One of Japan's top critically-acclaimed writers, Higashino puts forward a climatic thriller based around a despate lady, Yasuko, who is longing for a peaceful existence with her little girl, Misato. She lands herself in deep trouble when she murders her abusive ex-husband as he storms her house. Ishigami, their neighbour, offers his help in disposing the body and subsequently sets up a masterful cover-up. When the body is located, detective Kusanagi, with the assistance of Dr. Yukawa, a physicist who knew Ishigami back in college, notes that something is out of order with Yasuko's alibi. What follows is a mental chess-challenge between Yukawa and Ishigami. But why indeed such devotion by Ishigami, the suspect X? Explore this mind-boggling tale of conflict in the darkness of mystery!