns the whole way through. I read this as a stand-alone book but it was book five of a series. It was still enjoyable without the extra books prior to this one but I would advise reading them!

Thank you to NetGalley, the author, and the publisher for this complimentary ARC in exchange for an honest review!!

Invisible Helix is the fifth mystery I've read by Keigo Higashino ; I particularly enjoy how he intricately weaves the many threads of this case into a clear picture. Japanese culture/custom is not something that I know very much about, so I particularly enjoy learning new things with every book. The reader has to stretch their mind a bit with these intellectual mysteries.

A floating body is the catalyst that unravels the tangled lives of several characters with twisty turns and red herrings. I enjoyhe journey and the personalities of Det. Galileo and Detective Kusanagi ,
Coming December 17th
Thank you to #NetGalley #StMarten'sPress #Minotaur.#KeigoHigashino
for sending the requested e-book to read and review. All thoughts and opinions are my own. #InvisibleHelix #NetGalley

4 stars for a cerebral murder mystery, set in present day Japan. The author's books have been bestsellers in Japan. This is book 5 in the series, and it is the only book that I have read in the series.
It worked for me as a stand alone. The translation was excellent.
There is only one murder. The investigation starts when a body is washed ashore from the sea, with one bullet wound in the head.
The police investigators:
Chief Inspector Kusanagi
Detective Inspector Kishitani
Detection Sergeant Kaoru Utsumi
The dead man is identified as Ryota Uetsuji, who has been reported as missing by Sonoka Shimauchi, his girlfriend.
The police are assisted by Professor Manabu Yukawa, a.k.a. "Detective Galileo" occasional consultant to the Tokyo Metropolitan Police Department
There is a complicated set of circumstances that lead up to the murder, beginning with a single mother abandoning her baby anonymously to an orphanage. It is actually the Professor who solves the murder, although the police are about to arrest the murderer, before he intervenes.
I recommend it to fans of cerebral mysteries, cozy mystery fans, and translated mystery fans.
There are brief descriptions of domestic violence.
Thank You St. Martin's Press for sending me this eARC through NetGalley.

Pub Date Dec 17 2024 |

I really enjoyed this story and the translation must have been wonderful because I didn’t even notice that it was one! It was an engaging story that I really enjoyed reading. Would love to see more and translator. It was seamlessly written and the characters were engaging.

The body of Ryota Uetsuji was found floating in Tokyo Bay, and his girlfriend Sonoka is a suspect, but Sonoka was away in Kyoto at the time of the death and has an alibi.

The themes of adoption and finding one's family years later is prevalent. The themes in Sonoka's story of adoption are also threaded into the story of a police consultant, the brilliant physicist Yukawa. Misguided and misinformed individuals also make mistaken assumptions in this compelling story of family connections.

I enjoyed the storyline and the easy way of writing by Higashino that made this detective novel enjoyable and also suspenseful. Another excellent book and the fifth in the Detective Galileo series.

Unfortunately I did not get a chance to finish readi g this book. I will now have to purchase it. What I did read I really enjoyed.

Thanks to the publisher and Netgalley for this eARC.

Keigo Higashino’s latest installment in the Detective Galileo series, Invisible Helix, is a masterful blend of mystery, science, and human emotion. Known for his intricate plots and deep character development, Higashino does not disappoint in this fifth book featuring the beloved physicist-detective, Manabu Yukawa, also known as Detective Galileo.

The story kicks off with the discovery of a young man’s body floating in Tokyo Bay. What initially appears to be a straightforward case soon unravels into a complex web of hidden histories and impossible crimes. 

Higashino excels in creating multi-dimensional characters. Detective Galileo remains a fascinating protagonist, combining scientific rigor with a deep sense of justice. The supporting characters, from the determined police officers to the enigmatic suspects, are well-developed and add depth to the narrative.

Invisible Helix explores themes of memory, identity, and the impact of the past on the present. Higashino’s background in engineering and physics shines through in the scientific elements of the plot, making the story intellectually stimulating and emotionally resonant.

Higashino’s writing is crisp and engaging, with a perfect balance of dialogue and description. The pacing is impeccable, keeping readers on the edge of their seats while allowing for moments of introspection and character development.

Invisible Helix is a compelling read that will satisfy both long-time fans of Detective Galileo and newcomers to the series. Higashino’s ability to weave complex scientific concepts into a gripping mystery is unparalleled, making this book a standout in the genre. Highly recommended for anyone who enjoys a thought-provoking and emotionally rich detective story.

This is the second book I've read by Keigo Higashino, and I enjoyed it as much as the first (The Final Curtain). Detective Kusanagi works to find the killer of a man washed up on a shore in Tokyo. He hits a dead end until he decides to consult with an old professor friend who seemingly has a very tenuous connection to the case. There are secrets and twists along the way, and although we are let in on the possible killer fairly early on, certain aspects of the case turn out to be surprising. I wasn't a hundred percent satisfied with the ending, but perhaps there will be another installment. Recommended.

Thank you to the publisher and NetGallery for the ARC.

This is the second police procedural by Higashino that I have read, and whereas the whodunnit aspect is not as intricate as in other nationalities, the inclusion of Japanese culture and personality makes for an intriguing experience.

The body of a young man who was the boyfriend of a woman named Sonoka Shimauchi is discovered floating in the bay. Though she filed missing persons reports with the police, when they late look to question he she's disappeared along with an older woman who writes children's books and is a family friend. On top of that, the investigation brings out another potential suspect in the form of someone Detectives Kusanagi knows personally. And even further complicating things, "Detective Galileo" acts a bit at odds with helping the investigation, especially when it comes up that he may have a connection to one of the people of interest.
Another engrossing, enjoyable mystery from Higashino. As has happened before, the killer is revealed way before the end of the book, yet the true motivations and mechanics of what led to and how the murder was committed isn't fully fleshed out until the latter chapters of the novel. Early on I correctly who the killer would be, though it took awhile to figure out who that actually was. And there certainly were a couple of extra twists towards the end, one of which I definitely didn't see coming.

cultural-heritage, due-diligence, mystery-fiction, surprises, suspense, crime-thriller, abusive-spouse, Japan, detective, determination, family-drama, family-dynamics, family-history, law-enforcement, procedural, relationship-issues, relationships, relatives, missing-persons, secrets, lies, murder-investigation, unpleasant-victims*****

The helix represents the insane complexity of the tale as well as the role of DNA in digging for the truth. There's an orphanage, a devoted mother, several abusive men, a woman who has risen in status, a body washed up on the shore, Tokyo Municipal PD Homicide Division, and a professor of physics who has assisted in solving several cases. Unravelling the truth takes time and perseverance. Another excellent exercise in logic and more.
Thanks to translator Giles Murray for turning the Japanese into English.
I requested and received a free temporary EARC from St. Martin's Press | Minotaur Books via NetGalley. Thank you! Pub Date Dec 17, 2024
#DetectiveGalileoBk5 #Procedural #Japan

This is the third mystery I've read by Keigo Higashino and it's my favorite. This book has it all: orphans and orphanages, sudden deaths and murder, generous mother figures, and enough plot twists to make me reel. All of this is set in Japan, mostly in Tokyo.

Main character Detective Kusanagi needs help with a murder. He consults a friend he's relied upon before: physicist Manabu Yukawa, nicknamed Detective Galileo. Sure enough, he helps to lead the detective in the right direction. And yet, Kusanagi has the feeling his friend is holding something back. What on earth could it be?

"Invisible Helix" moves quickly and has a very satisfying ending. No cliffhangers here! Author Keigo Higashino develops unusual, interesting plots and his stories are page-turners. "Invisible Helix" is the fifth book of the Detective Galileo series. I wish I'd read them in order, but I unknowingly read Book 3 first, not knowing it was part of a series. So, I can say from experience that they do stand alone well.

The intricate plot, combined with Galileo’s sharp mind and the emotional depth of the characters, kept me hooked from start to finish. It’s a compelling, intellectually stimulating mystery that feels both fresh and deeply engaging.

Invisible Helix is a story of domestic abuse and, ultimately, murder. There is so much more to this story than that one sentence. The mystery is, who committed that murder?

It’s a story of several families and their interrelationships. The story is extremely well developed; the author excels at keeping the multitudes of details, clues, hints, and innuendos from becoming confusing. I hated to see it end. I especially enjoyed how all the strings were tied up at the end with a very satisfying conclusion.

Thank you to Mr Higashino and St Martins Publishing for the opportunity to read and review Invisible Helix. I enjoyed it immensely.

I continue to be a big fan of the Detective Galileo series and was excited when this book was translated into English and available to read. This is a multi-generational story and did not end up the way I thought it would. You learn more about different family relationships and the backstories of some of the characters, but it would also be fine to read as a stand alone.

The book is written with narrative and time shifts, but it's never confusing or hard to follow. What seems like a straightforward situation - a murder of a man who is then dumped in the river - is revealed to be increasingly more complicated with ties to the past (including Galileo's past). It all ties together beautifully and while I was able to guess the nature of the solution, there was an additional twist that I did not predict.