Abstract

Kota, who works in Tokyo, goes on a snowboarding trip with Momomi, whom he met at a group date.
However, one of the women in the gondola who gets in the same boat turns out to be his fiancée, with whom he lives together.
Hiding his face with goggles and a mask, will he be able to make it to the top of the mountain without being recognized?
Eventually, on a midwinter ski slope, the story develops into a shocking love-hate drama involving several men and women.

Includes a special story, "Near Miss."

Author’s Information

Born in Osaka Prefecture in 1958.
Debuted in 1985 by winning the 31st Edogawa Rampo Prize with "Hokago (After School)".

Received the 52nd Japan Mystery Writers Association Award in 1999 for "Himitsu (Secret)", the 134th Naoki Prize and the 6th Honkaku Mystery Grand Prize in 2006 for "The Devotion of Suspect X," the 7th Chuo Koron Literary Prize in 2012 for "The Miracles of the Namiya General Store," the 26th Shibata Renzaburo Award in 2013 for "Mugenbana (Dreamy Flowers", and the 48th Yoshikawa Eiji Literary Prize in 2014 for "The Final Curtain". Also has numerous other awards.

Passionate about snowboarding, with works set on the slopes like "Silver Jack (Silver Hijack)", "Shippu Rondo (Gale Rondo)", "Koi no Gondola (Love Gondola)" and "Setsuen Chase (Chase in the Snow)".

Authored many books including "The Camphor Tree’s Guard (Kusunoki no Bannin)", "Majo to sugoshita Shichinichikann (Seven Days Spent with a Witch)", "Anata ga dareka wo koroshita (You Killed Someone)" and "Black Showman to kakuseisuru onnatachi (The Awakening Women with the Black Showman)".