“The sun doesn’t go down, and the darkness never comes. That’s what the midnight sun is like.”
Chapter 1: The Murder at the Pawnshop
The story begins in 1973 Osaka with the discovery of a murdered man in an abandoned building. Detective Sasagaki investigates the pawnshop owner’s killing, which seems connected to a woman named Fumiyo Nishimoto and her young daughter Yukiho. The case goes cold, but Sasagaki remains haunted by it.
Chapter 2: The Aftermath
Yukiho Nishimoto and Ryo Kirihara, the son of another person connected to the case, grow up under the shadow of the unsolved murder. Their lives take different paths, with Yukiho becoming a refined, elegant woman while Ryo drifts into the underworld.
Chapter 3: Parallel Lives
The narrative jumps forward to the 1980s, showing how Yukiho and Ryo’s lives develop. Yukiho marries into wealth while maintaining a perfect facade, and Ryo becomes involved in computer hacking and shady business deals. Mysterious deaths and crimes seem to follow them both.
Chapter 4: The Web Tightens
Detective Sasagaki, now retired but still obsessed with the old case, begins noticing connections between recent crimes and the original murder. He pieces together how Yukiho and Ryo might be involved in a complex web of deception spanning decades.
Chapter 5: Revelations
As Sasagaki digs deeper, the truth about the original murder emerges. The pawnshop owner was killed because he discovered incriminating evidence about Yukiho’s mother. The crime set in motion a chain of events that shaped both Yukiho and Ryo’s lives in dark ways.
Chapter 6: The Midnight Sun
In the final confrontation, the full extent of Yukiho’s manipulation and Ryo’s complicity is revealed. The novel ends with Sasagaki finally understanding the truth but unable to prove it, leaving the characters trapped in their endless daylight of secrets and lies.
Key ideas
- The lasting psychological impact of childhood trauma
- The duality of human nature and hidden darkness
- How crimes create ripple effects through time
- The illusion of perfection masking corruption
- The obsessive nature of unsolved mysteries
Who should read this book?
- Fans of psychological crime novels with complex character studies
- Readers who enjoy multi-generational mystery narratives
- Those interested in Japanese crime fiction beyond typical detective stories
- Anyone who appreciates slow-burning, atmospheric thrillers