About the Author

Miyuki Miyabe is a best-selling Japanese author of more than 40 novels and the recipient of numerous literary awards, including Japan's top award for popular literature, the Naoki Prize. Her books have been translated into over 15 languages including, French, Danish, Russian, Greek, German, Chinese, and Korean. Other titles include All She Was Worth, Shadow Family, and Crossfire. She is also the author of the young adult novel Brave Story, which won a Batchelder Award from the Association for Library Service. Miyabe's fifth mystery, The Sleeping Dragon, will be released by Kodansha International in April 2010

Reviews

"Miyabe's forte is suspense. . . .[the] fascination of the story lies in its acute observations of the way masochistic shame and guilt play into the social conformity so inhibiting to the Japanese identity." --The New York Times Book Review
"The Devil's Whisper is laden with brilliant plot twists throughout and explores culturally transcendent themes like betrayal, forgiveness and revenge. Mystery fans looking for something a little exotic should check it out." --The Chicago Tribune
"Miyabe excels at creating a supernatural feeling in a prosaic urban setting... Both horror fans and mystery fans will savor this spooky mystery and want to seek out Miyabe's other work." --Publishers Weekly (starred review)
"A good selection for mystery collections." --Library Journal
"The Devil's Whisper is clever and compelling, with twists and turns aplenty to keep the pages turning." --Jeff Abbott, author of Collision and Trust Me

"Miyabe's forte is suspense. . . .[the] fascination of the story lies in its acute observations of the way masochistic shame and guilt play into the social conformity so inhibiting to the Japanese identity." --The New York Times Book Review

"The Devil's Whisper is laden with brilliant plot twists throughout and explores culturally transcendent themes like betrayal, forgiveness and revenge. Mystery fans looking for something a little exotic should check it out." --The Chicago Tribune
"Miyabe excels at creating a supernatural feeling in a prosaic urban setting... Both horror fans and mystery fans will savor this spooky mystery and want to seek out Miyabe's other work." --Publishers Weekly (starred review)
"A good selection for mystery collections." --Library Journal
"The Devil's Whisper is clever and compelling, with twists and turns aplenty to keep the pages turning." --Jeff Abbott, author of Collision and Trust Me

Miyabe (All She Was Worth), Japan's bestselling mystery author, should garner new fans in the U.S. with this eerie tale that recalls some classic Japanese horror films. Mamoru Kusaka, a sensitive and intelligent teen, is troubled by the loss of his parents. Twelve years after his father disappeared following a municipal financial scandal, his mother has died of a stroke. As Mamoru tries to start a new life with relatives in Tokyo, his uncle, taxi driver Taizo Asano, is arrested after running over a young woman. While working to exonerate Taizo, Mamoru stumbles upon evidence that the victim may have been fleeing the person responsible for two other recent strange deaths that were officially classed as suicides. Miyabe excels at creating a supernatural feeling in a prosaic urban setting, and Mamoru is an engaging and original amateur sleuth. Both horror fans and mystery fans will savor this spooky mystery and want to seek out Miyabe's other work. (Oct.) Copyright 2007 Reed Business Information.