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The marriage between Yoshitaka and Ayane is coming to an end after a year of marriage. Yoshitaka has made it clear that he wants children; Ayane has yet to become pregnant. Though Ayane hoped that her husband would want to remain wedded because he loves her, it was clear from the start that Yoshitaka's main purpose in marrying her was to start a family. Hardly the romantic, he is already having an affair with Ayane's apprentice, Hiromi, whom he hopes will prove more fertile. Ayane appears unaware of the relationship, but she is not bitter about her husband's rejection. She agreed to the terms of the marriage, and she has a successful career as a patchwork artist and teacher. She asks only to visit her parents' distant home for a few days before she packs up to leave. Two days after Ayane's departure, Hiromi goes over to Yoshitaka's house after she has failed to hear from him. Ayane has thoughtfully given Hiromi her own key so that she can look after Yoshitaka in case he has trouble taking care of himself. After all, the man has never even made himself a cup of coffee. Indeed, the first cup he does make proves to be fatal, and Hiromi finds her lover dead on the kitchen floor. Detective Kusanagi and Jr. Detective Utsumi are baffled by the case, since the only person with a clear motive—the wife who openly admits her husband has just ended their marriage—was hundreds of miles away when he died. All of these facts are revealed near the beginning of the novel, and the rest of this more than three-hundred-page (8 CD) procedural is spent in trying to unlock what appears to be a perfect crime. Even Professor Galileo, the physics genius Kusanagi went to university with and who has helped him out in previous cases (for instance, the award-winning DEVOTION OF SUSPECT X) is stumped. How did arsenic get into the coffee or the water to kill only Yoshitaka when Hiromi and others recently partook of the beverage from the same coffee system? Eventually, through a few lucky breaks in the case, the murder is solved, thanks once again to the mastery of Professor Galileo. Meanwhile, many cups of tea, coffee, and hot chocolate are sipped with suspects as the police detectives go over and over the minute details of the case. One of these beverages will be needed to keep many readers plowing through this quiet mystery, which lacks the sublime twists and turns of SUSPECT X. Higashino does have a lot going for him as a writer, which becomes more apparent upon reading more than one of his works. For one thing, he is a fine developer of character. In SALVATION, Kusanagi must battle himself, for he finds Ayane beautiful and seductive, so much so that he doesn't wish to consider her a suspect. In a nice role reversal, the female Utsumi is hard-headed and without emotion. One might suggest that Higashino is a bit of a feminist, as his procedurals offer sub-textural commentary on the subjugation of women in Japanese marriages: Ayame has had no say as to what the terms of her marriage will be. On audio, the work is enhanced by the narration of David Pittu, who is one of the best performers, with a broad range and a long list of accomplishments. Within the last year or two, he has narrated Jeffrey Eugenides' MARRIAGE PLOT, plus all of STAR WARS: THE HANS SOLO TRILOGY. He seems to have a selection in every mystery, sci-fi, and short story collection ever recorded. However, he is not simply prolific: He is superbly talented, thinking through each character's voice and demeanor. He never trips over difficult Japanese words. In Salvation, Ayane is shy, soft-spoken, and seductive—except when Hirume contradicts her. Then Ayane can be suddenly sharp and authoritative. Hirume is tentative and fragile. Galileo's voice booms with athletic energy—he plays a mean game of badminton when not solving difficult problems. The performance is without flaw. Though SALVATION is not as intriguing as SUSPECT X, still it is an interesting listen. It is a long time since I've read a work about how someone was killed inside an otherwise empty, locked room. The teasing out the solution to a perfect crime is a pleasant respite from the usual gore on the floor that seems to be the standard for most mysteries these days. § Karla Jay is a legally blind audio book addict, who lives in New York City, where she is Distinguished Professor of English and Women's Studies at Pace University.
Reviewed by Karla Jay, October 2012
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