Platinum Data

Name: Platinum Data
ISBN: 9787559611567

Keigo Higashino / 王蕴洁Beijing United Publishing Co., Ltd. · ChinaJan 2018

3.4

Word count: 155K words
Chapters: 51
ISBN: 9787559611567

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Summary

The murderer... was me?! At 6:12 p.m., mathematical genius Sakurada Saoki and her brother were killed in a room on the seventh floor. The corridors and elevators throughout the building are equipped with surveillance cameras, monitored 24 hours a day, yet no suspicious person was found. Only the Sakurada siblings were on the seventh floor. The floor's access control had not been tampered with. The gun left at the scene belonged to NF13, perpetrator of several earlier cases. Yet the hair on Sakurada Saoki's body belonged to another person—me?! After The Devotion of Suspect X, mystery master Keigo Higashino delivers a mind-bending tour de force. It has a depth worth pondering again and again, far beyond the category of "mystery fiction." From one soul to another, it is self-redemption and also a deep reading and writing of human nature.

Editor's review

Platinum Data is another suspenseful tour de force by Keigo Higashino, following The Devotion of Suspect X, that probes deeply into technological ethics and social justice. Set in near-future Japan, the book constructs a perfect crime-prevention system based on a DNA database called "Platinum Data," only to plunge into paradox when the murderer's DNA in a serial murder case completely fails to match the system's data. Higashino skillfully blends science-fiction premises with orthodox mystery, and amid layer upon layer of reversals, he not only explores the privacy and fairness issues brought by genetic technology but also profoundly reveals the eternal themes of institutional corruption and individual resistance. As an editor, I believe the value of this work lies in its prescience—in today's era of rapidly advancing big data and biometric technology, the book's question of "who has the power to define justice" is all the more thought-provoking. The narrative pace is tight, the scientific setup is rigorous without being obscure, and the open ending gives readers ample room for thought. It is a representative work of Higashino's that combines entertainment with intellectual depth.

Who it's for

A good fit for

Readers who enjoy the combination of science-fiction premises and social-issue mystery
Readers interested in exploring issues of technological ethics and data privacy
Readers who prefer Keigo Higashino's science-fiction-tinged works such as Platinum Data and Transformation
Deep readers seeking reflections beyond the case itself in suspense stories

Not a good fit for

Readers expecting pure orthodox puzzle-solving or a warm, healing style
Readers with low acceptance of near-future science-fiction settings who prefer realistic subject matter

Reading tips

You may compare works such as Malice and Red Finger to contrast different angles from which Higashino portrays "the evil of the system."
Pay attention to the symbolic meaning of the DNA database "Platinum Data" in the book and think about its connection to real-world social credit systems.
When reading the latter half, note the foreshadowing in characters' dialogue; the ending's reversal is closely related to it.

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.

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FAQ

What makes Platinum Data special compared with Keigo Higashino's other works?

This book is one of Higashino's few works set in a near-future science-fiction arena, perfectly combining science-fiction elements such as DNA technology and state surveillance with orthodox mystery. Thematically, it focuses more on the systemic justice dilemma of the technological age, continuing his social-issue mystery tradition while also breaking new ground.

Does the "Platinum Data" system in the book have a prototype in reality?

Although it is a science-fiction premise, its core—using nationwide biometric information to build a crime-prevention database—has partly appeared in various countries' DNA database construction. Higashino magnifies the ethical risks of absolutized technology, which has cautionary significance for reality.

Does the ending leave room for a sequel?

The story ends on an open climax; the main mystery is solved, but the blank space regarding systemic change and the characters' fates leaves room for readers' imagination. Higashino has not written a direct sequel, but this work can be seen as a spiritual continuation of his "technological ethics trilogy" (along with Transformation and Paradox 13).

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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.