The Devil's Whisper

Three deaths come in quick succession: one girl jumps from the roof of a six-story building; another falls in front of a train; and a third is hit by a late-night taxi. But how are they related? And are they accidents, suicides -- or murder?

Slowly, the answers are uncovered by sixteen-year-old Mamoru, the nephew of the taxi driver currently being held by the police on charges of manslaughter for the death of the third victim.

Determined to help his uncle, Mamoru discovers that the girl killed by his uncle's taxi had participated in a devious scam to separate vulnerable men from their money, and that three of the four girls involved in the plot are now dead. When a powerful businessman reveals new evidence that could free Mamoru's uncle, Mamoru decides he must go all out if he is to save the last of the four girls being targeted by the real killer.

And then the killer contacts him...

Best-selling author MIYUKI MIYABE has written more than 40 novels, including three previous works in English translation published by Kodansha International All She Was Worth, Shadow Family, and Crossfire and the forthcoming hardcover, Sleeping Dragon (April 2010). Among her many awards is Japan's top honor for popular literature, the Naoki Prize. Her books have been translated into over 15 languages. She is also the author of the young adult novel Brave Story, which won the Association for Library Service for Children's Batchelder Award.