Dream Flower

Name: Dream Flower
ISBN: 9787559632241

Keigo Higashino / 王蕴洁Beijing United Publishing Co., Ltd. · ChinaDec 2019

4.0

Word count: 148K words
Chapters: 44
ISBN: 9787559632241

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Summary

A loving couple is hacked to death on their way to work, leaving behind a infant daughter; a young electronic keyboard player in the prime of youth jumps to his death, leaving behind an unfinished dream; an elderly man living alone is killed in his home, the place ransacked yet no money taken... These seemingly unrelated incidents are linked by the loss of a packet of flower seeds, and it turns out the root of it all lies in a pot of mysterious morning glories. "Seek not the forbidden flower that does not exist in this world—whatever you do, do not go looking for the yellow morning glory"—what exactly does this mysterious message mean?

Editor's review

Naoko is a rather unusual, atypical work in Keigo Higashino's career, breaking away from his signature pure mystery framework to incorporate deeper social concern and philosophical reflection. The book revolves around a mysterious yellow morning glory, connecting two murder cases spanning decades, yet its core goes far beyond solving the crime. Higashino skillfully weaves together plant genetics, family responsibility, social duty, and personal obsession, exploring the profound theme of "negative legacy"—things that seem useless or even harmful yet must be inherited and safeguarded by someone. Unlike the extreme evil and love in Journey Under the Midnight Sun and The Devotion of Suspect X, this book leans more toward depicting ordinary people's courage, confusion, and choices when facing the "burden" left by history. The narrative pacing builds steadily in the early stages, then erupts with power as the multiple threads converge in the latter half, demonstrating the author's skilled structuring. It may not be the most suspenseful of Higashino's works, but it is one of those most likely to prompt readers to long ponder responsibility and inheritance, showing another possibility for mystery fiction to carry social issues.

Who it's for

A good fit for

Readers who enjoy Keigo Higashino's works and want to explore his atypical social school style
Readers interested in mystery stories that incorporate natural science elements (such as botany)
Readers who prefer to reflect on social issues like family, responsibility, and inheritance within a suspense story
Readers who appreciate a steady narrative with clues gradually laid out and converging in a multi-threaded finale

Not a good fit for

Fans of high-intensity, fast-paced honkaku mystery with constant twists
Readers hoping for extreme human nature portrayals similar to Malice or Journey Under the Midnight Sun

Reading tips

Pay attention to the 'yellow morning glory' setup—it is the central MacGuffin running through the entire book, and understanding its symbolic meaning is key to grasping the story.
The story involves multiple timelines and character perspectives; a little sorting out early on will help you understand the motives and causality behind characters' actions later.
After finishing, consider how the concept of 'negative legacy' maps onto your own life or history—this can deepen your reading experience.

About the publisher

Beijing United Publishing Co., Ltd. China · Founded in 1993

Beijing United Publishing Co., Ltd. is a publisher known for its literature and history titles, with 2,065 books in the collection. Its publishing covers foreign literature, contemporary Chinese prose and essays, history, folk literature, and cultural books. Its list ranges from Sima Qian's complete edition of the Records of the Grand Historian to foreign classics such as The Book of Disquiet, All Quiet on the Western Front, Snow Country, The Stranger, and Jean-Christophe, as well as modern Chinese works including Teahouse and Dawn Blossoms Plucked at Dusk. Its authors and translators include Yasunari Kawabata, Fernando Pessoa, Erich Maria Remarque, Jin Xinyi, Zhou Miao, and Chen Chao. Public information is limited, but its catalogue reflects a balance between Chinese and foreign literary classics and historical and cultural works.

版权信息
《梦幻花》创作手记
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尾声

FAQ

Is this book heavy on mystery and suspense? What style of Keigo Higashino does it belong to?

The book contains elements of suspense and mystery, but it is not a traditional honkaku puzzle. It leans more toward 'social school mystery,' where the core puzzle (the secret of the yellow flower) is closely intertwined with characters' fates and social responsibility; the investigation serves the thematic expression, the pacing is relatively steady, and the focus is on revealing motives and showing characters' choices.

Is the story easy to follow? Is the structure complex?

The main storyline is clear, unfolding around the search for the truth about the yellow flower. Structurally, it uses multiple timelines (past and present) and multiple character perspectives; seemingly scattered clues from the early part converge cleverly in the middle and later sections. As long as you follow the narration, it is not hard to understand, but it takes some patience to accompany the characters in their search.

Where does this book stand among Keigo Higashino's works?

It is a work of considerable depth and distinctive character. Among fans, it may not have the extremely high dramatic tension and fame of Journey Under the Midnight Sun or The Devotion of Suspect X, but its exploration of the social issue of 'negative legacy' is unique, showing a side of Higashino's humanistic concern as a writer. Readers who enjoy the social school style often rate it highly, considering its thoughtfulness greater than its entertainment value.

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About the author

Keigo Higashino Author · Japan · 1958–2026

Keigo Higashino was a Japanese mystery novelist, born on February 4, 1958, in Ikuno Ward, Osaka, and a graduate of Osaka Prefecture University. He made his debut in 1985 with After School, which won the Edogawa Rampo Prize. He went on to write prolifically, spanning honkaku mystery, socially engaged suspense, and warm-hearted narrative, with representative works including Journey Under the Midnight Sun, The Devotion of Suspect X, and Miracles of the Namiya General Store. In 2006 he received the Naoki Prize. His novels often wrap intricate deduction around human conflict, featuring frequent plot twists and unexpected endings, and have had a wide influence on Chinese-language readers. This site carries 24 of his works, mostly catalogued under foreign literature, classic works, and mystery and suspense. He died on July 23, 2026.

王蕴洁 Author

Wang Yunjie is a Chinese-language book author about whom limited public information is available; her nationality, dates of birth and death, and English name have not been reliably recorded. The library holds 23 of her works, including the eight-volume Keigo Higashino Collection, the 2021 edition of The Life of a Disgraced Matsuko, the two-volume set The Camellia Stationery Shop and The Sparkling Life, Robin's Plan, a five-volume collection titled A Kind of Healing Called Ogawa Ito: Every Volume Fresh and Beautiful, and The Final Chapter of Valentine's Day. Judging from these works, she is mainly engaged in compiling and editing foreign literature, especially Japanese fiction, with selections centered on social novels, suspense and mystery, and classic works, covering authors such as Keigo Higashino, Muneki Yamada, and Ito Ogawa. Her editorial choices show an interest in human predicaments, family relationships, and everyday healing, combining the tension of mystery with a warm narrative tone.