Keigo Higashino (1958–2026) was a Japanese author known mainly for his mystery novels. Born in Osaka, he worked as an engineer before becoming a full-time writer in 1986. He served as president of the Mystery Writers of Japan from 2009 to 2013, and many of his books were adapted into films and television series.
Early career
Higashino began writing while still at school and university. After studying electrical engineering at Osaka Prefecture University, he worked as an engineer and submitted mystery manuscripts to the Edogawa Rampo Prize. He won that prize in 1985 for an unpublished work drawing on his university archery club. He left his job the following year to write full time in Tokyo.
Major works and recognition
His 1998 novel Himitsu was adapted into a 1999 Japanese film and later a French remake. In 2006 he won the Naoki Prize for The Devotion of Suspect X, which inverts the traditional whodunit by revealing the murderer early on. The novel's English translation was nominated for the Edgar Award and the Barry Award, and his books were popular across Asia and beyond.
Style and themes
Higashino's work often combines mystery with scientific elements and sports references, and it explores loyalty and human relationships. He was strongly influenced by Japanese writers such as Edogawa Rampo and Seicho Matsumoto. He also wrote essays and children's stories and, in 2011, donated royalties from one book to relief efforts after the Great East Japan Earthquake.