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, the enterprising young protagonist 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 ploy 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.

宮部美雪，日本“國民作傢”，連續11年被讀者票選為“日本最受歡迎女作傢”第1名，創日本史上最高紀錄。作品以溫暖的關懷為底蘊，富含對社會的批判與反省。　　1987年以《鄰人的犯罪》齣道，當年即獲第26屆《ALL讀物》推理小說新人奬。此後，作品每一齣版均登上日本各大暢銷書榜，並幾乎囊括日本文學界所有大奬：《魔術的耳語》榮獲第2屆日本推理懸疑小說大奬，《龍眠》榮獲第45屆日本推理作傢協會奬，《火車》榮獲第6屆山本周五郎奬，《理由》榮獲第120屆直木奬，《勇者物語》同名電影榮獲日本“奧斯卡”動畫大奬，《模仿犯》榮獲第52屆藝術選奬、文部科學大臣奬等六項大奬…… 　　本書係作者的長篇小說處女作，齣版後迅速登上日本紀伊國屋、三省堂等各大書店暢銷榜第1名，並以絕對優勢奪得第二屆日本推理懸疑小說大奬，媒體贊譽：“作者高強的講故事能力充斥字裏行間，同時又包含深刻的反思，背叛、原諒、報復……各種情感摻雜其中，遠遠超越瞭推理小說給人的冰冷之感，無不引人深思……”