Masquerade Night

Author Keigo Higashino · Publisher Hyeondae Munhak · Published 2018-08-30 · ISBN 9788972758990

About the Book

Keigo Higashino’s Latest Work of 2018
Don't Be Deceived, Even the Culprit Wears a Mask

★ Series Exceeds 3 Million Cumulative Sales in Japan!
★ Immediately Ranked #1 on Oricon Weekly Book Chart Upon Release!
★ First Installment of the Series, 『Masquerade Hotel』,
to be Adapted into a Film in 2019 Starring Takuya Kimura and Masami Nagasawa!

■ Keigo Higashino’s 'Hotel Mystery Investigation Drama,'
the Return of the
Masquerade Series>
The latest work by the master of Japanese mystery novels, Keigo Higashino, 『Masquerade Night』, has been published by Hyeondae Munhak. This is the third installment of the after 『Masquerade Hotel』, a work commemorating the author's 25th anniversary in 2011, and 『Masquerade Eve』, which was selected as the #1 book of the year by the Japanese literary magazine "Da Vinci" in 2014, making its appearance three years later.

The author sensitively captures current social issues and deeply explores the diverse aspects of humanity and its true nature. Higashino's mystery novels are highly regarded as excellent works that unravel the mystery of human existence.

The first installment of this series, 『Masquerade Hotel』, which revolves around the theme that 'everyone wears a mask in life,' presented a microcosm of our society through characters who revealed their unadorned selves, embarrassing for guests of a first-class hotel. The second installment, 『Masquerade Eve』, revealed the duality of human nature and various forms of 'masks' using more traditional mystery novel techniques. And now, 『Masquerade Night』, where a case begins with an anonymous tip with unknown intentions, raises the curtain on a splendid masquerade ball that draws readers deeper into the human psyche.




■ A Dead Body Discovered from a Mysterious Tip, and an Anonymous Note Arrives at the Metropolitan Police Department
The Culprit Will Appear at Hotel Cortesia Tokyo’s New Year’s Countdown Party!


The is a major mystery work that created a buzz from its initial announcement, featuring a new protagonist, Detective Kosuke Nitta, following Professor Yukawa () and Detective Kaga (), by an author who rarely writes series. Uniquely, the story unfolds in a first-class hotel. The author, who stated his desire to write a novel where the 'hotel' itself is the main character, created another protagonist, 'Hotelier Naomi,' who stands in opposition to 'Detective Nitta,' and describes the world of the hotel through their alternating perspectives.

The incident begins with investigators infiltrating the hotel undercover, where a murder is foretold, but the identity of the culprit and their target are completely unknown. As the title 'Masquerade' suggests, the people gathered at the hotel wear different masks for different purposes. The detective, wearing the mask of a hotelier to catch the culprit, sharply observes the guests, while the real hotelier meticulously attends to guests with a smiling face to provide the best hospitality. The confrontation between the hotelier, who tries to protect the guests who "wear the mask of a customer and come to the hotel to enjoy the masquerade," and the detective, who tries to unmask them, combined with various guests and their unpredictable antics, adds even more mysterious charm to the series' cases.




3, 2, 1... Must Be Apprehended Before the New Year's Countdown Ends!
The Breathtaking Masquerade Chase Begins Now ― Book Synopsis

'Please investigate room 604 of the Nerima one-room apartment. There may be a woman's body.'

A mysterious tip received through an anonymous online reporting dial leads to the discovery of a 28-year-old woman's body. Although the initial on-site examination reported a natural heart attack, the suspicious circumstances of the body's discovery led to an autopsy, which revealed electrocution by another person. An investigation immediately began but faced difficulties until an anonymous note arrived at the Metropolitan Police Department. The message stated that the killer from the Nerima one-room apartment would appear at the Hotel Cortesia Tokyo New Year's Countdown Party. The Metropolitan Police Department summoned Detective Nitta's team, who had previously infiltrated the hotel undercover during a peculiar serial code murder case in Tokyo several years ago (『Masquerade Hotel』). Soon, Kosuke Nitta, wearing a hotel uniform, appeared before hotelier Naomi Yamagishi after several years.

Only three days remain until the countdown party, dubbed 'Masquerade Night,' where the culprit is expected to appear! With over 400 participants all wearing masks and costumes for the event, the investigators are on high alert, monitoring each incoming guest. However, without any information and relying solely on the anonymous tip, no significant clues are found. Amidst this, Nitta, while piecing together the case, senses the possibility of a serial murder and slowly approaches the complex truth.




Appearance of Familiar Characters Who Have Grown from the Previous Installment and New Supporting Characters

"Is it a case that simple to solve? If so, it's too boring." ― Detectives with a Strong Sense of Justice and Competitiveness

Inspector Nitta, who had infiltrated as a front desk employee in 『Masquerade Hotel』, is once again tasked with greeting hundreds of suspects at the "forefront of the investigation." Having lived in the U.S. and fluent in English, with a sophisticated appearance and demeanor unlike a detective from the First Investigation Division, he also possesses excellent observational and deductive skills, having been the first to decipher the peculiar numerical messages at the crime scene in 『Masquerade Hotel』. His confident and free-spirited style sometimes makes him appear arrogant, which led to numerous criticisms from Naomi when he first wore the hotel uniform. However, this time, leveraging that experience, he appears more adept as a hotelier and more mature as a person.

Meanwhile, the investigator who greatly assists Nitta, who is unable to freely gather information due to having to stay at the hotel for work, is Detective Nose. He appeared as part of the Shinagawa jurisdiction in 『Masquerade Hotel』 and is a seemingly naive but incredibly well-connected and resourceful individual. He was so popular that there were requests for a story starring him. This time, he has transferred to the Metropolitan Police Department's First Investigation Division and once again plays an active role as Nitta's partner.




"To a hotelier, 'I can't' is a forbidden word." ― Hoteliers Prioritizing Customer Satisfaction

Naomi, the hotelier who is another protagonist paired with Detective Nitta, has been promoted from front desk staff to concierge due to her outstanding work performance. A concierge handles various requests from guests, and the novel's enjoyment is enhanced by her clever solutions to even more challenging guest demands than in the previous installment. Naomi, who knows Nitta's abilities well, cooperates with him despite their occasional bickering. However, this leads to criticism from Ujihira, the Front Office Assistant Manager, who disapproves of the detectives' undercover operation. In this installment, Ujihira, a meticulous and principled individual, takes over the front desk with Nitta, leading to a conflict between the hotelier, who prioritizes guests, and the police, who sometimes disregard hotel rules to apprehend criminals.




More Elaborate Story and the Most Spectacular Investigation in the Series' History

Higashino's novels, composed of concise sentences and dialogue-driven pacing, create vivid imagery, so much so that there's a rumor he writes with film adaptation in mind. Many of his over 85 works have been adapted into films or dramas, and this series is no exception, with the first installment already in production for a film adaptation. , starring Takuya Kimura and Masami Nagasawa, is scheduled for release in 2019.

The news of the film production has already sparked intense interest among Japanese netizens, with heated debates over a potential film adaptation of 『Masquerade Night』. On one hand, there's anticipation for breathtaking visuals to recreate the thrilling chase scenes at the masquerade ball with hundreds of participants. On the other hand, there are opposing opinions that a film might not be able to fully capture the intricate textual foreshadowing. This novel, which unravels a long story spanning 550 pages without being overly complex, expertly resolves all foreshadowing and mysteries in the end, and leaves a profound message for our society with a surprising twist, truly demonstrates why Keigo Higashino is considered an unrivaled mystery novelist.



Meanwhile, proving its popularity, this new work by the consistently話題-generating author topped the Oricon Weekly Book Chart in Japan in its first week of release last September, and the series recently surpassed 3 million cumulative sales in Japan.




■ Japanese Amazon Reader Reviews

★★★★★ Nitta and Naomi, the charming duo's return!

★★★★★ The theme of human masks, central to the series, is well depicted. The way small stories ultimately converge into a single conclusion is also excellent. This time, a new character other than Naomi appears as Nitta's partner, a professional with a different perspective than Naomi, which is interesting.

★★★★★ Amazing. I was completely fooled. The last five chapters truly reveal Higashino Keigo's true brilliance.

★★★★★ The vivid descriptions make the imagery clear. As expected of Keigo Higashino!

★★★★★ I read it in one sitting, just like when I read 『Masquerade Hotel』 six years ago. The mystery itself is more complex than the previous work, and the human charm of the characters has increased exponentially. It's a great work.

★★★★★ Even the episodes of the hoteliers alone are very entertaining and an evolution from the previous work, but the density of the mystery has also greatly improved. I was surprised by the twist in the middle! Very satisfied!

★★★★★ Naomi is truly amazing for perfectly handling the requests of troublesome guests! The story, where various events converge into one as it heads towards the climax, is stunning.

★★★★★ I'd love to stay at a hotel with hoteliers like these.

★★★★★ Looking forward to the sequel!

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