Salvation of a Saint

After reading Keigo Higashino's Salvation of a Saint, we are still unsure of our commitment to reading all of the Detective Galileo series. Like the previous novel, it is quite clear who the murderer is, but Kusanagi and other Tokyo detectives consult physics professor Yukawa to uncover the "trick" used by the killer. In this case, unlike The Devotion of Suspect X, we were able to correctly guess at least part of the method used by the killer to hide crucial evidence. So, in some respects, Salvation of a Saint was less suspenseful. Moreover, Yukawa only appears in the novel almost 1/3 of the way through, making Kusanagi and junior detective Utsumi even more important for carrying the plot. Fortunately, Utsumi as the bright female detective who, in some ways, is more observant than her male superiors yet still draws on "feminine intuition" at times, challenges Kusanagi's urge to clear the only real suspect from suspicion. It's similar to Kishitani in the first novel in the series, but Utsumi seems to be much sharper and intelligent. Indeed, her competition of sorts with Kusanagi over the primary suspect responsible for the poisoning of Mashiba is what actually draws Yukawa into the narrative. Yukawa, who is a bit distant from Kusanagi, is hilariously condescending and relentlessly logical to great effect. But it is ultimately something done by an emotional Kusanagi which actually helps resolve the case. Overall, this is far less shocking or clever than The Devotion of Suspect X, but we will continue reading the series.