Laplace's Witch

Keigo Higashino, the best-selling author representing the Japanese mystery novel world, published 『The Laplace Witch』 in 2015 to commemorate the 30th anniversary of his debut, in a translated version published by Hyundae Munhak.
This work, which also commemorates the 70th anniversary of the founding of Kadokawa Shoten, is the 80th volume published by the company, following its debut work, "After School," which won the 31st Edogawa Rampo Award.
Over the years, Keigo Higashino has expanded the boundaries of mystery across a wide range of genres, from full-fledged detective novels brimming with intricate tricks and twists, to socially critical works that delve into the problems of our time, to suspense, fantasy, and science fiction.
In particular, with his unique background as a mystery novelist with a background in science and engineering, he presented mysteries that logically woven together topics such as cutting-edge science and medicine, and paid much attention to themes such as the problem of identity in the face of scientific and social changes, the psychology of crime, family relationships that are somehow distorted, the tragedy of love, and the pain of revenge.
This novel is receiving praise from Japanese critics and readers as the culmination of 30 years of mystery by Keigo Higashino, as it condenses the difficult problems of physics and mathematics such as the Navier-Stokes equation and Laplace's theory, the mysterious world of brain medicine, science fiction imagination, and the main characters' family history entangled in a clever crime using hydrogen sulfide, as well as their love and revenge.

A mysterious girl holds the key to a mysterious phenomenon. Are the mysterious deaths "simple accidents" or "murders?"

The story begins with a disaster where a mother and daughter are struck by a sudden tornado.
On the day that Madoka's mother died, saving young Madoka, her father, Dr. Uhara, an authority in the field of neurology, was spared from trouble when a boy's surgery was scheduled.
Eight years later, former police officer Takeo receives a request to protect Madoka from the Institute of Mathematical Sciences, where he had gone on a security mission.
Takeo, who had been wondering why an ordinary eighteen-year-old girl needed bodyguards, gradually begins to feel that Madoka has some kind of 'ability' as he encounters strange phenomena occurring around her.
Around that time, a film producer in his sixties died of hydrogen sulfide poisoning at a hot spring resort in County D.
Detective Nakaoka, who suspects the victim's young wife, visits Professor Aoe, a geochemical expert in charge of investigating the accident, but the professor concludes that it was a 'simple accident' caused by a series of unfortunate coincidences.
However, shortly after, a similar hydrogen sulfide poisoning death occurred at another hot spring resort.
Professor Aoe, who was having trouble explaining the mysterious natural phenomenon, gradually becomes embroiled in the incident when he encounters Madoka, who is looking for someone at two sites.

A sublime fusion of science and mystery! Predict nature's malevolence.

Keigo Higashino, who conceived the novel from the idea of ​​“what if there was someone who could accurately predict the weather?”, gave reality to the imagination of “predicting the future,” which has long been a dream of humans, with concrete scientific evidence, and depicted it as a suspenseful mystery novel surrounding an inexplicable event.
From the introduction, the natural disaster that befalls a young girl, to the surprising climax, the story unfolds in an unpredictable manner across 40 chapters, with foreshadowing placed throughout that combines with various scientific materials to amplify the mystery.

A suspenseful and moving drama presented by charming characters.

The paper airplane that left Madoka's hand flew through the air as if it had gained power.
The gentle turning motion was even elegant.
And that's not all.
The paper airplane, which had been flying continuously, returned to Madoka and the boy with astonishing accuracy.
_From page 33 of the text

The protagonist Madoka's mysterious abilities stimulate countless imaginations from the very beginning.
Madoka, with her “large, slightly upturned eyes that remind me of a cat,” is a type of heroine never before seen in Higashino’s novels.
She is neither the passive and protected woman that the author usually portrays like Yasuko in 『The Devotion of Suspect X』, nor the evil woman obsessed with desire like Mifuyu in 『Illusionary Night』. She is a character who acts “completely as she pleases” and “is not a newcomer to change”, but in reality, she carries a weight that no one can bear.
Meanwhile, unlike other mystery novels, the author, who has focused on the human drama behind the events, depicts the living, breathing stories of each and every person.
The story unfolds from the perspectives of multiple characters, each with their own unique personalities: Takeo, a taciturn bodyguard who feels a sense of duty in “throwing my body to save someone’s life,” detective Nakaoka, who digs into the truth of the death to keep a promise he couldn’t keep with the victim’s mother, and Professor Aoe, a researcher who was once a scholar sitting in a quiet university lab but whose growing curiosity has now led him into the middle of a huge incident.
Perhaps the civil servants, reporters, and even the innkeeper in the novel, who could be considered as passing characters, are all too ordinary compared to the protagonist with overwhelming abilities. However, the small roles of these people who live each day faithful to their calling come together to reveal the whole story, which makes the composition even more touching.
“This world isn’t run by just a few geniuses or crazy people like you.
People who at first glance appear to have no talent or value are the ones who are the most important components.
Humans are atoms.
Even if each of them lives in a general and unconscious manner, when they become a collection, they realize dramatic physical laws.
“There is no entity in this world that has no meaning, not even a single one.”
_From page 497 of the text

In the middle of writing, “I found myself obsessed with ‘common sense.’
Keigo Higashino, who confessed, “I realized that I couldn’t write this work,” said that he wrote this novel with the intention of “destroying my previous novels.”
The author, who has reached the pinnacle of the mystery novel world, has challenged himself with "Laplace's Witch" after 30 years of writing, and it will be remembered as a novel that not only provides an opportunity for long-time fans to look back on his previous works but also opens up a new world for him to write in the future.

“The work itself, ‘Laplace’s Witch’, stands in a different position among past works.
While it cleverly incorporates elements from popular series like Galileo and Kaga Kyoichiro, where a brilliant detective logically solves puzzles, as well as early full-fledged mystery novels with various tricks and ideas, it clearly differentiates itself from past works when it comes to the core of the story.
“The Laplace Witch” is a turning point for the mature mystery writer, reaching his 80th novel, and is also evidence of his determined challenge to advance to the next stage.”
_Abe Hanae (critic)

■ From a Japanese reader's review

★★★★★ A compilation of Keigo Higashino's past works.
★★★★★ This novel is fun, that's all there is to it.
He is a writer who does not betray.
I was drawn in because the main character Madoka's deep thoughts were so appealing.
★★★★★ The thrill of the introduction, the abyss of mystery, the construction of physics and mathematics theory, the writing style that draws you into the story… … I stopped reading halfway through, feeling it was a pity that this time would end.
★★★★★ A masterpiece you'll read in one sitting.
Personally, I think this is a typical Higashino Keigo novel, with the charm of his past works blended together in a really good way.
★★★★★ Brain science + physics + SF entertainment novel.
I read it all in one sitting without getting bored.
“There is no entity in this world that has no meaning of existence.” Is this what the author wanted to say?
★★★★★ A magnificent masterpiece! Japan, unpredictable from an explosion or earthquake, and unsure of the future of my life, I wanted to cherish the days of its mountains and valleys.
Great story.
★★★★★ I thought that it was indeed Keigo Higashino who could write such a difficult story in an easy-to-understand way.
★★★★★ A book I would recommend to people.
I hope to see more similar works.
★★★★★ I really want to read the sequel.