Now I understand why this book has been ranked first on このミステリーがすごい!, ミステリが読みたい! and 週刊文春ミステリーベスト10,
The book was really great, and it’s right up my alley as police procedurals are my favourite sub-genre. I also liked that the story is not focused on the main police detective but on the case. The plot is really good, the case is very complex, elements that seemed unrelated at first turn out to be more important that they looked, the end is excellent, but most of all, it’s heavily focused on characters, their motives and how they’re dealing with the situations they’ve fallen into.
失われた貌
うしなわれたかお
Details
Author
櫻田智也 (さくらだ ともや) · Sakurada Tomoya
Language
Japanese
Published
2025
Pages
304
Read
2026-06-25 → 2026-06-30
Finished
♥ Favourite
★★★★★
Awards
- このミステリーがすごい! · 2026 · #1
- 本格ミステリ・ベスト10 · 2026 · #3
- ミステリが読みたい! · 2026 · #1
- 週刊文春ミステリーベスト10 · 2025 · #1
Review
★★★★★
♥ Favourite
Updates
100%
Finished! Last two chapters were very short.
91%
Ended up reading another chapter, the plot is incredibly good! 
There are two chapters left, I’m keeping them for tomorrow.
79%
Finished chapter 5. I say it after every chapter, but wow this book is so so good!! This chapter was the best so far!
66%
Finished chapter 4, wow this book is really great. Best police procedural I’ve read in a while. This chapter in particular had decisive elements, it’s very suspenseful!
49%
Finished chapter 3, halfway through already!
I like that each chapter is one day, and we really follow the characters through the whole day. Given that I’m reading one chapter per day, it feels like the story is unfolding in real time.
32%
I finished the second chapter… this book is really great!! An excellent police procedural so far, the case seems really complex, I love it!
13%
I read the first chapter! Loved it, looks like a good police procedural!
Post
They don’t work in the same departments, but here are the police ranks of the main characters:
- Takamiya is 警視 Police Superintendent, two ranks above Hino.
- Habaro is 警部, Police Inspector, one rank above Hino, even though they’re the same age.
- Hino Yukihiko is 警部補 Assistant Police Inspector.
- Irie Ayano is 巡査部長, Police Sergeant, one rank below Hino who is her direct superior.
The 生活安全課 is a branch in Japanese police specialised in prevention and public order. They handle juvenile delinquency, DV, cybercrime, economic crimes, illegal gambling, prostitution, drugs, etc.
Characters
七月六日 あるはずの光
未咲
みさき
Hino’s wife
緒方
おがた
Section Chief, First Investigation Division, Criminal Investigation Department
早見
はやみ
Ex-CEO of ハヤ宅
剣菱
けんびし
Yagi’s lawyer
中山大哉
なかやまだいや
Schoolboy who got spoken to by a man
白川清
しらかわきよし
Victim of the Komane case, owner of the apartment.
八木辰夫
やぎたつお
Lives in the apartment, main suspect.
柿本
かきもと
Police officer from Komane
幸田みつ子
こうだみつこ
Representative of カラン, a NPO that helps former convicts.
小沼憲
おぬまけん
Disappeared 10 years ago
小沼隼斗
おぬまはやと
Ken’s son, 9.
小沼久美
おぬまくみ
Ken’s wife, knows Kyoko
日野雪彦
ひの ゆきひこ
41, Investigation Section Chief at the Himekami police station
入江文乃
いりえあやの
29, detective sergeant.
佐竹亘
さたけわたる
33, office clerk at a wholesale company.
鷹宮
たかみや
47, Medical Examiner, Forensic science division, criminal investigation department, prefectural headquarters.
羽幌
はぼろ
Inspector, Chief of Himekami station’s community safety division.
上村杏子
うえむらきょうこ
Wrote the complaint in the 北光ウィークリー
辻晴一
つじせいいち
39, arrested for killing his wife
加奈
かな
37, Seiichi’s wife