1960年齣生於東京。1987年，《吾傢鄰人的犯罪》獲《All讀物》推理小說新人獎；1989年，《魔術的耳語》（商周齣版）獲日本推理懸疑小說大獎。

1992年，《龍眠》獲日本推理作傢協會獎，並以《本所深川怪異草紙》獲吉川英治文學新人獎；1993年，《火車》獲山本周五郎獎；1997年，《蒲生邸事件》獲日本SF大獎；1999年，《理由》獲直木獎。近期作品有《模倣犯》、《R.P.G.》。

Young, pretty Junko Aoki has an extraordinary ability she can start fires through sheer force of will. When she begins using her gift of pyrokinesis to take the law into her own hands and punish violent criminals, her executions attract the attention of two very different groups: the

Guardians, a secretive vigilante organization that tries to recruit her, and the arson squad of the Tokyo Metropolitan Police Department. Soon the police are on Junkos trail, most notably Detective Chikako Ishizu, a rationalist who must come to terms with the existence of paranormal forces. As

Junkos crusade against evil escalates and she finds it harder to control her power, we are taken on a breathtaking and brutal journal through the urban landscape of Tokyo. . .a journey that challenges us, along with Chikako, to think about whats right and whats wrong in the name of justice.