Japanese novelist Keigo Higashino has died at the age of 68.

Japanese author Keigo Higashino, one of the contemporary masters of the crime novel, has died at the age of 68 from colorectal cancer, his publisher Kodansha announced. A leading figure in Japanese literature, he leaves behind a prolific body of work comprising more than 100 novels, translated into 41 languages ​​and selling over 100 million copies in Japan. His funeral was held privately with only family present.

Born on February 4, 1958, in Osaka Prefecture, Keigo Higashino graduated with a degree in electrical engineering before dedicating himself to writing. He first gained recognition in 1985 by winning the prestigious Edogawa Ranpo Prize with his debut novel. Hokago (After School). Over the decades, it has established itself as a reference in Japanese crime fiction thanks to plots that blend suspense, psychology, and social commentary.

A work recognized worldwide

Among his most famous works are The Devotion of Suspect X, The house where I once died or, Homemade coffeeMore than twenty of his novels have been adapted for film or television, contributing to his international renown. In France, he received the International Novel Prize at the Cognac Crime Fiction Festival in 2010 for The house where I once died.

The announcement of his death sparked widespread emotion in Japan and Asia, where he had a vast readership, particularly in China. Numerous tributes celebrated the legacy left by the author, whose novels will continue to be read around the world and will leave a lasting mark on the crime fiction genre.