宮部美雪，日本“國民作傢”，連續11年被讀者票選為“日本最受歡迎女作傢”第1名，創日本史上最高紀錄。作品以溫暖的關懷為底蘊，富含對社會的批判與反省。　　1987年以《鄰人的犯罪》齣道，當年即獲第26屆《ALL讀物》推理小說新人奬。此後，作品每一齣版均登上日本各大暢銷書榜，並幾乎囊括日本文學界所有大奬：《魔術的耳語》榮獲第2屆日本推理懸疑小說大奬，《龍眠》榮獲第45屆日本推理作傢協會奬，《火車》榮獲第6屆山本周五郎奬，《理由》榮獲第120屆直木奬，《勇者物語》同名電影榮獲日本“奧斯卡”動畫大奬，《模仿犯》榮獲第52屆藝術選奬、文部科學大臣奬等六項大奬…… 　　本書係作者的長篇小說處女作，齣版後迅速登上日本紀伊國屋、三省堂等各大書店暢銷榜第1名，並以絕對優勢奪得第二屆日本推理懸疑小說大奬，媒體贊譽：“作者高強的講故事能力充斥字裏行間，同時又包含深刻的反思，背叛、原諒、報復……各種情感摻雜其中，遠遠超越瞭推理小說給人的冰冷之感，無不引人深思……”

Sixteen-year-old Mamoru Kusaka has recently moved to Tokyo to live with his aunt and uncle after the death of his mother. Just as he is beginning to adjust to his new life, his uncle is involved in a late-night accident while driving his taxicab. A young coed is dead and Uncle Taiko is

charged with manslaughter, even though the circumstances seem suspect.

Struggling to help his uncle, Mamoru discovers that the victim had been involved in a cruel scam with three other young women. Two of the four have also recently died in similarly violent incidents.

Several days after the accident, a powerful businessman comes forward as a witness. But instead of making things clearer, the mans testimony only adds more confusing lies and deceptions to an already puzzling case, as Mamoru races to save the last of the four women targeted by the real killer.